Gold, film review: Slapstick and gags risk getting in the way of a story about love, loss and broken families
Gold (15) Niall Heery, 86 mins Starring: David Wilmot, James Nesbitt, Steven Mackintosh
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A potentially dark family drama is handled in disconcertingly flippant fashion in the Irish writer-director Niall Heery’s Gold.
David Wilmot (also in ’71) plays hapless drifter Ray, whose father is dying and wants to see his granddaughter. Ray therefore tracks down his ex-partner (Kerry Condon) and teenage daughter (Maisie Williams), who now live with James Nesbitt’s fitness guru Frank.
Heery has an excellent cast, and he elicits some very funny performances from Wilmot as the charming loser, Nesbitt as the PE teacher/stepdad from hell and Williams, of Game of Thrones fame, as the truculent teenager. However, the slapstick and gags risk getting in the way of a story about love, loss and broken families.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments