Movie Monday: Gold

A few weeks ago, my husband and I found another great recent release free on streaming and watched Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey, a drama that begins in the 80's about a gold prospector who hits it big.

McConaughey plays Kenny Wells, a prospector working for his father's mining company who thinks big. He is always looking for the next substantial find, especially after his father's death, as the business begins to die out. He's got a huge personality and is great at motivating the people he works with, getting them excited about the latest lead, as they work to convince investors to give them money. Desperate, with the company on the verge of bankruptcy, Kenny spends his last dollars and takes off to meet renowned geologist Michael Acosta (played by Edgar Ramirez), who was responsible for a big copper find. Kenny convinces Michael to partner with him to find gold in Indonesia, and Kenny's excitement and ambitions are contagious. Back home, Kenny wrangles what remains of his company to line up investors.

The two men take off into uncharted territory deep in the Indonesian jungle, where the locals have been known to pan for gold in the river for generations. In his dress pants, shirt, and shoes, Kenny stays by Michael's side through the mud and jungle as they bring a group of locals along to help search for that elusive gold that could turn into a successful mine. Failure after failure ensues, and Kenny becomes incapacitated with malaria. Will they succeed? Are Kenny's dreams and Michael's intuitions based on reality or fantasy?

Loosely based on a true story, Gold is a drama full of suspense and emotional depth. McConaughey is amazing as the enthusiastic, driven Kenny, fully inhabiting the character through his ups and downs. You will completely believe in this pot-bellied, receding hairline version of McConaughey and will feel for poor Kenny and root for him to succeed. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns in the plot, to keep the pace and the suspense moving. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this action-packed drama.

Gold is currently available on DVD and is free on Netflix streaming. It is also available for streaming on Amazon Prime, starting at $4.99 (or the DVD is available for $14.96).