It was recently reported that Robert Redford, 82, was retiring from acting. Redford said he was tired of acting after a lengthy career. However, the “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” actor did make one final Film. That film is “The Old Man and the Gun,” which premiered on Monday at the Toronto Film Festival, where it attracted a standing ovation from the audience.

The BBC reports that Redford is tipped to possibly win his first Oscar for acting for his final film.

Swansong for Robert Redford

The film “The Old Man and the Gun” is based on a true story about a serial bank robber, who teams up with a prison escapee who doesn’t want to go straight.

Naturally, Redford plays the old man and his co-stars include Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and singer Tom Waits. The film is set to premiere in UK theatres on 7 December. The film also had its world premiere in August at the Telluride Film Festival and will be featured at the London Film Festival in October this year.

Redford announced his retirement from acting last month while speaking of his new film, saying he wants to concentrate on directing in future. Redford has directed for some time and received an Oscar for his direction of the 1980 film “Ordinary People,” as well as an honorary Academy Award back in 2002.

Many believe his final film could tag him his first Oscar for acting.

The Hollywood actor has appeared in many excellent films, including “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ with Paul Newman, along with “The Sting” and Redford starred with Meryl Streep and Klaus Maria Brandauer in the drama “Out of Africa.”

Film fit Robert Redford’s sensibility

Redford said on Monday that “The Old Man and the Gun” fit his sensibility, adding that he has always had an attraction for the idea of outlaws, a role Robert has played often over the years.

He said the new film “followed suit,” and he enjoyed acting in it.

The film is based on the life of a career criminal named Forrest Tucker and follows the relationship between the Hollywood actor’s character and the police detective chasing after him. The detective is played by Casey Affleck. Redford said that Casey’s character was the predator, while his character was the prey, a dynamic that has always attracted him.

Despite the opposite nature of their characters, a weird relationship develops, almost a friendship.

Reuter reports that Redford’s character is a bank robber who had been caught by police 17 times in his 60-year crime spree but always managed to escape from jail.

The film itself contains “Easter eggs” throughout, relating to Redford’s film career, including at one point showing footage from his 1966 film “The Chase.” Reuters quotes Robert as saying on Monday that after 50 years of acting, “The Old Man and the Gun” was a “wonderful film” to bow out of his acting career. The trailer for "The Old Man and the Gun" is included below.
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