2 out of 5 stars
When you think of mining prospectors, the vision of the old toothless madman panning for gold in the 1800s is what may come to mind. This vision may be Hollywood’s interpretation of a long tradition of people who seek to ‘Find gold in them there hills!’ It is a tradition that dates back to first people to pull something of value out of the earth. Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is the modern embodiment of the mining prospector. Instead of a pickaxe, these individuals are reliant on modern technologies to find these precious minerals. The only thing that has not changed over the years is the intuition and desire to dig into the ground to find these minerals and hopefully become rich in the process. In the 1980s, Wells and geologist Michael Acosta (Édgar Ramírez) seek to find gold in the jungles of Indonesia. Risking their reputations, relationships and every last dollar to their names, they strike gold and discover what was considered to be one of the largest deposits of gold in history. The mine and the investors begin to see the money and the investors come in, but something goes wrong in Indonesia that no one expected.
Based on the true story of the Canadian Bre-X mining incident in 1993, Gold shows that gold causes people to do foolish things for the prospect of getting rich from digging holes in the earth. Director Stephen Gaghan (Syriana) adds a bit of artistic license to the original story to develop introduce the world to the speculative and volatile world of mining prospects. It offers a fascinating glimpse into this world of business that is riddled with manipulation, back-biting and the opportunity for vast amounts of cash at the end of the proverbial rainbow. Gaghan benefits from the talent that is needed to drive the film with McConaughey’s embodiment the sleazy character of Kenny Wells with his physical manifestation of the alcoholic, but driven prospector. Putting on the weight and shaving his head to prove his commitment to the role, but retaining the larrikin cheekiness of his southern charm. Supported by the intensity of Ramirez and the strong, but naive girlfriend that is delivered by Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World). With a fascinating story and the vast array of talent, this looks to be cinematic gold, but like the Bre-X scandal, things are not as they seem.
Gaghan manages to capture the 1980’s and the industry, but fails to find any characters that retain any appeal. McConaughey’s character seems to remain in one gear and never allows the audience to side with him in achieving his goals. Even the partnership between the Wells and Acosta characters never makes sense. Outside of the financial commitment, the loyalty of these men is hard to believe and is essential for the acceptance of the narrative. There is the tension of the mining operation, boardroom theatrics and corrupt governments that provide the potential drama and allure to this world, but none of it gains the momentum needed to hold the audiences attention. The prospect of story has all of the potential and the talent behind and in front of the camera do give it a sparkle, but the end result is a mining expedition that comes up empty.
REEL DIALOGUE: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film?
- What is the value of teamwork? (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 1 Corinthians 12:20-25)
- Does the Bible say anything about risk taking? (Proverbs 3:5, Mark 8:36)
- Does God care about my dreams? (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:3)
