User reviews

A Night in Old Mexico was well-received in its North American Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. Some of our great actors age poorly and take easy money making roles (such as Robert DeNiro in Last Vegas and the Meet the Parents series), but Robert Duvall is still doing some serious acting. In A Night in Old Mexico, he plays a character that is likely not that different from himself. He plays a crazy old Texan united with his wayward grandson and looking to have a last thrill ride in south of the border. In some ways, the role is reminiscent of Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. The thrill ride takes a few unbelievable twists and turns, but it is still enjoyable to see how much spunk the old fellow still has. I'm not sure this will get much of a wide release, but if you have a chance check it out. Duvall remains a worthwhile entertaining old curmudgeon in old Mexico.

The story begins with an old Texan having to leave the ranch he has lived in his whole life, at the same moment he is suddenly introduced to a grandson he has never met before. They go off on a jaunt to Mexico where they end up hooking up with another lost soul, a singing stripper. Complicating matters considerably is the fact that they have inadvertently come into possession of a bag containing $150,000 - some violent criminals pursue them for this.

The chief draw of A Night in Old Mexico is the presence of veteran actor Robert Duvall. He certainly shows here that he still remains a very capable actor. It's a pity then that this film doesn't have a stronger storyline for Duvall to work off. It's effectively an odd couple movie, with a crime strand underpinning it. The first part works to a certain extent – Duvall's acting is good and the dialogue is often well written – but the dynamics between the three characters often seem a little forced, in particular it's quite hard really believing in the motivations of the Latina stripper character. The crime story, while fairly generic, does offer some potential excitement but it doesn't necessarily play out in such a way as to actually provide too much. Perhaps this is a good thing in some respects as it means that the film is maybe taking a different course to what you might typically expect. Whatever the case, the criminals operate in the background of the story and bump one and other off and they never really seem to pose that much of a threat to our heroes, which does dissipate the potential tension this could have created.

The location used by the story was pretty interesting though. The story takes place during the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday celebration. The purpose of which is to gather people together to pray for and remember friends and family who have died. This of course parallels the storyline of the film itself really well. Not only this but the strange skull-like masks worn by the townspeople as part of this celebration make for a somewhat memorable backdrop to proceedings, giving the film a nice distinctive feeling in this area. It's the specifically Mexican flavours that for the most part offer the best things about this flick.

"I have never in my whole life seen someone like you." Red Bovie (Duvall) is a proud rancher who has just lost his farm, land, house and everything he owns. He has also just met Gally (Irvine) who claims to be his grandson. After being shown the trailer which will be his new home Red drives off with Gally and they head for Mexico. Along the way they pick up two hitchhikers which change the course of not only the night but their lives. The first thing I have to say about this movie is that Robert Duvall was the perfect choice. This is his Gran Torino in the way that this seemed like a movie where they turned on a camera and just filmed him being himself for a few days. He is the only real name in this but that does not diminish the movie at all. It started off a little slow but by the end I ended up liking it and was glad I stuck it out. There is drama, action and some comedy in this but the real reason to watch is Duvall. You really can't take your eyes off of him and his casting alone makes the movie better. Overall, a good movie that I did like but Robert Duvall is the reason to watch. I give this a B.

Spanish/US co-production well played , magnificently set in Mexico , stunningly directed and it pays tribute to the great American actor Robert Duvall . About to lose the property that's been in his family for generations, Texas rancher Red Bovie (Robert Duvall) is contemplating suicide , as forced to sell his family ranch to developers, a financially strapped but proud senior citizen, finally meets his grandson (Jeremy Irvine) and gets involved with drug dealers (Luis Tosar) .

This is an exciting as well as thought-provoking story about sympathetic human beings and how they cope with an relentless chase who carry out some drug dealers . It is an extreme situation and this is conveyed pretty well by Emilio Aragon ; as a trio of unfortunate characters -perfectly played by Robert Duval , Jeremy Irvine and Angie Cepeda- are mercilessly pursued and they have to flee with a loot that have found . The flick is dedicated in loving memory of Christopher Bates , executive producer of the film and dead at 2013 . The main discernible reason to watch Spanish director Emilio Aragon's English language debut , A Night in Old Mexico, results to be to see star Robert Duvall in front of a nice cast and center dancing circles around the cringe worthy supporting players . To be fair , his interpretation is fabulous , he is the first character , granting a special kind of depth . Intelligent and interesting script written by screenwriter William D. Wittliff, reteaming with Duvall for the first time since the memorable 1989 television miniseries, "Lonesome Dove" . It's a project that's reputed to be nearly 35 years in the making , but the end product can't quite justify the means with this reunion that feels akin to Duvall's last stint as director , 2002's ¨Assassination Tango¨ . And Duvall has recently directed ¨Wild Horses¨, he stars as an old rancher who once kicked his son off his property for being gay and now finds himself at the center of a missing person investigation ; in addition to starring , Robert directed a cast that includes James Franco and Josh Hartnett.

Thrilling as well as evocative musical score by the same filmmaker , Emilio Aragon , including Mexican sounds . Colorful and evocative cinematography by David Omedes . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Emilio Aragon , an effort that feels far superior in comparison his first film : ¨Paper birds¨ . The production and directing of his Opera Prima "Pájaros De Papel" (paper birds), a lifelong dream, seems he has been dedicating his whole life to , being nominated for Best First Director Award at 2011 Goyas (Spanish Oscars) .

In true Hollywood form, viewers are supposed to not know that Joshua trees and mountains do not exist in south Texas but that those driving scenes were shot in the high desert of California. The film jumped from Texas to California and back in the same scene.

When Duvall tries to shoot himself the hammer is seen on half-cock where the cylinder can be spun (he actually spins it but does not full-cock it) but not shot from. But a split-second later he sends a bullet through the barn door.

The Mexico signs upon entering Mexico are hilarious. The first one says ESTADO DE Mexico (Mexico is in all caps on the sign too)(the state next to Mexico City) and the following one says MORELOS, which is also in central Mexico. Neither is on the border.

Lotsa laughs but gimme a break with insulting our knowledge of geography.

A Night in Old Mexico is a sweet little tale about a down-and-out and bitter old-timer who goes on a trip to Mexico and finds new purpose in life after getting his hands on a young exotic dancer and some dirty drug money. If that sounds a little naïve and trite, it's because it is. But Robert Duvall has always had a strange ability to add validity to almost anything, no matter how mediocre the circumstances, and so he does here as well. The supposed weighty material in the movie, such as the relationship between Duvall and his grandson (played by Jeremy Irvine), or such as the existential themes in the script, always stay just a little short of poignant, but at least the filmmakers want to make them felt, even if they're not quite able to convey it. And when the drama isn't quite working, there's just enough humour in here to cover it up.

I am a big fan of Robert Duvall. I was so excited to see this film. It is about an old timer (Duval) in rebellion against his pending poverty, separation from his long time home into a trailer park, suddenly going off to "Old Mexico" on a lark for what, it never seems clear. Just as he makes this break out his grandson, whom he had never before met up with, shows up and goes off with him. So the stage is set for a great road adventure with a great actor. Not. This film creeps along, following an old timer who has lots of boring memories, a long life without any details as to what he was, or what he might have accomplished. The plot is really thin, almost invisible. It is by far a turkey film. Duvall is just terrible in this film. The writing is terrible, the supporting actors make no sense to the story. The basic idea of the story is thin to begin with. The film was really disappointing and it was terribly sad to see such a great actor lend himself to such a bad film and deliver such a forgettable performance. This film just made my list of really bad films made by great actors. The writing is very poor, the plot exceedingly thin, the supporting cast forgettable, the director seems to have tweeted in his desires, as there is no craftsmanship in this film anywhere. the only good character in the film is a vintage old red Cadillac, apparently owned forever by the Duvall character. Disappoint and a little bit infuriating, given the expectations we all have for a Duvall film. A truly sad end to a great career, if this turns out to be his last film. Five minutes after the film ends you will not remember what this film was even about.

You can say whatever you want about Robert Duvall but he always delivers in a movie. I don't think I ever saw him playing bad. And in A Night In Old Mexico he again puts down a very good performance playing the grandfather of Gally (played by Jeremy Irvine). Jeremy Irvine and Angie Cepeda are good in their roles as well but still it is Duvall that makes this movie worth watching. The story is well written, it's like watching everything a little bit in slow motion but there is enough action and good dialogs to keep you entertained. You feel for the old man that doesn't want to end his life in a tin can. I certainly did enjoy this movie, like any other with Duvall in it.

Once again, Robert Duvall delivers like few others can. The cast, story line and everything about the movie was grand. His co stars, while I was unfamiliar with them prior to this, were so outstanding. Movie drew me in right from the start and held me fully. Only disappointment I had with the movie was that it had to end. No matter what role Mr. Duvall plays, he is so very convincing and makes you feel like he is someone you know personally. The scenery was outstanding as well with such a great soundtrack. Its sad that ranchers and farmers alike face the devastation of losing the homes and land that they have worked so hard on due to the way things are these days. I will purchase it on DVD as soon as it is available and look forward to watching it time and time again. Instant classic.

Let me start off by saying I love Robert Duvall, but this is not one of his better efforts (no fault of his, lousy writing and lousy co-stars). It's his typical "tough old guy" routine on steroids.

The movie starts slow and gets slower. From there it becomes boring and increasingly predictable.

I found myself fast forwarding to get to a point where there was something going on.....and then suddenly I was at the end, thank God.

Skip this one, and keep your love and appreciation of Mr Duvall intact!

Robert Duvall is my favorite actor of all time but not even he could save this miserable script, poor directing and amateur cinematography. Other than Duvall, the other actors are worse than you would see in any high school play. The script is probably the worst I have ever seen produced. There are at least 30 scenes that were imitations from other, real films. Of course, they were very poorly executed. There were plot holes at every turn and others that just didn't make sense. I didn't bother to research but I cannot fathom how this train wreck got produced. I felt sorry for Duvall throughout the whole film. His performance was definitely not Oscar worthy and my mind drifted off, wondering if he has financial problems that would have led him to participate in this amateur endeavor. I have honestly seen much better productions from film schools.

I love Robert Duvall. A lot. Unfortunately, this movie had a predictable plot, bad writing and bad acting (even Duvall). It reminded me of an 80s buddy cop film only not as good. Duvall overdid his cantankerous old man role. The Jeremy Irvine was predictable and the Mexican lady was bland. The story kept switching villains as one got shot by another. I'm not sure why. It seemed to serve no real purpose. It was hard to cheer for Duvall when he was chasing after "his" money when it wasn't his money. I hope Duvall makes another good movie because I don't want this one to be his last. Again, I do love Duvall. Guess, I'll go watch No Country for Old Men.

I doubt I've ever seen a Robert Duvall movie that was not worth watching and the same can be said of this one. Duvall plays a cranky old coot not ready to take up the rocking chair and I hope he isn't ready for a long time. A decent premise to the movie and several places that make you smile. If you like crotchety hard-headed old folks this is the movie for you. While in all respects a slow movie I didn't regret a minute. I wish IMDb didn't require ten lines for a review because I doubt I've had ten lines to say about any movie.But it's nice to be able to give one a good review, one that isn't cr*p found footage and one where the acting enabled the suspension of disbelief for a couple hours.

I am truly a huge admirer of Sir Robert Duvall, but his time is done, he cant even walk properly, a huge round belly has popped out, dialogue delivery is poor, while watching the movie i thought he might just go to sleep in between shots ....

Now about the movie, poor storyline, poor editing done, nothing much to say, if you are bored and have nothing to do then watch this movie.

But, Robert Duvall should now hang his boots from acting, he is unfit for any such roles.

The actor who has played his grandson, should learn acting, he was an absolute dumb in the movie, All in all i think this is a cheaply done movie, trying to cash in the name of robert duvall, but duvall has failed, instead they should have chosen an actor like Clint Eastwood, Jon Voight or even Gene Hackman ...

A fine word of advise to Robert Duvall, retire with respect !!

I really wanted to love this movie cause duvall is one of my favorite actors. But this fell short on many many different levels. Actually hard to even finish watching it. If you want a fantastic duvall movie to watch go check out The Great Santini. But take a pass on this stinker... Next

Red (Robert Duvall) is a nasty old man who has recently lost his home. Practically broke, he's unwilling to grow old gracefully or move into a mobile home. Instead, on impulse, he takes a ride over the border into Mexico...taking his estranged grandson with him. Along the way, they pick up a couple drifters who, unknown to Red or the grandson, just killed a man in a drug deal gone bad. Soon, however, Red ditches the pair...not knowing they left a bag with a ton of cash in Red's car. At the same time, a hitman is after the two killers...and possibly Red and his grandson.

As I watched this film, I found my attention flagging. Why? Because the film meanders so much and takes forever to get to the conclusion. Plus, seeing a nasty old man who you cannot possibly like in Mexico chasing prostitutes while being chased by killers isn't exactly my idea of fun. However, the ending DID perk me up...not because it was good but because the characters behaved so ridiculously and incredibly inconsistent. I rarely have ever seen such a bad ending...with characters suddenly acting completely unlike they had through the first 80% of the movie. I really hated this.

In many ways, this plays like many of Duvall's other 2000s roles where he plays crusty old gents. Some, like "Secondhand Lions" are great and others, like "Wild Horses" are not! This is not among the better films at this point in his career. I really wanted to like it more than I actually did.

Red Bovie (Robert Duvall) has lost his ranch, considers suicide, meets for the first time his grandson Gally (Jeremy Irvine), and decides to go to Mexico with Gally for one last fling before settling in a trailer park. The hitch-hikers they pick up and later strand on the highway dust leave a bag of drug money in the car and they follow Red and Gally to get the money back. Later a drug hit-man joins the quest for the money. This can't be good.

Robert Duvall as Red comes across as a crotchety curmudgeon and we are alarmed at first. We are uncomfortable with this Duvall as Red because unlike his previous movies: LONSEOME DOVE and GET LOW he didn't endear himself to us as he did in those movies. We were hoping for some endearing moments. Didn't happen. Oh, we do get used to his cantankerous behavior, but it takes a while. And, later the discomfort leaves us and we go with the flow, but still feel much of his dialogue is forced. Ooops, I guess the discomfort didn't really leave us. Something should have been done in the beginning to a point when we like Red. Right now, we tolerate him and hope he changes.

This is quite involved and complicated in the beginning. Everything revolves around the drug money that is accidentally found by Red who is after a good time in Old Mexico. They meet up with singer Patty Wafers (Angie Cepeda) and up to this point I thought we would escape without hearing foul language. Patty is the first to spew the F-bombs during one of her songs and then everyone else joins in later, from time to time, but not Red. He never uses any foul language.

Patty explains her immediate attachment to Red, but do we buy it? No.

Jeremy Irvine as naive grandson Gally serves as the one who tries to soften Red. He did okay going up against Curmudgeon Red.

This is watchable and could have been a made-for-TV movie except for the language, of course. No funny or good lines came out of this or even any good home-grown cowboy philosophy that Red might have touted. All in all I found this not to be one Robert Duvall's better movies. As I said, this is watchable. Oscars not considered. (5/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

I loved this movie. I get it. there are blockbusters, huge movies with great scripts...and there are small movies, with low budget and with lots of constraints. There is great connections between Angie, Duvall and the young kid. I agree with Patty Wafers when she said that in Mexico they are not afraid of living with old people. they love their seniors, unlike other cultures where seniors are nothing but dirt and they only belong in a retirement home. Duvall says " I am not done. I have places to go, things to do". why not? we are all going there sooner or later. this is a cute little movie. it has a lot of heart, great actors, excellente directing taking in consideration the challenges and the low budget. Excellent little movie. a little adventure is always good. dreaming about doing things you normally don't do can bring a sense of freshness and life into your heart. Duvall said he was afraid of dying with someone spoon feeding him...better die living, huh?

A Night in Old Mexico trudges through a lackluster narrative, failing to ignite much excitement or engagement.

Good Ole boy Robert Duvall's portrayal of an aging rancher and Jeremy Irvine's performance as his estranged grandson struggle to inject life into the film.

Despite any potential the movie falls flat, with dull and predictable moments overshadowing any attempts at emotional depth.

The script feels tired, relying heavily on clichés and contrived plot devices.

While Duvall's presence lends some credibility to the project, "A Night in Old Mexico" ultimately fails to escape the grips of its own monotony, making it a forgettable experience :)