Review of City of Gold (2016) by Tim M — 12 Dec 2018

I didn't watch 'City of Gold' when it came out mostly because I wasn't interested in watching a film about a food critic. When I learned of the subject, Jonathan Gold's passing a few months ago, I made it a point to put this documentary on my list of movies to see. Laura Gabbert profile of Gold is part homage to the man, but also a loving look at the city he inhabits, Los Angeles. While it runs out of things to say about Gold, about an hour in, it never lacks in illustrating the character of the city he loved so much.

The good in this portrait far outweighs the negative. I left this film wishing I had met this man. He just seems like a regular guy. A procrastinator. At first glance he looks like the kind of person you wouldn't let near your kids, but upon further review he may just have been a little shy and a lot unassuming. In the end, this is a must see if you knew his work in the LA Times or LA Weekly or any of his other various publications he wrote in in his 57 years. If you like LA, it's also a film worth watching. Perhaps you just enjoy documentaries, then it's also a film for you. Seeing Gold made me reflect at my life and I hope I am able to get as much out of it as he did. Final Score 8.3/10.