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IMDbPro

City of Gold

  • 20152015
  • RR
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
49,547
7,780
Jonathan Gold in City of Gold (2015)
Official Trailer 2
Play trailer2:20
3 Videos
8 Photos
DocumentaryBiography
A documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold's universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.A documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold's universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.A documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold's universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
49,547
7,780
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Laura Gabbert
    • Writer
      • Laura Gabbert(story)
    • Stars
      • David Chang
      • Roy Choi
      • Jonathan Gold
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Laura Gabbert
    • Writer
      • Laura Gabbert(story)
    • Stars
      • David Chang
      • Roy Choi
      • Jonathan Gold
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 8User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos3

    City of Gold
    Trailer 2:20
    City of Gold
    City of Gold
    Trailer 1:24
    City of Gold
    City of Gold
    Trailer 2:22
    City of Gold

    Photos8

    Laura Gabbert in City of Gold (2015)
    Jonathan Gold in City of Gold (2015)
    City of Gold (2015)
    Jonathan Gold in City of Gold (2015)
    City of Gold (2015)
    Jonathan Gold in City of Gold (2015)
    City of Gold (2015)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David Chang
    David Chang
    • Self
    Roy Choi
    Roy Choi
    • Self
    Jonathan Gold
    Jonathan Gold
    • Self
    Ludo Lefebvre
    Ludo Lefebvre
    • Self
    Peter Meehan
    • Self
    John Powers
    • Self
    Ruth Reichl
    Ruth Reichl
    • Self
    Allen Salkin
    Allen Salkin
    • Self
    Robert Sietsema
    • Self
    Calvin Trillin
    Calvin Trillin
    • Self
    Garth Trinidad
    • Self
    Andrew Zimmern
    Andrew Zimmern
    • Self
    • Director
      • Laura Gabbert
    • Writer
      • Laura Gabbert(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jonathan Gold played 'Cello while studying at UCLA.
    • Quotes

      Jonathan Gold: I very rarely take notes in a restaurant. I'm more involved in, sort of, observing the music of the meal. I mean, you could take notes when you're having sex too but you'd, sort of, be missing out on something.

    • Soundtracks
      To Mourn
      Written and Performed by Ryan Rumery

      Courtesy of Ryan Rumery

    User reviews8

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Wanted to like it...
    You might approach this film in the same way that I did: with a deep respect for Gold's work and a general interest in so-called foodie culture. You might have even first encountered Gold's work in much the same way that I did--by stumbling upon a glowing review pasted near your table in some hole-in-the-wall eatery (in my case, the Chung King Restaurant in the Monterey Park location that now houses Huolala). Like me, you'll certainly find much to enjoy in this documentary such as the fascinating forays into some of his most liked restaurants (perhaps some of which you have even been to) and the bemusing insights into his personal life (as a "failed cellist"; as a man of voracious appetites for food, knowledge, culture, and so on). Unfortunately, these small vignettes amount to the entirety of the film's charm and there is little to elevate it to greater than the sum of its parts.

    City of Gold feels disjointed, fragmented, and altogether uncompleted to me. I don't necessarily feel that a documentary must ascribe some overarching meaning to its subject--a character study can often stand on its own--but even as a character study, the film fell flat. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what is included and when it is included in the film. Instead, even some of the most fascinating points simply feel shoehorned in at awkward times. The final twenty or thirty minutes, for instance, use a KCRW guest DJ appearance by Gold as a sort of refrain. It is a cheap way to investigate his persona and it fails to link up with much of anything else in the documentary.

    My biggest gripe with City of Gold is how it failed in a way that ultimately separates good documentaries from mediocre ones: much of it felt like performance rather than unadulterated insight. In some scenes, he is at the LA Times offices and in meeting with his editors and others to discuss upcoming pieces. Any notion of unfiltered access is immediately dispelled: much of the conversation seems addressed to the camera (the viewer) and it feels both stilted and pretending.

    The film, as short as it is, feels at least twenty minutes too long. At the conclusion, it fails to make up for this. There is a great documentary somewhere inside of City of Gold. Had I turned it off after the first 30 minutes, my review would likely be 8 stars but, well, it just kept going (nowhere).
    helpful•9
    9
    • miller07436-18-462995
    • Feb 20, 2016

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 11, 2016 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Город Голда
    • Filming locations
      • UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $640,979
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $62,959
      • Mar 13, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $680,618
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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