Goliath is a family drama that suffers from an weak script that makes it hard to stay truly engaged. As the movie begins, Robin Walker, a successful journalist, gets a phone call telling her that her father has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She goes back to her home where she reconnects with her mother as well as her brother Garrett and his boyfriend Parker. She also tries to reconnect with their younger sister Violet, who she needs to convince to come to the funeral. And once they are all together, family drama and conflicts arise...
"Goliath" tries but there are too many things that just don't make sense. Characters act in ways that don't seem consistent with their backstories, and they seem to completely change personalities in different scenes -- in one they are reasonable and caring and at the drop of a hat they become miserable and cruel, and vice-versa. There's a random woman that the mother seems to hate, and a random guy who is one of Robin's old friends and spends his screen time trying to get her into bed (although to be fair, Robin is played by Jessica Sipos, who is absolutely gorgeous in this movie). And there's a final surprise near the end that, to be honest, makes no sense and no explanation why it would ever be kept as a secret from everyone.
Technically, "Goliath" is a triumph for a smaller film. The acting is top-notch, with the aforementioned Jessica Sipos carrying most of the film wonderfully, and she is well-supported by Michelle Mylett, Andrea Roth, and Jon Cor. Direction, lighting, and sound is all clear and crisp. But in this type of drama, the script and writing just needs to be crisp and tight, and when there are as many "What the heck?" moments as there are in this movie, it just takes you out of the story.
A lot to like about "Goliath," but it only gets a middling recommendation.
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