Green Is Gold

Green Is Gold (2016)

A charming attempt to be real and intimate in a tale of two brother (played by two real brothers) who are growing pot illegally.

There is a lot to like here, mainly the naturalism invoked and the feeling of growing understanding between the brothers. The more obvious plot drives it—growing and eventually having to sell a lot of really good weed. But that is only the device to make you see these two unlikely brothers try to figure out how to get along together.

The writing is imperfect—and sometimes downright implausible—but generally the dialog is carried by the acting, which is natural and believable. There are a couple of other characters involved (the father, maybe the most important, though very briefly), but nothing remarkable happens beyond these two. (In fact, some scenes, like in the school, or the bathroom sex scene, are weak on every level.)

The filming is the kind of natural photography we expect these days—nothing jumps out, and that's just fine. In fact, this is an ordinary movie on most levels. But expect the director (who plays the older brother) to get another try at making a great film.