Kenny Wells has a dream. It’s not your typical fantasy – for instance, it doesn’t involve a better career or the perfect partner but instead, an elusive stash of Gold buried somewhere in the uncharted jungles of Indonesia.
That is, in a nutshell, the core premise behind Stephen Gaghan’s (Traffic) upcoming crime caper, one which places Matthew McConaughey in the boots of Wells, a down-on-his-luck prospector who catches wind of a far-flung treasure hunt through Édgar RamÃrez’s geologist. Together, they pack in the unremarkable life they once knew in an effort to locate said treasure, and once they do, Gold unfolds into a character drama concerning the moral questions associated with unimaginable wealth and, perhaps more intriguingly for a story sense, its ability to corrupt.
Channeling a zany, gesticulating performance not too dissimilar to that seen in The Wolf of Wall Street, Matthew McConaughey feels right at home in the role of the erratic Kenny Wells – even considering the physical overhaul – and though his turn as an obsessive treasure hunter hasn’t garnered the awards buzz that many had anticipated, there’s no question that Gold stands as one of the more intriguing new releases over the holiday period. Also on board for the “too good to be true story” are Black Mirror‘s Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll and Toby Kebbell.
After both Paul Haggis (Crash) and Michael Mann (Heat) flirted with taking the helm, writer-director Stephen Gaghan will now ship Matthew McConaughey off on a remarkable treasure hunt when Gold enters theatres on Christmas Day.
