Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Gold Blu-ray Movie Review

Fortune and glory, kid. Or neither.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 28, 2017

Money and Hollywood seem to go hand-in-hand, and Tinseltown loves it some stories about making it big and watching it all come down. Add in the booming (and, it seems, negatively viewed throughout Hollywood) Reagan era and movies like Wall Street and The Wolf of Wall Street have become indelible classics that tell the story of overnight financial success, the burdens that come with big money, and the personal and financial crashes that almost invariably follow. Gold is the latest to follow in those same footsteps, telling the true (or "inspired by") story of a mid-80s gold boom, one man's sudden change in fortune (literally and metaphorically), and the resultant disasters that dog his life. True story, cautionary tale, and entertainment vessel all rolled into one, Director Stephen Gaghan's (Syriana) film balances its qualities quite well, going back to the 80s well and exploring where other films have tread before but finding success thanks to lead Matthew McConaughey's stellar lead performance.

The Gold Man of Wall Street.

Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a businessman looking for a big break. He's already all but destroyed the business his father handed down to him and needs to do something to keep himself, and the company, afloat. He dreams of riches and living the good life with his girlfriend Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard), but to live big means striking it big. He thinks he's finally found the answer in Indonesia, where it's believed that an untapped fortune in gold awaits to be discovered. He teams up with a geologist named Michael (Édgar Ramirez) to discover the buried treasure. A bout of malaria knocks Kenny down, but not out. The excursion ultimately proves successful, and Kenny realizes his dream. But how will his new wealth change him? But perhaps the bigger question is whether he can hang on to the wealth, one way or another, because everything is coming his way and everyone wants a cut, or at least the truth.

Gold may not have serious dramatic originality on its side, but the movie flows very well at two hours and proves nicely engaging for the duration. The tale takes some expected twists and turns, and a few unexpected, too (particularly if the audience isn't familiar with the true story), as it condenses a fairly large amount of business maneuverings, financial successes and failures, and personal gains and lossless into a consumable story that fleshes out its characters, world, and narrative very well. The movie only rarely gets bogged down in business world minutia, almost always finding a way to keep the focus on Kenny and his rising and falling fortunes, his personal tale of triumphs and tragedies and how they are so often intertwined on a number of levels, not simply at the bottom line. It explores the character deeply and in an agreeable, approachable manner, even on the downswings, when his life value, not necessarily his bank value, dips. It's nothing audiences haven't seen before, but Gaghan, along with Writers Patrick Massett and John Zinman, keep the movie swinging, watchable, and engaging through every peak and valley, offering a quality character study along the way.

Matthew McConaughey unsurprisingly excels in the role, embracing the balding and slightly bulging businessman whose eye for avarice but somewhat more relatable, giddy, and committed approach to it makes him a fairly unique and agreeable figure. Money changes him, yes, but the pursuit changes him even more, and losing everything even more still. McConaughey's performance, as has come to be expected of the actor, dominates the film. He not only embraces the role, he transforms into it, shedding almost any and all preconceived notions that might follow the actor and buying into the character with remarkable physical efficiency, emotional depth, and screen command. He balances the character's quirks, ups, downs, and everything in between with a knowing, inhabited, researched, and effortlessly realized cadence. Unlike some actors who are risk-averse when it comes to removing themselves from their marketable good looks, McConaughey is never afraid to dive into a role and surrender everything for the art and performance. This might be the most exemplary role of his career in stretching his range both physically and emotionally. No one part is extremely demanding, but in the aggregate Kenny proves complex and layered in a number of ways even well beyond the physical presentation. McConaughey nails the part and it's one of the finest performances of his increasingly interesting and commendable career.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Gold represents something of a rarity these days, a picture shot on honest-to-goodness film. It makes for a brief shock to the system to see a different textural presentation but it doesn't take long to appreciate its finer qualities. Despite a few noticeably soft shots here and there, and a mildly soft texturing overall, the image proves its worth with organic detailing, rich color depth, and strong blacks. Faces are intimately revealing, whether clean in the board room or sweaty and unkempt in the jungle. Clothes are likewise complex, again ranging from finely appointed suits to straw hats and an Iron Maiden T-Shirt. Terrain complexity in Indonesia is commendable, weather leafy vegetation, woods, or various surfaces, including mud. City environmental visuals are clear and precise. Color depth is strong. Indonesian greens are punchy and varied, and attire is well saturated and nuanced. The image pushes mildly warm. Black levels are deep and flesh tones appear accurate. The image shows no print wear or appreciable compression artifacts. Fans should be very happy with this Blu-ray.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gold's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack fires on all cylinders. The track offers good, honest width to music. Clarity is terrific, particularly in many of the soundtrack's percussion-heavy beats. The track is never wanting for increased depth or instrumental pronouncement. Musical saturation comes effortlessly and the entire stage enjoys its immersive capabilities. Sound traversal about the stage is seamless. A plane, for example, flies front to back in one early scene. Jungle atmospherics are rich and completely saturate the stage. A combination of birds and insects effortlessly draws the listener into the Indonesian environments. Rainfall is equally impressive, saturating the stage with complete coverage and not even wanting for additional speaker coverage (7.1/overhead). Dialogue drives the majority, though, and it's presented clearly and efficiently through the front-center. There are no prioritization problems of note.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Gold contains a commentary, a deleted sequence, and three featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director Stephen Gaghan discusses the story in detail, sharing thoughts on story layout and construction, cast and performances, the real story behind the film, technical details, and more.
• Deleted Sequence (1080p, 5:18).
• The Origins of Gold (1080p, 4:37): A brief discussion of project origins, McConaughey's performance, getting the film off the ground, and more.
• The Locations of Gold (1080p, 4:20): Shooting in Thailand.
• Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells (1080p, 3:45): Cast and crew discuss the character and the performance, including his weight gain for the film.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gold doesn't look or sound great at-a-glance. It seems to offer only a fairly dull, linear, basic character study. Money comes, relationships struggle, the film traverses the ebbs and flows of a business in which everyone wants in at the top and everyone wants out at the bottom. But look more closely. The film is driven by a superb performance from Matthew McConaughey. It's layered inside and out, and he springs the movie well beyond its structural ubiquitousness into a well-versed story of success, failure, and a whole lot in between. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray offers high-end video and audio along with several supplements. Highly recommended.