Grade: B-
I am a big fan of Network and The Negotiator, two films which appeared to be drawn heavily from in director Jodie Foster’s new movie Money Monster. George Clooney plays a financial TV host with a big, slick personality. He is shallow but entertaining to watch even while he talks stock. A seemingly typical day gets thrown a huge curve when a delivery man is let in the studio. He turns out to be a man who lost 60-some-grand on a stock Clooney said on the show was a sure thing, so he makes his way onto the live broadcast with a gun and some explosives in the hopes of getting not his money back, but answers. This is where it turns into a hostage thriller. Off in a nearby booth, feeding him advice and occasionally lines through his earpiece, is the show’s director, played by Julia Roberts. They don’t share much screen time, physically, but their rhythms and chemistry are dead on, from having worked together several times since the first Ocean’s movie 15 years ago. Money Monster has some fine, if unremarkable moments, and the anger is there. It just needs something more. Maybe more anger? I would have loved to have seen Oliver Stone work himself up into his usual frenzy of rage, and then get his hands on this material. All in all, this is a serviceable spring thriller, but not one that will likely have much staying power. Remember when you’d go to a Blockbuster Video and peruse the aisle of previously viewed titles for sale, and you’d come across one with a strong director and cast and think “This one looks good, and the price is low. Why haven’t I heard of it?”
Grade: B-
Film Reviews by Mark 
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