In The Comeback Trail, Robert De Niro and Zach Braff star as Max Barber and Walter Creason, two down and out movie producers who owe money to Morgan Freeman‘s no-nonsense mob boss Reggie Fontaine. The two hatch a scheme to pay back Fontaine, but it doesn’t exactly go as planned.
Going by the trailer, there’s also the matter of Tommy Lee Jones’ character, who isn’t the easy person to kill. The guy wakes up every morning and plays Russian Roulette, yet he’s easily pushing 70. He also seems to be impervious to fire and severe blunt force trauma, which should throw a kink in things. The synopsis clears up a few details:
To save himself and Walter, Barber has to sell the only great script he’s ever had to his former intern and, now, A-Movie producer, James Moore (Emile Hirsch). On the first day of shooting Moore’s lead actor dies in a stunt accident and lets him cash in on a huge insurance policy. That gives Barber an idea to do the same. They take a horrible script called The Oldest Gun In The West and hire a washed-up cowboy actor, Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) to play the lead. Known for doing his own stunts during his prime, Montana is poised for an early demise allowing Barber to get away with his get-rich-quick scam. Only one problem… nobody told Montana.
On a film buff note, The Comeback Trail is the first-time reunion of De Niro and director George Gallo since their collaboration on the action comedy classic Midnight Run.
The Comeback Trail hits theaters November 13.
(Via Deadline)
