Gold: Gier hat eine neue Farbe (2016)

Gold: Gier hat eine neue Farbe: Directed by Stephen Gaghan. With Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll. Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.

“A few years ago a performance like the one Matthew McConaughey delivers here in Stephen Gaghanu0026#39;s based on a true tale Gold wouldu0026#39;ve created quite a stir.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a credit to the actor, who resurrected his career from the doldrums of so-so romcoms, Surfer Dudes and other forgettable affairs to all of a sudden become an Oscar winning and HBO headlining legend but with that career revival has come an expectation that McConaughey going method and fully inhabiting his characters is the normal and therefore less of an event that it was, a mere few years ago.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNo more so evident than in the fact Gold came and disappeared with very little fanfare in the awards season rush at the end of 2016, McConaughey chewing up the scenery wasnu0026#39;t enough to draw people into the cinemas, as the beer bellied, hair thinning and sweaty thespian found himself being the best thing about a so-so film that never feels completely assured of itself.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTelling the rather complex story of struggling 1980u0026#39;s American prospector/mining magnate Kenny Wells, who found fame and wealth by teaming up with prospecting master Michael Acosta in the jungles of Indonesia, Syriana director and Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan never pieces together the many various elements of Wellu0026#39;s story into a satisfactory whole as events come and go and Wellu0026#39;s journey takes its twists and turns.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs is with any film in the vein of Gold, itu0026#39;s always a fine balance for a filmmaker to strike the perfect line between pandering to an audience or keeping them in the dark and unfortunately for Gold there ends up being too many times where weu0026#39;re left in the lurch a little by the plights affecting Wellu0026#39;s while some scenes in the film that feel hugely important to the whole scheme of things, often feel underutilised or passed over which leaves the trials and adversities of this American mogul emotionally unengaging.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat canu0026#39;t be denied in the film however is the aforementioned work of McConaughey, whou0026#39;s a joy to watch as Wells, the car crash waiting to happen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn a loaded cast that includes an underused Bryce Dallas Howard as Wellu0026#39;s long-suffering girlfriend Kay, Edgar Ramirez as Acosta, Corey Stoll as Wall Street player Brian Woolf and Toby (needs a new agent) Kebbell as FBI investigator Paul Jennings, McConaughey stands head and shoulders above the rest and while its far from his best turn over recent years, itu0026#39;s a quality actor that can deliver such above average performances on cue, as McConaughey does here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSometimes clad in nothing more than some worn-out white underpants or looking dishevelled beyond belief, McConaugheyu0026#39;s turn as Wellu0026#39;s deserves a better film and showcases what mightu0026#39;ve been for Gold had it managed to match the chaotic nature of its main character and the commitment of its on form leading man.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFinal say – u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDigging up another memorable McConaughey turn, Gold doesnu0026#39;t strike it rich due to tonal issues and a lack of emotional engagement but Gaghanu0026#39;s slightly disappointing film is still an often intriguing true story made all the better by the work of its leading man.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e3 pot bellies out of 5”