Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

"Old Goats" is an amazing movie. Think about it--the actors as well as the filmmaker who wrote and directed this never did anything before this film! Yet, it's highly entertaining and very well made. The movie is a strange one--very much unlike a Hollywood style film. It's done almost documentary style--like filmmakers just following three retired men in their everyday lives. While this sounds really dull and the film is anything but formulaic, it is oddly enjoyable-- like getting to meet three neat old guys who you might enjoy knowing.David is the youngest acting of the three retirees. He's the only married guy of the three and although you'd think this and his money and nice home would make him happy, there's a certain melancholy about him--mostly because his wife is very controlling and difficult to like. She is very interested in her friends and her life, but seems to have no patience and is a bit rude to the three new friends David makes.Britt is a real sad sort of guy. He never married and lives on his small sailboat. He's also very awkward around women yet wants to have a relationship. When he meets a nice lady, she is interested in going full speed ahead...Britt is just too uncertain of himself and what to do next.Bob is a dirty old man. He's lived a very full life and has a very active sex life. He's a lot of fun but also quite an old grouch and often uses Britt and David.While these three different personalities seem to have nothing in common (other than age), the guys remarkably manage to become friends. Watching these crotchety old guys together is a real treat--and makes you wonder how they did so well considering they are not professional actors. Clearly Taylor Guterson did a great job writing and directing these folks. I am eager to see more from these folks.

It may be because I'm reaching the age of the youngest character that I related to this look at "senior camaraderie", and enjoyed it so much.While there are a few wistful streaks, they only made it more believable for me. As we reach the age of these three friends we do act and react differently then when we were middle-aged. I found this slice-of-life to be a charming homage to that difference.The cinematography was skilled and carried the story perfectly.Young and middle-agers may enjoy it as well, and even gain some insight. If you are seeking action or depth, it may not satisfy your needs, but it worked perfectly for me.

It looks like this little indy didn't get very far beyond a handful of Independent Film competitions, mostly regional at that. The DVD cover calls it a near-masterpiece, but I don't know if I'd go that far out on a limb to describe it myself. But for what it is, "Old Goats" is an interesting take on a trio of characters who have lived fairly full lives and are now coasting their way into retirement with varying degrees of trepidation. As a seasoned citizen myself, I can relate to some of that trauma; the character Dave in this piece is the most recent addition to the ranks of the unemployed by virtue of an executive buyout at his firm. He takes on sort of a mentor and coach role for Britt, a retired mechanic with big dreams of sailing around the world but punks out when push comes to shove. At the other end of the spectrum is Bob, the oldest member of the gang who's as colorful an old coot as you're likely to run into, whether in real life or in film. As for Dave himself, one gets the impression that he's not calling all of his own shots in retirement, as his wife has dreams of a Palm Springs winter home and life as a snowbird. A good way to describe this picture would be a laid back and understated Seinfeld episode where not much really happens but there's a lot of angst about it anyway. Personally I thought there would be a bit more humor to the story. What you have though is a reinforcement of the idea that you're never too old to pursue your dreams, and the only failure is in not trying in the first place.

"Snakes on a Plane" may stand as the most literal movie title of all time, but "Old Goats" certainly comes close, and the movie's a heck of a lot better, too.Taylor Guterson's movie delivers exactly what the title promises, a story about three cantankerous old guys in the pacific northwest. And although they are more than occasionally grumpy old men, they're mostly just guys who are embracing what's left of their lives with gusto and with a heavy dose of humor - and infectious bulls#$%ting.The three "stars" here are actually three men - David Vander Wal, Bob Burkholder and Britton Crosley - who play somewhat fictionalized versions of themselves. And this format, while not quite a mockumentary, gives these definite non-actors a natural arena to be themselves and be very funny doing it.As the movie opens, Britt is making a presentation to a group of fellow old dudes about a sailing trip he plans to make to Hawaii - by himself. Egged on by Bob, the instigator of all the shenanigans in "Old Goats," and doubted by David, a retired business executive who's clearly kind of slumming with these guys and loving it, he inevitably backs out and catches a lot of hell from Bob for it.We soon find out that Britt lives on his boat, and it's not exactly anything approaching a houseboat. The story in "Old Goats" - what there is of it - is about how much these guys who have already lived so long can still change their ways. At Bob's urging, Britt - the real hero of this tale - gets his first computer and sets up a profile on a senior dating site, and soon hooks up with the alluring "lady in red." Bob, meanwhile, has lived at least a life and a half, having been a bush pilot and quite the womanizer in his day, and now, as he's writing his memoirs, begins to wonder if (in his own words), he was an a$#hole. David is torn between his nagging wife, used to a life of cocktail parties and elegance, and these new friends who clearly just have a lot more fun.This all plays out with a lot of humor, humanity and heart, and in case you can't yet tell, I loved it.Keith Demko http://reelfanatic.blogspot.com