Gold

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Corey Stoll
Directed by: Stephen Gaghan
Screenplay by: Patrick Massett and John Zinman

     Ever wonder when you're watching a movie and you think, "Where have I seen something like this before?"  I know I've had that thought.  It only took about three seconds for me to start wondering this, and about four seconds to have an answer (and that was while watching the trailer).
     Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a gold prospector who has inherited a gold mining company from his father (Washoe Mining).  He seems to know what he is doing running the company, and looking for gold, but he doesn't really.
     The company is having some difficulty finding gold, but he knows a guy.  That's Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez), a geologist who's credited with finding a massive copper find some years back; in fact, one of the biggest copper finds ever.  Wells thinks he can trust Acosta to help him find some gold.  Together, they search Indonesia (after Wells has some weird dream that shows him the presence of gold in that country), and end up stumbling on the biggest gold find of the 20th century.  The problem is that it's hard to get to because it is in the middle of dense jungle, and there isn't a huge supply of money to support the mine.  But once the gold is confirmed, there's lots of money coming in.  But then scandal hits, the Indonesian government takes over the mine, and it threatens to be the end of Kenny Wells and Washoe Mining.
      The story is told almost entirely in flashback as Kenny is questioned by FBI agents about what happened (something we find out quite a way into the film).  Initially the narration seems only like, well, narration; similar to what you would find in a Martin Scorsese film such as The Wolf of Wall Street.  That's similarity number one.  It's helpful narration because it helps viewers understand what's going on on screen.  There is not nearly as much as you would find in a film like The Wolf of Wall Street however.
      Gold follows an almost identical path however.  It highlights the dark side of American capitalism; the greed and the risky (and sometimes illegal) business practices.  It's the stuff that makes making buckets of money like this look like so much fun.  It's the thing that makes you say, "I want to be Kenny Wells" until scandal hits.
      Matthew McConaughey is very good in his role as Kenny Wells.  In comparison to Leonardo DiCaprio's character in The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, Kenny Wells is more down to earth.  He's not doing drugs or sleeping around with other women like Belfort does, but still follows a similar downfall path to him.  It's almost a perfect role for McConaughey.
      The biggest problem with Gold?  It tries too hard to be The Wolf of Wall Street that it almost lacks in originality.  It's the same path; man strikes it rich doing risky things, man rolls in the dough for a while, man gets caught and loses everything.  So, let me ask you; haven't you seen this before?  I know I have.

I give Gold a B-, not quite the gold standard treatment.

Image Source: Why So Blu?.com