Gold (2016)

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.

Director:

Stephen Gaghan

Writers:

Patrick Massett, John Zinman

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Kenny Wells
Edgar Ramírez	...	Michael Acosta (as Édgar Ramírez)
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Kay
Corey Stoll	...	Brian Woolf
Toby Kebbell	...	Paul Jennings
Bill Camp	...	Hollis Drescher
Joshua Harto	...	Lloyd Stanton
Timothy Simons	...	Jeff Jackson
Craig T. Nelson	...	Kenny Wells Sr.
Macon Blair	...	Connie Wright
Adam LeFevre	...	Bobby Burns
Frank Wood	...	Scottie Nevins
Michael Landes	...	Glen Binkert
Bhavesh Patel	...	Bobby Owens
Rachael Taylor	...	Rachel Hill

Storyline

With the sudden death of his father, fourth-generation prospector Kenny Wells sees the family business, Washoe Mining, rapidly decline and him out of business. But ambitious Kenny has a dream, a vivid vision that promises mountains of brilliant and pure gold in the lush jungles of remote Indonesia; an aspiration which the well-known, yet still unlucky geologist Michael Acosta shares. Before long, down-on-his-luck Kenny will convince the eager geologist to become his partner and set off on an adventure deep into uncharted territory, while in the meantime, he would hunt for investors. Unfortunately though, as the risky expedition begins without a single speck of gold or the promise of it on the horizon, disease and failure will begin to threaten the short-lived dream. However, is it indeed an intriguingly bold and reckless fantasy?

---

Plot Keywords:

indonesia | gold | 1980s | reno nevada | time jump | 

---

Taglines:

Prove 'em all wrong

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout and some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Indonesian

Release Date:

27 January 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zlato

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,471,316, 27 January 2017, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$7,222,964, 3 March 2017

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,227,038, 21 April 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Bear Pictures,Boies / Schiller Film Group,Hwy61

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Gold" is based on the Bre-X scandal. Bre-X was a Canadian company. The bar where Wells and his company hang out is called "The Three Greenhorns." This is the name of a real restaurant (not bar) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (The Three Greenhorns were, famously, three of the earliest homesteaders in Vancouver.) Although the company has been moved to Nevada, for some reason the writers kept the name of the restaurant.

---

Goofs

There is no hotel named Jakarta Palace in Jakarta; the river that is clearly seen from the lobby where Kenny first meets Acosta doesn't exist, it's most likely the Chaopraya river in Bangkok. Similarly the scene of the meeting with "Danny" Soeharto also happens in an impossible location for Jakarta, but very likely shot in Bangkok.

---

Quotes

Kenny Wells: You see these hands? These are my fathers hands. I'll bury you with these hands.

---

Connections

Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Matthew McConaughey/Ed Sheeran/Christina Ricci/Josh Widdicombe (2017)

---

Soundtracks

Gold
Written by Danger Mouse (as Brian Burton), Stephen Gaghan, Daniel Pemberton, Iggy Pop (as James Osterberg)
Performed by Iggy Pop
Audio Engineer, Rafael Kussy Pereira at Elite Music Studios Miami FL.

User Reviews

Capitalist adventure movie

Essentially, 'Gold' is an old fashioned adventure movie. A hostile environment, changing fortunes, shifting alliances, unexpected adversaries, a seemingly betrayed friendship: it's all there. But the setting is out of the ordinary: it's the financial world with millions of dollars pumped into promising mining stocks. But those millions can just as quickly be withdrawn when the prospects change.

The adventurer in the midst of it all is Kenny Wells, son of a Nevada gold prospector and heir to an almost bankrupt mining company. In an all-or-nothing attempt, he travels to Indonesia for a meeting with a legendary drilling expert. The next step is to find the money required for the drilling. What follows, is a roller-coaster ride of successes and setbacks.

Matthew McConaughey is amazing as Kenny Wells, a raving maniac with a fearless can-do mentality and a complete lack of respect for Wall Street hotshots or mining moguls. This is one of his best roles ever, and it's worth an Oscar. You can see the doubt in the eyes of everyone he meets: is this a madman who doesn't know what he's up to, or a go-getter who doesn't give up until he reaches his goal? Wells is both, and McConaughey makes his complex character completely believable.

There are some extra layers in the story underlining this complexity: the relationship with his wife Kay, and the friendship with his business partner Mike Acosta. The latter is responsible for the spectacular ending of the story, with a really nice surprise in the last seconds.

The whole story is based on the Bre-X scandal, which hit the worldwide headlines in the nineties. Some details are changed, but on the whole the story follows the real events pretty accurate. The scandal was a prime example of excessive capitalist greed, and the film is a nice reminder of it.