7/17/2023 0 Comments J.u.l.i.a. among the stars mega![]() This is certain a throwback picture, something that would have been an A-level studio release in the 1990's. The core actors are terrific, as expected, and director Jodie Foster delivers the required intensity without being overly showy. But despite that, the film goes full steam ahead with its strongest components. It's the opposite of a conventional conspiracy theory, but the comfort is the same.īecause I didn't buy the central premise, I didn't buy much of the film's second half which morphs from hostage drama and moral fable to a Scooby Doo-ish mystery. The idea that the 2008 financial meltdown can be boiled down to singular villains intentionally messing around in easily explainable ways for easily explainable reasons is almost comically reassuring. Everything just seems too easy, with questions asked and answers provided almost immediately. Like a lot of films based in a central location and on a central premise, Money Monster loses steam once it "gets off the bus," as the third act is mostly a waiting game until the painfully obvious twists are revealed and the would-be evildoer is uncovered. All of this is well performed by a game cast, although the screenplay eventually betrays Caitriona Balfe (introduced as the Ibis PR rep) in a slightly annoying fashion. That's not a spoiler, as it's heavily implied almost from the beginning, but it allows the film to go off in conventional "conspiracy theory" shenanigans, including a third act shockingly similar to another "good guy takes hostages to expose bad guys" film I could mention from awhile back. There are moments that pop, such as Lee demanding that the audience watching the situation buy shares of Ibis to get the stock price back up, or when Lee tries to make the case that Kyle's life is no better or worse than his. I won't reveal what happens when someone close to Kyle gets the chance to do the whole "Just give up now!" routine.īut the film gets sidetracked and eventually consumed by the idea that the stock tank was a diabolical and intentional act by a singular human being. The next 45 minutes consist of Lee and Kyle trading barbs as producer Patty (Julia Roberts) feeds Lee info and performance tips via a hidden earpiece. The film threatens to peak in its first act, as Kyle comes out immediately with the shouting and the shooting, and it can't allow him to maintain that level of frenzied intensity. Kyle wants answers beyond "these things happen," especially as he merely took Lee's advice on a prior show proclaiming that Ibis Clear Capitol was "safer than a savings account." ![]() George Clooney plays the Jim Cramer-ish, financial guru and television host Lee Gates who gets taken hostage live by an angry young man (Jack O'Connell) who lost his life savings after a specific corporate entity took a nose dive on account of an apparent computer glitch in the trading algorithm. The Sony release is a pretty conventional hostage thriller, and its structure should be familiar to those who remember Dog Day Afternoon, The Negotiator, and the like. If you want more like that (and The Founder in August), vote with your wallet. Was the utter flameout of Sandra Bullock's Our Brand Is Crisis last October, a film which Clooney produced, a casualty of an overcrowded October or a sign of the times? Speaking of overcrowded October, if you want a reason to root for Money Monster, here's one: It's just the kind of film that usually gets held until the end of the year, but we're getting it at the start of the summer. Of course, the business has changed quite a bit since The Descendants, so we must wonder if there is even a need for such offerings in a Netflix/AMC era. ![]() I may go into this in detail if Money Monster follows suit, but Clooney's stardom rests not in getting mega-budget movies to mega-budget openings, but rather for smaller, socially conscious films that otherwise wouldn't make it into multiplexes, but have leggy runs based on solid reviews and a certain trust among adult moviegoers. The good news is that Clooney has a long history of lower-budget star vehicles exactly like this that tend to open around $10-$14 million and leg it to $40-$50m on budgets under $30m.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |