Arts in ReviewGold hits the jackpot

Gold hits the jackpot

This article was published on February 8, 2017 and may be out of date. To maintain our historical record, The Cascade does not update or remove outdated articles.
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McConaughey, a gold prospector in search of the next big find. After hitting rock bottom, and hanging out down there for a while, Wells enjoys the warmth of a liquor binge and has an alcohol-induced dream of a risky mining exploration. Wells joins forces with his business partner Michael Acosta (played by Édgar Ramírez), an ambitious and hopeful geologist who suspects a location in Indonesia has an abundance of gold.

Gold follows the classic Hollywood underdog format. As with most things in life, mining costs money, and neither of the prospectors have any. Wells’ resourcefulness kicks in and he finds a way to fund the project. The issues Wells faces are numerous: a bout of malaria, bank accounts running dry, and the ever-elusive gold is nowhere to be found. In the last kick at the can Acosta hits the jackpot and their lives do a 180-degree turn. The money starts flooding in from outside investors, interest begins to pile up, and before they know it, their mining company becomes the biggest on Wall Street. Sharks being to circle, and there are a few different kinds who want a bite: gold diggers, suddenly-kind neighbours, and hostile takeover experts all line up to get a piece of the pie.

Ever the capitalist, Wells responds with a predictable and self-righteous middle finger. All these interested parties, thinks Wells, can go to hell. There are plenty of snags and speed-bumps along the way, though we grow fond of Kenny Wells as we start to understand he is the purest form of hope and determination. Wells represents the dreamers, the gritty ones who keep working towards their goal no matter what the circumstances; Wells embodies the American Dream.

McConaughey, as usual, nails his portrayal of an unconventional alcoholic gold prospector who takes no shit, and lives as though an unmediated pursuit of his heart’s desires is the only available form of living. Kenny Wells isn’t a genius, he doesn’t have more opportunities than others, he had a hunger for gold, a deep hunger, which didn’t translate into greed, but more so aspiration and devotion.

Gold showcases the benefits that can be earned through hard work and a little risk-taking.

As students, maybe we should take a little more risk now, roll the dice, better now than later. Overall Gold truly comes together at the end; a great film, it comes highly recommend.

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