In this episode, Dara shares his gripes about the utterly mediocre buddy movie Wolfs, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as two fixers reluctantly obliged to work together through a night of yuk-filled capers (SPOILER: THERE ARE NO YUKS!). The film is an ode to laziness, self-satisfaction, complacency and vanity, and has the gall to pay tribute in its final shot to a truly great buddy movie of yesteryear, the inference clearly being that Clooney and Pitt are a contemporary equivalent of two past greats. No such luck.
Dara offers a selection of alternative movies that deal with successful partnerships in terms of their chemistry, as well as sharing a thematic link of ageing disgracefully. The first film that comes to mind is another flimsy reunion of two leading stalwarts from Hollywood’s golden age – do you remember Tough Guys (1986) with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas? It might not be worse than Wolfs!
Other more credible offerings are the original movie that gave us “I’m too old for this s**t!”, as well as possibly the best ever version of the outlaw picking up their gun later in life. Robert Redford and Paul Newman teamed up memorably for two very successful outings, both over 50 years ago, but Newman had another screen partner with whom he acted much more – his wife, Joanne Woodward. Dara shares his thoughts on Ethan Hawke’s excellent docuseries about the legendary couple and their complex lives.
Also, unfit security guards, lived-in love, reasons to be grateful, and autumnal restoration.