Ouro e Cobiça

I actually thought this was a pretty good movie, despite the relatively low ratings. Both McConaughey and Ramírez played very well, also good to see Stoll in this movie. The story was entertaining, never a dull moment (unlike Moonlight, sorry, but that was really boring and I believed the rave reviews...). Anyway, it was worth seeing it!

Inspired by the Bre-X scandal, it's 1988 Reno. Hard drinking Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) and girlfriend Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard) are struggling. He's a lifelong wildcat prospector working for his respected father until his sudden death. With nothing left in business, he goes to Indonesia and connects with geologist Michael Acosta (Édgar Ramírez) who has a revolutionary theory. They head into the jungle and become gold mining legends.

I do remember Bre-X. Some of it came back to me along with the movie. I remember one of the reporters telling the story of a souvenir core sample. They handed out samples to reporters and investors. As the scandal broke, they went back to test those samples. I think there is a missing character. It needs an investigative reporter who uncovers the scandal. Kenny and Kay's breakup seems abrupt. The second half seems a bit rushed although the two hour running time probably forced some cutting. McConaughey may be trying too hard shooting for an award. There is a compelling character story here if not fully realized as a thriller.

First of, Gold is better than its IMDb rating and meta-score. I feel this movie is a victim of the studio going wild with a pair of scissors, trying to make it short(er) (even at 2 hours) to please the mainstream audience, but while doing that, this movie loses a lot of substance. Character development is lacking, apart from our protagonist, so it doesn't really feel like we get to know them. One moment we have a new (seemingly an important) character, and then he or she will either disappear or roam in the background. I guess that happens when you start cutting. I suspect there's a great version of this movie out there, and I'd rather watch a 3 hour version with everything included, than this. The movie also takes place in the late 80's(?) or early 90's, but I don't feel like time was important here, which makes things a little confusing. I have no idea if they've been at something for a week, a month, or five years.

The whole movie also feels a little rushed in the sense that it tries to get to the end as quickly as possible. It lacks the details; Slow down a little, speak to us, breathe. I want to know more, I want to see more, but it ends up being a National Geographic article instead of a book.

It's far from bad though, and it's an enjoyable watch. Just don't go in expecting a masterpiece.

A cute, if too long movie that had me reaching for Wikipedia to check the truth.

McConaughey, Ramirez and Howard are all excellent.

A solid watch.

What got me about this flick, was the whole risk element. When your at your very lowest, with nothing left to lose, then risking everything, isn't too difficult. Matthew McConaughey is brilliant as he always is. The mystery of his ability is different from other actors. He looks, talks and seems very much the same in all his roles, yet somehow makes you believe he is that person. Bryce Howard also gives a good performance. Her physical appearance is trans-formative, and you clearly would never recognize her. This movie combined the elements of a treasure hunt, and the allure and adventure of the find, with a corporate thriller. Realism, however, prevents me from going higher. I'm already stretching it with rating it an 8. The strange ups and downs that happened, along with the not so surprise of an ending, is the stretch that leaves it at the 8 point. Nonetheless, its highly entertaining, and I recommend it just as highly.