Fool's Gold (B)

[Lord Necrojin]

Not since “Pirates of the Caribbean”, have we seen a film about a seafarer without a job searching for treasure.

And, truth be told, I think I preferred it like that.

“Fool’s Gold” (2008; PG-13; Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson) reunites the duo of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” fame, as they portray a divorced couple who are brought back together by their adventure to find a long lost Spanish treasure.

McConaughey plays Finn: a jobless, not-so-sharp treasure hunter who is obsessed with finding a legendary treasure known as the Queen’s Dowry. It was this quest that first brought him together with his wife, Tess (Hudson). Unfortunately, his dream and her ambitions drove them to divorce each other, only to have them reunited on the boat of a wealthy billionaire (the legendary Donald Sutherland), from which the adventure begins.

Given the fact that the blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean” series has been gone for less than a year and is still fresh in people’s memories, you’ll understand if some people (myself included) will make the offhand, “Ah, it’s no ‘Pirates’” or “He’s no Jack Sparrow” remark. But as a film in general, it was alright. It had its comedic moments, plus its share of action scenes, especially nearing the end. But overall, nothing memorable; this is the perfect “casual film”. The film would kind of remind you of “Pirates”, but not in the “Ooh, this reminds me of ‘Pirates’!” way; more like in the “Aw man, I miss ‘Pirates’” way, given the overall plot (several groups of men hunting a treasure, constantly getting in each other’s way).


Now That’s A Posse

As Finn, McConaughey once again takes the role of that likeable nitwit that we can’t help but cheer for, but with the way the character is presented, he succeeds in portraying a deep, yet foolish character (kind of like a “wise fool”). Despite being, as Hudson’s character says, good at only three things (treasure hunting, getting money for treasure hunting, and a third, unmentioned but heavily implied talent), Finn is intelligent in his own way—even in ways that others may perceive as sheer stupidity or compulsiveness. But he still manages to end up with the last laugh—in that sense, I suppose one could compare him to Sparrow (though Sparrow is obviously way awesomer!).

As Tess, Hudson rather portrays the polar opposite of Finn: a rational, realistic, ambitious woman who appears to have “matured” beyond spending her time on a silly little treasure hunt. But for all her logic, she sometimes lacks the broad-mindedness, which Finn’s character provides as a foil. And their chemistry plays out well throughout the film. They say opposites attract. They also say lightning can’t strike the same place twice; but in the case of the McConaughey-Hudson pairing, that saying has been proven false.

“Fool’s Gold” is the perfect casual movie; perfect for killing a Friday night or going out with your friends. It’s nothing innovative, it’s nothing ‘wow’-worthy, it’s nothing spectacular; but it also isn’t “nothing” either. The performance of the ensemble cast was good (needless to say, Sutherland owned his role), and it kept my interest throughout. I’d give it a B, for exceeding expectations (which, to be fair, were pretty low to begin with), and for not sucking.


McConaughey Tries To Sketch What His Face Used To Look Like