Review: 'Goldie' tells gritty tale of trying to make it big

All that's standing between Goldie and stardom is a canary yellow full-length mink coat, a music video appearance and reality. 

That's the story in "Goldie," a spunky drama from writer-director Sam de Jong about an 18-year-old New Yorker trying to navigate the obstacles in her life and make it to the big time. 

The obstacles are winning. Goldie, played by newcomer Slick Woods, dances to the polite applause of a handful of neighbors at her local community center but has dreams of becoming famous. 

Her circumstances have other plans for her. When her mother is arrested, Goldie goes on the lam with her two younger sisters to avoid them getting taken away by child protective services. 

She doesn't have anywhere to take them, so she hustles them between a handful of contacts while she tries to raise money for the eye-popping yellow coat she sees as her ticket to stardom. 

"Goldie" is gritty and realistic — at times too realistic, as the acting has a tendency to feel amateurish and unrehearsed. Woods in particular has difficulty carrying the dramatic weight of her character and the story, or committing to her character's passion and drive. 

But the chaotic engine of the story feels authentic. Goldie, who is fired from her job for habitual tardiness, is backed into a corner and forced to mingle with untrustworthy types and do unsavory things in order to put together what little money she can.

If her priorities are a little backwards it's understandable; she's 18 and living in an Instagram world where fame is seemingly only a click away. "Goldie" is about how in the most dire of situations that click is ever more alluring, and ever more elusive. 

agraham@detroitnews.com

@grahamorama

'Goldie'

GRADE: B-

Unrated: Sexual situations, drug themes

Running time: 88 minutes

At Cinema Detroit