Money Monster Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

George Clooney and Julia Roberts star in this mediocre Jodie Foster-directed thriller about stock fraud, desperation & the threat of uncontrolled capitalism. 

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Director: Jodie Foster

Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell, Dominic West, Caitriona Balfe, Lenny Venito, Christopher Denham, Giancarlo Esposito & Chris Bauer.

Run Time: 99 min.

US Release: 13 May 2016

UK Release:  27 May 2016

German Release: 26 May 2016

I was actually planning on posting my review for Legend of Tarzan today; however, I decided to get my thoughts on Money Monster out of the way first. This is a film I wanted to see since the first trailer hit the net because it looked like an extreme financial thriller that included the entire Wall Street as an antagonist; sadly, it isn’t exactly what we got. While Money Monster is not what I had expected, including some serious plot weaknesses, it still had its positive moments.

Financial TV host and advisor Lee Gates (Clooney) is a broken man who makes his money by consulting the viewers of his show, called Money Monster, in stock trading. His producer Patty (Roberts) is the one who keeps him in check and the show running. When one of his recommendations inexplicably plummets into the ground, one of the viewers (O’Connell as Kyle Budwell), who invested his whole fortune in that stock, storms the studio with a loaded weapon and a vest wired with explosives. What follows is an intense situation, in which Kyle demands answers for what went wrong.

This is an adequate, suspenseful economic thriller with an interesting concept, but the plot is somewhat of a mixed bag. The best part of the narrative is the moment inside the studio, when Kyle appears and takes everyone on - and behind the set - hostage. These scenes had me on the edge of my seat because the situation feels very “explosive”: Kyle yelling at Gates, trying to force some answers out of him while Patty is trying to calm him down by talking through his earpiece, makes for some of the finest parts of the screenplay. The dialogue between these three is extraordinary, tension-filled and intriguing.

Money Monster drops the ball, though, as soon as it moves the plot outside of the studio, when it feels it needs to show the audience what is happening at the company (IBIS), which lost the money of its investors. The problem is simply that it feels a little unrealistic and boring. I understand that the writers and director need to humanise Wall Street to vilify the system, yet it comes at the expense of losing credibility, especially when it is explaining how, where and why the money was lost. Still, I need to pay my respects to the production team for how they ended the film, even if the CEO’s defence was laughably bad. 

My biggest gripe with this financial flick is not the story, the dialogue, or the acting; it is the fact that the trailer spoiled a lot of the core scenes, making the movie very predictable, even if the outcome was different from what the teaser suggested.

George Clooney does a great job portraying the over-enthusiastic finance advisor/TV show host, Lee Gates. He is very hyperactive and surprisingly funny at times, especially during the first fifteen minutes. This all changes as soon as his life is threatened, allowing us to see his persona in a different light, which made for a pleasant surprise at the number of different facets Clooney gave his character. 

Julia Roberts as Patty is equally brilliant. She is the exact opposite of Gates’s character; his good conscience, if you will, keeping him in check by talking to him through his earpiece. She is the counterbalance to Clooney’s Gates, and both have a stunning chemistry, even as they barely shared the screen.

Jack O’Connell also gives a great performance. His character, Kyle Budwell, is absolutely desperate, with nothing to lose as one of Gates’ investment recommendations turned sour. He demands answers, wanting to understand what really happened, because the explanation provided by IBIS’ PR agents is not making any sense to him.

Dominic West is the weakest link in this movie and nearly ruined the ending. The movie tries to build a mystery around his persona (Walt Camby - CEO of IBIS), though in the end he is just a shallow, one-dimensional person who has no real presence, be it positive or negative. Another character I found to be very bland is that of Camby’s assistant, played by Caitriona Balfe. 

The cinematography by Matthew Libateque is one of the better parts of this thriller. Libateque manages to show the contrast of the “normal day” working environment inside the studio. It feels larger, somewhat open. As soon as Kyle enters the scene, taking everybody hostage, the atmosphere changes, and the studio feels enclosed and claustrophobic. I also admire the scene on the streets with Clooney and O’Connell because the crew took a massive setting like NY, yet made it feel enclosed in that moment by just focusing on the characters. In a nutshell, Money Monster is a beautiful-looking film, and its cinematography infuses the story with thrilling emotions.

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Verdict: Money Monster is a suspenseful and explosive thriller as long as it takes place inside the studio. Once it starts shifting to other places, the movie loses its energy and becomes a little bit boring. George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jack O’Connell give outstanding performances, though, and it is their combined interactions that keep the film interesting. In the end, Money Monster is nothing more than an OK flick, featuring a good premise. If you decide to watch it, I would recommend you pass on seeing the trailer first. I will therefore give it a 6.5 out of 10!

Thank you, as always, for reading, and if you enjoyed this review, like, share and comment below.