Camden New Journal - Movies: FOOL’S GOLD

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 17 April 2008

Golden-oldie Don fooled into taking a role in this film?

FOOL’S GOLD
Directed by Andy Tennant
Certificate 12a

THIS whole mad shebang is almost – but not quite – worth seeing to watch Donald Sutherland giving the worst performance of his life.
As a doddery billionaire yacht owner inveigled into joining a hunt for buried treasure he utters such Yoda-like inanities as “Married, are you getting?” to his stewardess (Kate Hudson), which presumably is the way shipping millionaires talk when they’re losing their marbles.
One can only surmise Mr Sutherland did it for a first-class ticket with all the trimmings to Australia (doubling for the Caribbean) where the film was shot on the Gold Coast.
The white-haired patriarch has little to do except look bemused, and with good reason. Add a blonde bimbo (that’s Kate), a stubble-jawed Irish diver as thick as two wet planks (Matthew McConaughey) and an airhead daughter (Alexis Dziena, pictured) and presto! What have you got?
I’ll tell you. You’ve got the worst acting and the worst script of the year, with our hero spending most of his time soaking wet after being repeatedly thrown into the sea by a bunch of goons who are after the loot as well.
The spectacular scenery goes some way to balancing the scales, but I could have done just as well with staying home to watch Lonely Planet or Michael Palin on the box.

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