Golden Years ** (2016, Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna, Simon Callow, Philip Davis, Una Stubbs, Sue Johnston) – Movie Review

Bernard Hill (aged 71) and Virginia McKenna (85) do well as old married couple Arthur and Martha Goode, who take to robbing banks as a way out of the financial problems of old age. My pension is threatened by a bank’s collapse? I’ll just rob a bank to make up for my losses. That’ll be fair and I won’t end up shot or in jail! Of course comedy doesn’t have to be truthful to be funny, but it helps.

Alun Armstrong is the PC Plod on their case, Sid, and Sue Johnston is his tough, neglected wife Nancy. Sid and Nancy, get it? Arthur and Martha? Their acting is good too, and all these four old troupers make this creaky, stiff-at-the-joints Britcom work. Philip Davis is fine as Alan and it’s good to have Una Stubbs aboard too as Shirley, though Simon Callow (a mere 66) way over-eggs the pudding as the actory Royston, Shirley’s man. Ditto Brad Moore as vain copper Stringer.

Golden Years is the kind of old-style film you really want to like, and can make allowances for, and so you kind of do like it. It’s entirely amiable and well meaning, even quite likeable, and worthwhile if only for the Hill and McKenna double act. Both of them, but especially Hill, underplay cannily. Hill shows his class as a now somewhat neglected actor and it’s a surprise to find that McKenna can play farce successfully, and get her laughs with it too, as well as being warm and appealing.

John Miller directs and co-writes with Nick Knowles and Jeremy Sheldon.

Curiously, a very similar plot involving loss of their pensions and taking criminal action to get the money back was the idea behind The Love Punch (2013).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review
Check out more reviews on derekwinnert.com