Money Monster (2016)

Review

99min

Genre:      Crime, Drama, Thriller

Director:   Jodie Foster

Cast:        George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell…and more

Writers:    Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore, Jim Kouf … and more

-Synopsis-

When a self-styled financial TV guru’s stock tip goes drastically south; an irate working-class investor takes the entire show hostage in an effort to expose the truth about the company involved and the corrupt system in which it operates in this corporate greed thriller from legendary actress-turned-director Jodie Foster.

George Clooney stars as “Lee Gates”, the arrogant presenter of business advice channel “Money Monster, alongside Julia Roberts as his long-suffering show director and in-ear confidant. Both of whose lives are shattered by Jack O’Connell’s disgruntled minority investor character, who seeks on-air justice through the truth after losing his savings on a bad “Money Monster” investment tip which tanked suspiciously to the tune of $800 million.

Taking place in hectic real time, Jodie Foster’s 4th directorial outing is a thriller with plenty to say about the path we’ve taken in Western society and the “global village” in which we live, coming to a head with the media finding themselves in their own crosshairs over the battle of “average  Joe” versus the “one percent” club.

Julia Roberts delivers a solid performance as the level head of the piece and Jack O’Connell impresses as its emotional heart and catalyst; while George Clooney isn’t entirely convincing in his slightly over-the-top and out of place TV personality which borders on farcical when comedic and hollow when dramatic, almost as if he’s recycling one of his many Coen Brothers collaborations.

As many have already said, ‘Money Monster’ is clearly influenced by hostage dramas like ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ which it combines with elements of financial greed exposés like ‘Wall Street’ and the recent ‘The Big Short’. But it shares more with the 1990 Robin Williams hostage comedy/drama ‘Cadillac Man’ than any other film.

While this is a contemporary drama which reflects and takes advantage of the current rage and righteous indignation of a society finally waking up to decades of being shafted;  ‘Money Monster’ also flirts with being a satire about the current state of an often farcical news media led by corporate interests, but it never really commits to it.

As a result we’re left with a well-crafted but limited drama which offers little to an important discussion about our very nature and the capitalistic society we’ve built. More disappointingly perhaps is the fact that ‘Money Monster’  lacks any real tension or suspense, apart from one twist, and the audience can be pretty sure of what will happen and what won’t from the start.

The Bottom Line…

A simplistic, entertaining and moderately gripping mass-appeal thriller; despite its all-star talents and with few surprises, ‘Money Monster’ is a compact and convenient vehicle to rage against corporate greed which captures very little of the magic in the films which inspired it.

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Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Cadillac Man (1990)

When a sleazy but charming womanizing car salesman and his dealership are taken hostage by the irate husband of one of his supposed conquests, uncomfortable truths are revealed and unlikely bonds forged during a tense standoff in this comedy/drama starring the late/great Robin Williams.

Directed by  Roger Donaldson and starring Robin Williams, Tim Robbins and Annabella Sciorra among others.

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