Gold

Dir: Stephen Gaghan

2017

****

Gold looks set to be one of 2017’s forgotten films, which is a shame, as it contains one of 2017’s most passionate performances. Director Stephen Gaghan returns for the first time behind a camera since his brilliant 2005 thriller Syriana and you have to wonder, why has it taken so long? Gaghan was actually the third director attached to the project, following Michael Mann and Spike Lee – which begs the question as to what sort of style the producers wanted. The script was written by Laura Croft: Tomb Raider writers Patrick Massett and John Zinmanas but was develop for the big screen by Paul Haggis. Haggis produced alongside Michael Nozik – who worked as producer on Syriana – which gives those that know their work and idea of the film’s overall tone. I love Michael Mann and Spike Lee but I think Stephen Gaghan managed to make the film reach its potential and was best suited for the job. The story is based on the infamous Bre-X mining scandal of the early 90s where a supposed discovery of gold in the jungles of Indonesia turned out to be a hoax that cost the stock market billions of dollars. For legal reasons the film had to distance itself from the true story and the people involved but the changes are minimal and just enough to get away with. The story takes place in America rather than Canada, people’s names are changed and the company name is changed, other than that, it’s pretty much as it happened, give or take a few scenes. In the real scandal, mining contractor, CEO and ‘corporate prospector’ David Walsh was in business with geologist Michael de Guzman, who was said to have found the gold mine based on his cutting edge geological studies. When the gold was found to be a fraud Michael de Guzman disappeared until he was found dead. However, he reportedly committed suicide by jumping from a helicopter in Busang, Indonesia. A body was found four days later in the jungle, with hands and feet missing and with his penis surgically removed. On the other hand the body was reportedly mostly eaten by animals and identified from dental records and one thumb print (the only digit found). According to a local journalist, a body had gone missing from the morgue of the town from which the helicopter flew. The remains of de Guzman were found suspiciously only 400 metres from a logging road. No one saw the body except another Filipino geologist who claimed it was him and one of the five women who considered themselves his wife was said to be receiving monetary payments from somebody long after his supposed death. David Walsh on the other hand denied knowing anything about the scandal, begging the big question as to whether he was telling the truth or not. It’s a cracking little mystery, with a feel-good rags to riches story at its core that looks at the ins and outs of banking, mining and how money works. The great point it makes is that at the end of the day everyone was at fault, as no one checked whether there was any money, everyone was too busy making it and spending it, such is greed. The story is sugar-coated for sure but there is also a brutal honesty to it which keeps it balanced. It is refreshingly cliché-free. Edgar Ramirez plays Michael Acosta (based on Michael de Guzman) rather well and is utterly authentic looking. It was nice to see Bryce Dallas Howard in a less-villainous role for a change as Kay, Well’s long-time girlfriend and love of his life and Craig T. Nelson is given a charming cameo role that was as sweet as it was short-lived. Toby Kebbell, Corey Stoll and Bruce Greenwood have fleeting supporting roles and are all very good but this is pretty much a one performance film. Matthew ‘Alright alright alright’ McConaughey gives it his all, convinces us he’s a functioning alcoholic, convinces us his a rich man, convinces us he’s a man who has lost everything, convinces us that he loves Kay with all his heart, convinces us he has malaria even. It’s a performance full of enthusiasm that brings everything about the film alive. It’s never overdone either and McConaughey makes it look effortless, even though it’s exhausting just watching him. I thought it was a great little film, with a little bit of mystery, a bit of drama, a fair bit of comedy (although never obvious) and a bit of romance. It’s a story that keeps you guessing too, even when you know all about the real life events. One of 2017’s best and most overlooked films for sure, with an Oscar-worthy performance that will no doubt be snubbed. McConaughey and Gaghan make a great pair though, I hope they work together again soon.