Money Monster

Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West, Caitriona Balfe, Giancarlo Esposito
Directed by: Jodie Foster
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A financial TV show host (George Clooney) is taken hostage on the air by a man (Jack O'Connell) who lost everything following his advice.

Review:

Tim: I'm fairly certain that at this stage of her career, Jodie Foster isn't a great director. She has some talent, but The Beaver was average and Money Monster, although better and a good movie in its own right, still barely made it over that mark. Maybe she'll improve, but currently, she's only a middling director. That's too bad, because this movie was promising. It certainly has some strong moments, but eventually it asks too much of the audience. I did enjoy the film, so you could consider this a win for Foster and the cast, but it's a minor win.

I believe how you approach this movie makes all the difference. If you're expecting to be wowed, you will be severely disappointed. However, if you're okay with a mildly entertaining movie, this film will give you enough to hold your attention throughout its 1 hour, 38 minute run time (Foster wisely keeps this film short- any longer and you would have seen decreasing returns and quality). This film does entertain, throws a few twists at the audience, and moves quickly. Those things help to prevent lulls in the film (which would be fatal to a film like this). Unfortunately, the movie does ask the audience to suspend its disbelief far too much. This is tolerable for much of the movie, but as you get into the later stages, it becomes harder and harder to believe what you're seeing on screen. You have to be willing to overlook some of those flaws. Luckily, this movie is harmless enough that it doesn't hurt too bad to do that.

The cast isn't bad. George Clooney was probably a good choice for the lead role. The role requires him to be a little goofy, which stretched his acting just beyond his capabilities. I liked that he embraced a side of him we don't normally see, although there were too many moments of his performance that I had a hard time buying. I can't believe Clooney will look back on this role with any fondness. He was fine, but can't be too proud of his work. Julia Roberts had a small role, so her impact was minimal, but she made the most of it. I love that she did this role because it's so different from her usual romantic or dramatic roles. She was a supporting actress in a thriller and it worked. She was able to elevate the role and the material and she made the movie better. Jack O'Connell was fine as the hostage taker. I don't have any serious complaints, but he's not a very memorable actor. I suspect I'll forget this role completely at some point soon. He doesn't grab the audience and doesn't stick in our minds. Dominic West was fairly wasted in a small role. I always like seeing Giancarlo Esposito, but I wanted him to have more to do.

I appreciated the timeliness of the movie- it addressed the Great Recession and the uncertainty in the financial sector, even years later. It addressed the entertainmentization of the world of finance (which isn't a good thing). I appreciated that the movie worked hard to delve into deeper themes of corruption, fraud, the role the media plays, etc. This could have been a straightforward hostage movie, but Money Monster tries to be about something more. Because of that, the movie makes you think more than you would in your average hostage movie, which is a very good thing.

You can do far worse than Money Monster. It's a perfectly respectable little thriller. It's ultimately too forgettable and too illogical to be great, but if you can overlook some of those flaws, you'll find this to be a decently entertaining movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Beaver, Triple 9, Michael Clayton, Conspiracy Theory br>