Gold

Gripping and mercifully short, it doesn’t quite achieve the status of cinematic gold. Perhaps it’s for the best, or Hayes may have fallen prey to his ambitions.

If you’re ready for 90-odd minutes of relentless desert scenes with Efron struggling to survive, then this movie is for you.

Tension does build and there is a satisfying conclusion, but there is a significant stretch where, undeniably, a sizable amount of air comes out of the balloon.

It's pretty standard man vs. nature stuff. It’s also a pretty simple parable about the perils of greed. All of this would be fine if “Gold” had more to it, but aside from its undeniable style, there’s very little there there.

As a movie, things play out as an obvious parable about the greed that grips men’s hearts once civilization’s fires die out. In terms of a one-man show for Efron, however, it provides too little dramatic flair to show he has a range beyond his pretty-boy charms. The film’s scope and setting are too barren to give Efron that opportunity.

Throughout, Efron seems almost determined to wipe away the last vestiges of his youthful looks.

The movie’s mood is unrelentingly miserable. Its cinematography, by Ross Giardina, is bleached-bone bright; its soundscape features more buzzing flies than music.

Zac Efron gives a solid performance, there are a couple of nice shots of the Australian outback, and the makeup is good. Outside of those positives, there isn't much else on offer.

A little slow, really not much to dig into here or discuss, I thought the cinematography was good.

(Mauro Lanari) Either your name is Luigi Zampa and in 1971 you tame with Sordi and Cardinale the symbolism that the Australian scenario lends itself to, or you do like George Miller and that desert becomes a simplistic metaphor of who knows what and how many other deserts. "Gold" follows the simplest solution, condemning itself to be not "a small brilliant example of productive pauperism" (Raffaele Meale), but "the grueling ordeal of the protagonist [as well as] of the spectator, who fidgets on the armchair between boredom for slowness and disgust for brutality" (Fabio Canessa). The choice to include Nick Cave in the soundtrack with his "People Ain't No Good" worsens the film even more.

bad [ bad ] adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36. not good in any manner or degree.