THE G: 3 ½ STARS. “a testament to the fighting spirit, and a showcase for Dale Dickey.”
SYNOPSIS: The new crime thriller “The G,” now playing in theatres, is a story of scams, elder abuse and vengeance that features a dynamic, slow burn performance from Dale Dickey.
CAST: Dale Dickey, Romane Denis, Roc Lafortune, Bruce Ramsay and Jonathan Koensgen. Written, directed, and produced by Karl R. Hearne.
REVIEW: Ten years ago, the chain-smoking Ann Hunter, a.k.a. “The G”, played by Dale Dickey, and her now terminally ill husband retired to lead a quiet life in the suburbs near his extended family. Their quiet lives are upended when they are evicted from their home by a corrupt legal guardian who believes they are sitting on a big stash of cash. Moved to a prison-like “eldercare facility,” they are stripped of their rights and their dignity. “We have to fight back,” she says. “No money. No home. What would you do?” With the help of her granddaughter, The G, like “Granny,” decides to get even. “These are bad people,” warns her husband. “I’ve done some bad things myself,” says The G.
“The G” isn’t a typical revenge drama. A slow burn, it’s about contained rage caused by personal injustice. There are some startling moments, like the opening “buried alive” sequence and The G’s habit of drinking vodka out of a yogurt container, but this is about is about the threat of violence, which in many ways is more effective than the violence itself.
The stone-cold heart of the film is Dale Dickey in the title role. Tough and unlikable, she eventually reveals her shady past with the Texas mob and the root of her rage, but we’re with her every step of the way. When she says, “I’m not a good person,” it’s hard to disagree, but up against the evil legal guardian Rivera (Bruce Ramsay), you root for her to let her freak flag fly.
A message movie about scams that target the elderly, “The G” is also a character study of a woman in her seventies who refuses to lie down and take the shafting society often offers up to the elderly. The no-nonsense G is an antihero, but in Dickey’s more than capable hands she’s also a compelling and foul-mouthed crusader for justice.
“The G” is a testament to the fighting spirit, and a showcase for Dickey who deserves more lead roles.
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