Movie review: Fool’s Gold

by John P. Meyer

Fool's Gold

Ben "Finn" Finnegan is an affable, modern-day treasure hunter who is obsessed with finding the legendary 18th century Queen's Dowry--40 chests of priceless treasure that was lost at sea in 1715. In his quest, Finn has sunk everything he has, including his marriage to Tess Finnegan. Just as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, working aboard a mega-yacht owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, Finn discovers a vital clue to the treasure's whereabouts. Much to Tess' consternation, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel's yacht and, using his roguish charm, convinces the tycoon and his celebutante daughter, Gemma, to join him in the pursuit of the Spanish treasure. But, they are not the only ones after the prize. Finn's one-time mentor, Moe Fitch and a ruthless local gangster are intent on beating Finn to the prize.

Source: Cinema Source

Showtimes and more on Fool's Gold

Andy Tennant cut his directorial teeth working on TV series such as The Wonder Years, Parker Lewis Can't Lose and The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr. (an early Bruce Campbell vehicle). Since transitioning to the big screen, Tennant has gravitated toward sentimental romantic fare involving star-crossed lovers, such as Fools Rush In ('97), Anna and the King ('99) and Sweet Home Alabama ('02).

Tennant's new movie - Fool's Gold - certainly fits that mold, chronicling as it does the problematic love/hate relationship between harebrained maritime treasure salvor Ben "Finn" Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Tess (Kate Hudson), who - thanks to her deeply and chronically-in-debt husband - finds herself putting post-graduate educational ambitions on hold and working as a steward aboard a private yacht to make ends meet. Sure, she despises Finn, but he's so darn good in the sack, as she keeps reminding everyone in earshot. (O.K., we get it already.)

Sentimental romantic fare, yes - but this go 'round Tennant's reaching for something more - something along the lines of an action/adventure piece with pieces of eight scattered about for good measure. Whether he connects with the golden ring will be determined at the box office, but from an entertainment standpoint I'm forced to report that the movie steams along on rather choppy seas.

Finn's financial backers end up not liking him, but it's not because he lacks in charm: Finn can spin a tall treasure tale with the best of them, leaving investors salivating over the chance to buy into his salvage schemes. It's only later, after he turns up asking for yet more funding with nothing to show for those initial expenditures, that the money men begin to consider cutting their losses.

"Look - crockery!"

In the case of Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart) - a rap artist with a rep for cutting not only his losses but the throats of those who cross him - Finn finds himself $67,000 in debt and suddenly without a boat to dive from; it's incredibly bad timing because he's just now dredged up what he believes to be the key to a semi-mythical lost treasure trove known as the Queen's Dowry. (We're talking fist-sized emeralds, chests of gold doubloons, monogrammed crockery - the works.) But now Bigg's henchmen (including Brian Hooks as Curtis and Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Cordell) are intent upon making Finn a permanent part of the reef surrounding Bigg's private party island.

Meanwhile, Tess is trying to keep on an even keel aboard the vessel Precious Gem while simultaneously serving the needs of her wealthy employer (a gray-maned, resplendent-looking Donald Sutherland, as Nigel Honeycutt) and completing the process of divorcing Finn (during a brief shore leave on Key West). Early on, as her character struggles with the yes/no of going through with the divorce, Ms. Hudson almost appears to be channeling her famously flighty mom - though fortunately she recovers. Finn shows up late for the proceedings and doesn't bother explaining to Tess, the judge or assembled attorneys that he's been delayed due to having been chained to an anchor several fathoms beneath the sea - who would believe him?

Donald Sutherland: hope for old guys everywhere

Leaving the courtroom, Finn explains to Tess the nature of his latest find and - unsurprisingly - eventually elicits her aid in an effort to secure the backing of her wealthy, boat-owning employer. Also unsurprisingly, that magnanimous and adventure-loving gentleman - along with his visiting airhead celebrity daughter, Gemma (played by the dangerously-skinny Alexis Dziena) - pledges enthusiastic support, as long as he and Gemma can participate in the treasure quest.

Waiting in the wings (and then ceasing to wait, after teaming up with Bigg Bunny and crew) is competing treasure salvor Moe Fitch (the gravelly-voiced Ray Winstone), who taught Finn everything he knows about salvage. Ray and his team actually arrive at the suspected treasure site prior to the Precious Gem contingent and begin gridding out the sea floor in accepted archaeological fashion - for all the good that'll do them once Finn arrives and begins dismantling things.

If it begins to sounds like there's an awful lot going on, it's because there really, truly is - and I haven't even mentioned the domestically-partnered gay shipboard cooks or the nasty new chief of operations hired by Bigg Bunny to inject a sense of immediacy into his organizational ranks - by injecting one or two of them with hot lead.

"Is that a relic in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"

While the core players (Mr. McConaughey and Ms. Hudson) generate genuine chemistry and engage our interest throughout, the complications surrounding them increasingly scrape away at our bonhomie like barnacles against a hawser line, until - after 113 minutes of scattershot, incidental action - we're ready to snap. Whether you end up enjoying the movie without reservation will probably depend upon your tolerance for all this seemingly gratuitous hullabaloo. Fortunately, the payoff - when it finally arrives - is satisfying in a non-scientific, acquisitive sort of way. Mel Fisher would be proud.

TREASURE SALVOR'S BLUES: "Boats sink - nobody knows why." - Finn to Bigg Bunny

TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE: THAT IS THE QUESTION: "Just because you refuse to believe in something doesn't mean it's true. Or false." - Tess to Finn