Gold is an uneven mixture of riveting and tedious, reviewer Christine Powley finds.
GOLD
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey,
Edgar Ramirez, Bryce Dallas
Howard, Corey Stoll,
Toby Kebbell, Adam LeFevre
Rating: (M) ★★★ (out of five stars)
When you learn that a major film star like Matthew McConaughey has gained weight and shaved half his hair to play a role, you expect major payback when you come to watch the film that inspired such effort. In the event, Gold is an uneven mixture of riveting and tedious as it explores the shady dealings of mineral exploration companies.
Gold is very loosely based on the true story of a Canadian company, Bre-X Mining, which set off gold fever in stock markets when it struck gold in a remote part of Indonesia. Reno Nevada is our fictional company Washoe Mining's base and the second a flabby, balding McConaughey with bad teeth comes into shot as Kenny Wells you know that it will not be a smooth journey to riches.
Kenny, as well as being no oil painting, drinks and smokes too much. He is really a two-bit hustler with dreams of matching his father and grandfather in the mining stakes. There is something likeable about Kenny but he is running out of backers as his exploration efforts keep turning up zip. Then Kenny has his big idea. He knows a guy, Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez), with a theory about where to look for gold in Indonesia and he is going to back him.
It is not easy deep in the jungle battling the elements but when they find the gold the real fight of their lives starts, as they have to defend their find from the predators on Wall Street.
On balance, Gold is worth it but be forewarned: the dull bits are really dull.
