Fool's Gold

Year: 2008
Director: Andy Tennant
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Ewen Bremner, Ray Winstone, Alexis Dziena, Kevin Hart


I went to see this yesterday because I needed something to do to pass the time. It was either this or The Kite Runner. I thought, hey why not watch an adventure comedy. Might be fun. Who knows? But perhaps I made an unwise choice.

Fool's Gold focuses on an odd couple, Finn (McConaughey) and Tess (Hudson). Finn is a treasure hunter seeking fortune in the Bahamas, particularly an ancient Spanish treasure thought to have sunk somewhere along the coast. Finn is a very enthusiastic and charming guy, but it's not enough to get him out of trouble. See, he owes money to a black guy called Bigg Bunny (Hart), and he's just used up all his resources in finding this treasure.

Things get worse when Tess divorces him, because she is sick and tired of him messing up her life and their marriage. But he gets a new lease on life and finding the treasure when he meets up with Tess's employer, the very wealthy Nigel Honeycutt (Sutherland) and his pretty daughter Gemma (Dziena). He convinces Nigel to sponsor his expedition and persuades Tess to go along. With much reluctance, she agrees. But it's not a smooth plan, as Finn finds a rival in his old friend Moe (Winstone), and Bigg still pushes Finn for payback and all the gold he may find.

Andy Tennant gave us some nice films in the past, such as the lovable Sweet Home Alabama, the likeable Ever After and the underrated Anna & The King. You can always find fascinating characters, great chemistry between the leads and an interesting plot in his films. It's unfortunate however that this time he only scores one out of three.

Hudson and McConaughey do have excellent chemistry together, but this and the very humorous portrayal of Gemma by Dziena is all that Tennant has going for in Fool's Gold. Dziena plays Gemma as a totally clueless girl who gives the term "slow on the uptake" a whole new meaning, and it works. But it's not enough to carry Fool's Gold beyond average.

The plot isn't much to begin with and the script doesn't give much for Hudson and McConaughey to work with. Given the right dialogue, the two could have made the audience laugh out loud constantly. Alas, it was not to be. Winstone is wasted in his role, and Ewen Bremner as Finn's partner even more so. And why the hell is The Cosby Show's Malcolm Jamal Warner in this film playing a fat, tubby henchman for Bigg Bunny? That is so wrong. So, so wrong!

There are a few genuinely funny moments, but I wish there were more. It would have made up for so many of the boring areas I sat through. The ending is also predictable, but I guess I can forgive that, it's a romcom after all.

Dull and uninteresting. Wished it was better. (2.5/5)