The G (for Grandmother) is a hard-nosed crime story from writer/director Karl R. Hearne, that sees an elderly couple placed into a court-ordered guardianship against their will. The perpetrators soon discover dark secrets in this couple’s past; this was not the easy job they thought it was.
Ann (Dale Dickey) is the primary carer for her bed-bound husband, looking after him at home with the weekly support of visits from her granddaughter (by marriage), Emma (Romane Denis). After a visit to the doctor, where Ann is admonished for some minor neglect of her husband’s hygiene, they are forcibly removed from their home in the middle of the night by a court-appointed guardian, Rivera (Bruce Ramsay). They are taken to a care facility, where Rivera and his assistant Ralph (Jonathan Koensgen), believing they have inheritance money squirrelled away, violently interrogate the couple.
Emma attempts to locate Ann but is initially unable to get any visitation, leaving the couple to fend for themselves. However, not everything is as it seems, and Ann quickly breaks out of her room. With the assistance of the facility’s gardener, Joseph (Roc Lafortune), she calls a mysterious figure from her past, Tony (Richard Chevolleau), for assistance.
On story alone, The G is a solid revenge vehicle that hits most of the beats you need in a simple tale of crime and retribution. But it also shines a light on the morally corrupt, and very real concept of a business taking legal guardianship of an elderly person.
The G is also elevated significantly by the excellent performances of its two lead actors. Dale Dickey and Romane Denis each draw on deep reserves of grit and determination to make Ann and Emma far tougher than anyone gives them credit for.
Ann is a real and nuanced anti-hero. She’s not perfect, having been a poor carer for her husband and letting alcohol get the better of her. But The G drip feeds us information on a criminal past that allows Dickey to enjoy the sort of gruff stoicism usually reserved for the likes of Charles Bronson or Liam Neeson. As she explains to Joseph, “I’m not a nice person. But I do have other qualities.”
Romane Denis treads a steady line between confident aggression and nervous self-doubt. Emma attempts to live more ruthlessly, stopping at nothing to set Ann free, until the realities of Ann’s past life come to meet her head on.
It’s also refreshing to see a crime movie that is firstly an older person’s story, and secondly an older woman’s story. Revenge movies seem to explore these sadly underused perspectives far more than any other genre. So, while it’s not up to the lofty heights or filthy lows of exploitation royalty, like Ms.45 or Thriller: A Cruel Picture, The G sits proudly in this genre with a long lineage of similar tales.
The G doesn’t quite get it all right though. It dabbles with some interesting side plots, including a crooked politician and henchman with a conscience, only to leave further exploration by the wayside. And most awkwardly, some of the most crucial vengeance feels a little unsatisfying, as if the punishment doesn’t quite fit the crime.
But overall, The G is a gritty, knuckle cracking bit of revenge fibre for your cinematic diet, that has a point to make about our treatment of the elderly and makes the very best of its assets.
‘The G’ is available on Digital, including Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube & Google Play, from 21st August 2024.
