Review of Money Monster (2016) by Troy C — 06 Jun 2016

Dressed up as a cautionary tale about financial greed and wealth dispersion, Jodie Foster's latest directorial effort is really just a popcorn thriller attempting to be more meaningful than it needs to be.

Batting above its weight with the Hollywood royalty involved, the film feels most at home when it is building anticipation purely by observing the lead trio reacting within the confines of the hostage scenario.

When it strays too far from the beaten path to half-heartedly explore its underlying themes, it comes across as smug, overly moralistic and a tad patronising, bogging down the otherwise fast-paced narrative.

There's a surprisingly prevalent comedic through-line embedded into the movie's tone as well, the moments of levity largely working except for the occasionally misplaced gag that undermines the tension.

Tinseltown heavyweights George Clooney and Julia Roberts are clearly having a blast in their undemanding roles, the former hamming it up as an arrogant TV show host and the latter playing it cool-as-a-cucumber as the show's omnipresent producer.

Intense up-and-comer Jack O'Connell overplays it as the average Joe who decides to hold the wealthy accountable for their deceit, but at least he's given something to do, unlike Dominic West's rote corporate baddie.

A B-grade thriller with A-grade decoration, Money Monster is adequate in-the-moment entertainment but nothing more.