Money for Nothing

Starring: John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Madsen, Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Gandolfini, Debi Mazar,
Directed by: Ramon Menendez
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
1993

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A regular guy (John Cusack) finds a bag of $1.2 million in unmarked $100 bills. As all his dreams come true, he also finds that money brings additional problems, and soon finds himself running from the mob and the police.

Review:

Tim: For the life of me, I cannot understand why this movie is marketed as a comedy. I don't remember one funny part in the entire movie. Instead, this is a completely a drama- there's nothing funny about it. It is an interesting look at what an ordinary guy would do if he found a million dollars. It is based on a true story, so don't expect anything too outlandish.

What we have here is the story of a young man who finds a fortune- and then proceeds to make wrong choice after wrong choice. It is frustrating to watch someone acting so stupidly, and we just sit and wait for the consequences. That is probably the most aggravating aspect of the movie.

John Cusack is decent in the lead role, but he's not very enjoyable. Most of this comes from the character- he's not very intelligent, charismatic, or likeable in general. This is not one of Cusack's best roles, or his best films. He does just enough right to carry the load of the film. Amazingly, he has some stellar help from the rest of the cast. This movie features a stunning cast of then-unknowns who have since come to fame. Benicio Del Toro is quite sleazy as a lower level mob guy. Michael Madsen is decent as the investigating cop. Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn't have much screen time, but it's still fun to see a future Oscar-winner in such a small supporting role. Even James Gandolfini is in the film, giving a surprisingly good performance.

The film drags along for quite a while before it finally begins to rev up for the conclusion. The movie's finale is surprisingly good, but not nearly enough to save the movie from its lackluster first hour. There are just too many flaws, present from start to finish, and there is an overall lack of any kind of serious emotional impact. This "comedy" isn't very funny, and doesn't hit the dramatic notes right, either. In general, Money for Nothing is pretty much a massive misfire.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shadows and Fog, The Grifters, Eight Men Out