The Comeback Trail

Robert De Niro Morgan Freeman Tommy Lee Jones

Two movie producers who owe money to the mob set up their aging movie star for an insurance scam to try and save themselves. But they wind up getting more than they ever imagined.

Producer Max Barber (Robert De Niro) is in debt to mob boss Reggie Fontaine (Morgan Freeman) after his latest film bombs.

With his life at stake Max produces a new film all to kill his lead in a stunt so he can rake in the insurance. But when Max casts Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) he never expects the old drunk to be revitalised by being in front of the camera.

Unable to kill Duke in a basic stunt Max puts him into ever more dangerous situations. And as Duke survives stunt after stunt Max ends up making the best movie of his career.

Director: George Gallo

Stars: Robert De Niro Morgan Freeman Tommy Lee Jones

The Comeback Trail (2020)
R | 1h 44min | Action Comedy

palacecinemas.com.au

The Comeback Trail | Official Trailer

REVIEW: The Comeback Trail

An unorthodox combination of madcap farce showbiz satire and black comedy The Comeback Trail is definitely not going to accommodate all tastes.

However one thing that all viewers will agree on is that Robert De Niro has not been this amusing in a humorous setting for many years.

(I should also mention there could be little hope of this trend continuing. De Niro's next outing The War With Grandpa comes out in December. It looks as if it is the kind of comedy that is only second to COVID-19 in its ability to empty a cinema.)

Now of course De Niro's performance in The Comeback Trail is nowhere near in the same league as his dignified return to form in 2019's The Irishman.

Nevertheless Bob is making a real effort here and the work eventually pays off quite well.

He plays Max Barber a 1970s movie producer with a dubious reputation to uphold - his most recent release was a box-office bomb about nuns with machine guns - and a stack of money owed to notorious gangster Reggie Fontaine (Morgan Freeman).

Max's only way out of debt is a dicey insurance scam in which he requires the ageing star of his next production to die during filming to trigger a multimillion-dollar payout.

Just one problem: Max's leading man alcoholic excowboy star Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) is as indestructible as a Marvel superhero. Duke had been discovered by Max in an old folks' home for retired actors.

The fact Duke was not exactly shy about his life expectancy made him the logical candidate for a swift on-set death. But wouldn't you just know it? The magic of making a movie once more just keeps giving the old coot one new lease of life after another.

A bit corny at times but there is always some good stuff just around the corner throughout.

This review by LEIGH PAATSCH is from the November 12 2020 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
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