Title – Money Monster (2016)
Director – Jodie Foster (The Beaver)
Cast – George Clooney, Jack O’Connell, Julia Roberts, Dominic West, Giancarlo Esposito, Caitriona Balfe
Plot – Smug TV presenter and financial guru Lee Gates (Clooney) finds himself in a life and death situation when the scorned working class Kyle Budwell (O’Connell) takes him hostage during a live television broadcast that takes the world by storm.
“Without risk, there is no reward”
Review by Eddie on 30/01/2017
A genuine attempt at both a satirical black comedy and an expose of those nasty big corporations flirting with peoples livelihoods and their money, Jodie Foster’s Money Monster is the type of film that doesn’t quite feel like an out-and-out failure but is very far from a home run, and that Money Monster has come and gone from cinemas and people’s minds is testament to the fact this film is a bit of a non-event.
Recruiting her star buddies George Clooney (in what continues to be a lean patch for the silver fox following on from films like The Monuments Men, Hail, Caesar and Tomorrowland), Julia Roberts and rising star Jack O’Connell into this initially intriguing set up of O’Connell’s pushed-too-far truck driver Kyle Budwell taking Clooney’s money guru TV presenter Lee Gates hostage during a live broadcast, feels like a half complete script that writers Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore and Jim Kouf struggled to turn into something believable or as interesting as the set up feels ripe to be, and Foster’s turn behind camera isn’t enough to make proceedings workout.
With the story quickly getting a little too much to bare, much of the film’s saving graces come from the work of the trio of main actors, and while Clooney could do this role in his sleep, Roberts in particular does well with a rather generic “kindly producer” role and Jack O’Connell, while not fully utilized, does showcases the intensity seen in his brilliant turn in the magnificent prison drama Starred Up and to a lesser extent Unbroken and ’71.
O’Connell truly is one of the stars to watch with the young Brit possessing a screen presence not dissimilar to a young Al Pacino or Robert De Niro, and should directors harness this intense commitment its likely we will be seeing the performer deliver on his undoubted potential, whereas Foster lets him go astray with his New York accent and hyperactivity that at times takes away from his solid moments.
Money Monster isn’t a bad film, but it never once gets close to becoming a great one, even if the opening 10 – 15 minutes seem to suggest it could well have been. The film continues on an interesting career path for Jodie Foster who shows slight improvement here over her misguided comedy The Beaver, but has a large gap to make up before she can be considered a director to keep a close eye on, as this Money Monster unfortunately doesn’t make it rain.
2 ½ ointment creams out 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 
Firmly average, as you wrote about. Some good, some bad. The satire is hit and miss, as is the humor.
Actually was pretty impressed with the score.
It really felt like there was a much better film that could’ve been done from this material.
E
I enjoyed this one, maybe a slight bias with Julia Roberts being in it. It has some interesting moments, not great as you said.
I thought Robert’s delivered one of her better recent performances in this one. I think it starts out all quite well and then just keeps petering out into a disappointing experience.
E
Yeah it really could have been great! I am biased towards her, but apparently the films she smiles in do better at the box office!
I have been wondering what Jodie has been up to since it seems like she fell off the radar. You are right, I just saw Hail, Caesar the other week and the premise was funny but the story was thin. Clooney could use a hit. Based on your review, I can wait to catch this on cable.
Yeh the old silver fox is in a little bit of a funk at the moment.
E
I’ll say. He has been for years.
How far the world has moved, in that financial institutions are not the hot topic that they were, even just eight months ago.
Your review is right on the money though!
Cheers Nick.
E
The story is kind of interesting and the cast is good, but some of the stuff that happens in the movie is a bit ridiculous. Good review though.
Agreed Jason, it gets really far fetched in some situations and ruins any of the tension.
E
Like when how the people were all jeering at Gates and Budwell on the NYC streets. And then the media was making fun of the situation. That really kind pulled the movie “out of reality”.
Yeh it all got a little to much, it felt like they had no idea how to really go on with the initial premise of the story.
E
I always enjoy Julia, but George is hit or miss for me. I have to say this one was a great outing for all involved. Director Jodie Foster has an eye for detail.
I wish I felt the same way! I wanted to like this one a lot more.
E