Dale Dickey dazzles as vengeful senior in ‘The G’
Dale Dickey is the OG in “The G.” And one penetrating gaze from her steely eyes signals a deafening “Don’t fuck with me!” It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a handful among the foolhardy who attempt to trifle with her Ann Hunter, a chain-smoking, vodka-swilling pensioner so ornery she was booted from her knitting circle.
Woe to those who dare judge this well-worn book by its frayed, weather-beaten cover, believing her to be just another passive “old lady” vulnerable to scams like the one run by the sociopathic “family man” known only as Rivera. Clad in designer suits accessorized with the smuggest of smirks, Rivera (Bruce Ramsay) conducts himself like a more polished Elon Musk, eager to take a chainsaw to the lonely lives of his elderly victims. Abetted by unethical doctors, crooked judges and easily bribable bureaucrats, Rivera seizes his marks’ assets, becoming their guardian and jailer, ruthlessly locking them in a prison disguised as a care facility.
Think of it as a roach motel, where seniors check in but don’t check out, with the most destitute finding their way to the notorious “departure lounge.” And those are the lucky ones. At least they aren’t buried alive, like the poor souls relocated to makeshift graves in the boondocks. It’s called built-in obsolescence. There’s always room for more guests, especially those with lots of cash and little or no kin. And once their assets are drained, it’s off to the “departure lounge” you go. Shockingly, it’s all legal. Well, all except the murder.
This is the fate awaiting Dickey’s Ann and her invalid husband, Chip (Greg Ellwand), the latest couple to be roused from their bed in the middle of the night and secreted off to their forever home inside a tiny, dingy apartment where the locks are on the outside. Rivera and his loyal henchman, Ralph (Jonathan Koensgen), are under the assumption that Ann has a small fortune stashed away, and they endeavor to coerce her into revealing its location by beating her beloved, albeit neglected, husband to a pulp. Bad move.
That’s the slow-burn setup to a blue-haired revenge thriller in which Dickey gets to do her best Liam Neeson impersonation by employing a “particular set of skills.” And writer-director Karl R. Hearne ensures that Dickey is well-armed, supplying her with a keen wit and enough weaponry to fell a small army, which is exactly what she’s up against. The payoff is a feel-good bloodbath that’s as cathartic as it is fun.
It’s not by accident that the movie triggers flashbacks to “Death Wish” with its distinct 1970s vibe that rejects modern accoutrements in favor of gritty realism. Here, the violence counts for something. It hits hard, too. Part of that is because the horrors depicted are occurring in this country as we speak. Heck, Hearne says something similar happened to his grandparents. Perhaps that’s why his film is so deeply rooted in Dickey’s all-in portrayal of a crusty ol’ soul who admits, “I’m not a good person.” Before slyly adding, “But I do have other qualities.” Boy, does she!
Like her granddaughter-by-marriage, Emma (Romane Denis), we want to be just like Ann, cunningly taking names and unremorsefully kicking ass. It’s simply a blast, a good time accentuated by some genuinely comedic moments, most of them courtesy of Dickey’s deliciously droll delivery. “What was your occupation?” an unscrupulous doctor asks. “Socialite,” she snaps back without a hint of sarcasm.
Perhaps that’s why I found it far more entertaining and less condescending than last summer’s similarly themed “Thelma.” Well, that and the agency “The G” grants seniors. Like Ann, they may be in their 70s (Dickey is actually 63), but they are not docile sheep. Sure, she requires a little muscle in the form of a son (Christian Jadah) of a questionable associate from her former life as the daughter of a Texas mobster. But she’s always the one calling the shots.
Even better, Dickey is afforded an opportunity for some hot, steamy sex with a fellow inmate in Joseph (Roc LaFortune), a garden enthusiast who may or may not have Ann’s best interests at heart. Ditto for Matt (Joe Scarpellino), the hunky handyman who woos Emma while helping her spring Ann, her “G,” as in Granny.
But Ann is not your run-of-the-mill granny. She’s a one-woman killing machine born of a checkered past she cannot escape, as hard as she tries. Trouble always seems to find her. Terrible for her, but utterly delightful for us. G, that’s swell?
Movie review
The G
Rated: Not rated
Cast: Dale Dickey, Romane Denis, Roc LaFortune, Bruce Ramsay, Joe Scarpellino and Greg Ellwand
Director: Karl R. Hearne
Writer: Karl R. Hearne
Runtime: 100 minutes
Where: In theaters June 27 (limited)
Grade: B+
