Left heartbroken by the woman he loved and lost many years ago, Manglehorn, an eccentric small-town locksmith, tries to start his life over again with the help of a new friend.
Holly Hunter goes toe-to-toe nicely with the superbly understated Al Pacino loner obsessed with a long-lost love — one of his most rewarding outings in a very long time.
In a film that’s a marked improvement on some of his other recent releases, Pacino plays a locksmith trudging mournfully through an America he no longer understands.
If the symbolism feels a bit too on the nose here, Green compensates by giving Pacino the space to create a recognisably flawed human being whose foibles he captures on screen with unsparing honesty, but also real tenderness.
Al Pacino in an unexpectedly restrained groove.
Pacino – with waistcoat, fob watch and greasy hair – is the pining ex-coach at the heart of David Gordon Green’s gentle small-town drama.
Date-night is the best scene in the movie and Al is mesmerising, but he and Holly could have done so much more, had more been available.
General release. Check local listings for show times.