The Golden Years

Synopsis: Arthur and Martha Goode (Bernard Hill and Virginia McKenna) are informed by their superannuation manager that a circumstance beyond their control has wiped out their pension overnight. Unwilling to take the blow lying down, Arthur concocts a plan to take revenge on the financial institution by stealing back the money he believes he is owed. Finding he’s quite adept in the role of latter-day Robin Hood, Arthur starts to distribute the stolen funds to other worthy recipients including his friends Royston (Simon Callow) and Shirley (Una Stubbs). Before long, they and their friend, Brian (Phil Davis) work out what Arthur and Martha are up to and join their geriatric gang. Meanwhile, Sid (Alun Armstrong) an old school copper is getting grief both at home from his wife, Nancy (Sue Johnston), and at work from his upstart boss, Stringer (Brad Moore) for the way he’s handling the case.

Director John Miller has a background as a television producer and director and it shows in this movie that feels more like an extended TV episode than a feature film. It’s billed as being Breaking Bad meets The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but it’s more like New Tricks meets Hustle in its plodding and formulaic storytelling and soft-edged humour.

The screenplay by Miller and co-writers Nick Knowles and Jeremy Sheldon has none of the charm or emotional depth that the other, highly successful ‘aging actor movie’, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, had. Instead, it’s an amiable jaunt that doesn’t really find any suspense or tension in the caper side of the story, nor does it offer anything more than the gentlest kind of humour in the comedy stakes. Its highlight is the idea that the gang will target the Christmas bonuses of the financial fat-cats for their biggest heist.

What the film does have is curiosity value with a cast of very fine British actors, many of whom we’ve grown up with since the Sixties (well, those of us of a certain age) and most of whom still work regularly on the small screen. Its comic style varies from jokes about whether old people are having sex any more to the buffoonery of Moore’s vainglorious and highly inept detective to the over-the-top hamminess of Callow’s star of the local amateur theatre company.  And speaking of Callow, once one’s played that heartbreaking death scene in Mike Newell’s 1994 romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral it seems a criminal act in itself to be asked to go anywhere near a scene like that again. And yet, (spoiler alert) this film does.The one that comes out looking the best of the bunch is McKenna as Martha to whom the screenplay is kinder in terms of character material to play with. Her affliction with Crone’s disease is nicely balanced out by her tenacity and sharp wit. She gets the funniest moments, including a good running gag about her poor aim with a paintball gun.

On the plus side, there’s a cracker of a soundtrack with some great retro hits (including, of course, David Bowie’s Golden Years) but for a strong story that tackles the plight of old people who lose their pensions with well-crafted drama and just the right tough of humour, I’d give this one a miss and go and see Ken Loach’s excellent I, Daniel Blake.

PS. If you’re quick, you’ll spot Lily Travers in a small role. She’s the granddaughter of McKenna and Bill Travers who co-starred fifty years ago in the worldwide hit Born Free. (I told you there was curiosity value).

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