Great God Gold: Another lesson in why money is the worst

If you're looking for something that moves fast and doesn't ask you to think too hard about the stock market, Great God Gold is a fine way to kill an hour. It’s definitely for fans of those old-school morality tales where the bad guy is so obviously bad you start rooting for his downfall within five minutes.

If you need high-budget gloss or want your dramas to be deeply nuanced, you’ll probably find this one a bit thin. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, just show you what happens when greed gets the wheel.

John Hart is the kind of guy who probably talks to his own reflection in the mirror while brushing his teeth. Sidney Blackmer plays him with this frantic, twitchy energy that makes you wonder if he’s ever had a full night of sleep in his life. He’s running around New York, burning bridges, and acting like he’s the main character in a play nobody else wanted to see.

There’s this one scene where he’s arguing with someone, and the camera just lingers on his face for a second too long. It’s almost like the director was trying to capture the exact moment his brain stopped working and the ego took over. It’s a weirdly personal touch.

The pacing is all over the place, which is honestly refreshing compared to the predictable three-act structures we get these days. One minute he's closing a deal, the next he's running into a reporter who seems to have appeared out of thin air just to make things difficult. It’s not smooth, but it feels like it’s actually going somewhere.

I couldn't help but think about how much this reminded me of the messy, high-stakes desperation in Money Talks. Maybe not in terms of story, but that same vibe of people chasing paper until they trip over their own feet.

Small things I noticed:

• The background extras in the office scenes sometimes look like they have no idea what they're supposed to be doing. It’s funny if you focus on them.
• The lighting in the final confrontation is surprisingly moody. It almost looks like a different movie for a second.
• Nobody in 1930s New York seems to ever actually eat their food during dinner scenes. It just sits there.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s just a movie about a guy who really, really likes money until he doesn't anymore. Sometimes that’s enough. 💸