Los Angeles has really fallen out of fashion over the last decade or so. Once the zenith of the American Dream, it now embodies everything we hate about big cities: it's congested, sprawling and faded.
Jonathan Gold would not have it any other way. The Los Angeles Times' food critic loves nothing better than to cruise around the city in his green Dodge pickup truck, ferreting through its vast array of nondescript strip malls to unearth hidden restaurant gems most people couldn't dream of discovering on their own.
City of Gold rides shotgun with the writer as he goes about the business of what seems, on its surface, a simple matter of eating a lot of food and then describing the experience in words. But Gold's critique does much more than that. It probes the people and the stories behind the food, getting to the essence of what makes Los Angeles unique.
The documentary takes the same holistic approach, and in doing so becomes more than just another food movie. Urban design experts describe Gold - the only person so far to win a Pulitzer for food writing - as a "critic of urban living"; his work a lens through which to map and connect the diverse facets of the vast city.
We also get an insight into Gold's creative process, which amusingly seems to be as torturous for him as it is for his editors. His thoroughness and delicateness is evident, easily putting to rest questions raised about the role of professional food critics among the plethora of self-proclaimed expert bloggers.
The camera indulges Gold's deliberate, almost languid approach to LA's more maddening features. The longer we sit in gridlocked traffic and watch street upon street of suburban shops pass by, the more we begin to notice the details that colour Gold's Los Angeles. It's all tied together with purposeful editing and a vibrant soundtrack informed by Gold's past as a classical musician and music critic.
City of Gold doesn't skimp on the food porn either. It gets right in among the vibrant sounds and colours of kitchens, and elicited audible drools from all around me in the cinema. There's also an entertaining smorgasbord of high profile chefs (David Chang, Roy Choi) and food writers (Robert Sietsema, Ruth Reichl, Calvin Trillin), all of whom have high regard for Gold's immense talents.
But it's seeing the impact his writing has on the humble immigrants who run a large number of his favourite restaurants which really drives home the significance of his work. He doesn't do it for them, per se, but acknowledging their food legitimises their place in a city which has, at times, been downright hostile towards diversity.
My only complaint about the film is somewhat petty: that Gold, clearly more comfortable behind a computer than in front of a camera, would project beyond his moustache a little more often so as to be better understood.
In the end, it is Jonathan Gold's writing that speaks louder than anything else. The man who describes himself on Twitter as "the belly of Los Angeles" knows exactly how to get to its heart, and City of Gold is an inspiring demonstration of that.
Four-and-a-half stars.
City of Gold is playing at the 2015 New Zealand Film Festival.
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City of Gold:: Director: Laura Gabbert:: Starring: Jonathan Gold:: Rating: Exempt:: Running Time: 89 minutes