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October 14th, 2008
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That sinking feeling

A romantic comedy redeemed by eye candy
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April 30th, 2008 issue

By Rachel Shimp

COURTESY PHOTO
Matthew McConaughey and Alexis Dziena rush to the wet T-shirt contest.
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Fool's Gold


Directed by Andy Tennant
With Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena, Ewen Bremner, Kevin Hart and Malcolm Jamal-Warner

For the Post
Sometimes the motivations behind a film’s existence are totally transparent. In the case of Fool’s Gold, a romantic comedy starring the bronzed and blonde Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, it’s as clear as the Caribbean water in which the action takes place. Tabloids snapped the two leads relaxing on Miami beaches last winter while the film was in production. Who wouldn’t sign on to make a dumb movie, with a perk like that?
Well, maybe stars with better managers. McConaughey and Hudson are usually great in these kind of movies, and were especially sparkling together in 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, in which he plays an advertising exec who wagers that he can get any woman to fall in love with him in 10 days, and she’s an ambitious writer who takes a unique bet from her boss in the name of an assignment. Her task is to rope a guy in and then become as obnoxious and repellent as possible, losing him. But McConaughey’s task is to ooze charm. After they meet cute, guess what happens?
This time around, Friday night would be better spent in front of a rental. There are moments that shine, but mostly it’s a bait-and-switch, like the semiprecious rock of the title. McConaughey plays Ben “Finn” Finnegan, a beach bum-turned-treasure salvager with a flailing marriage and a boat named Booty Calls. A play on “duty calls,” pirate’s “booty” calls and slang for late-night sex, it may be the most clever thing in the whole film. Finn’s soon-to-be-ex-wife Tess, who was his business partner for eight years, now works as a steward on the yacht of kindly billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland).
Finn soon runs into trouble with his most recent investor, a former rapper-turned-island-mogul named BigBunny (“It’s one word”). His team of cronies could be the least convincing batch of slapstick killers ever put to film. They look too nice to wield weapons, and continually blunder at their attempts at calling in Finn’s debt — i.e., killing him. Bumbling killers can definitely be funny, but Gold doesn’t let these scenes come up for air.
Finn is less afraid of losing his life than losing the treasure he may have recently stumbled on. So when a friend tips him off that Honeycutt is anchored nearby, he audaciously weasels his way onto the boat, where he discovers Tess. Never mind that these two are in regular contact in court — he apparently has no idea what she does for a living. And Hudson’s Tess never looks like she cares enough to love or hate the man. She is willing to join him for one final booty call, though. He’s found a fragment of a plate stamped with a particular family seal, the very item they built their relationship searching for.
With nothing better to do, Honeycutt and his perky, dim-bulb daughter Gemma (Alexis Dziena) decide to back the Finnegans on their quest. These idle rich are captivated by the 18th-century stories of betrayal and shipwreck, and are ready for adventure. Fool’s Gold delivers it as Finn and Co. clash with BigBunny’s crew and Finn’s mentor-turned-competitor, treasure hunter Moe Fitch (Ray Winstone). Much of the tussling is done underwater, but the above-ground action can be just as muffled and disorienting.
Fool’s Gold does have great scenery going for it — both the paradise-like landscape of the Bahamas and Key West, and McConaughey. His career of playing casually sexy cads arguably started when he delivered the best line in 1993’s Dazed and Confused: “That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.” Taking that Southern accent with him into every role adds to his charm. And he’s never looked hotter than in Gold, which unfortunately does everything to squander his charisma. Hudson has even less to work with. Tess had married Finn for sex, but the audience sees only a fraction of their lust for each other.
To see some real chemistry, pick up the 1987 rom-com Overboard while you’re at the video store. It stars Hudson’s mother, Goldie Hawn, as a rich bitch opposite real-life partner Kurt Russell, a handyman who comes to fix something on her yacht. After she falls over and gets amnesia, he plays an elaborate trick on her in order to teach her a lesson. It’s hilarious. It also shows just where Hudson gets her pizzazz and comic ability. Hopefully the next roles she and McConaughey get will let them shine.
Rachel Shimp can be reached a rshimp@praguepost.com


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