A compelling, briskly economical (in more ways one) thriller that nonetheless feels a bit more slight than it probably should have. There's a minefield of interesting avenues to explore with this subject matter (just recently, The Big Short did it), and the film is certainly suspenseful and entertaining. But I do wish it hit a little deeper overall. Jodie Foster clearly has an eye for thrillers like this after starring in so many of them herself, and it shows with Money Monster. George Clooney and Julia Roberts give terrific movie star performances; while neither are doing anything near career-best work here, their movie star sheen helps the film transcend some of its limitations. Jack O'Connell is also solid. B

The core story is fine, but where the movie really shines is everything involving Julia Roberts' character and the behind-the-scenes stuff. These scenes are where the movie is really at its most thrilling. Is it realistic? Eh, probably not as this behind-the-scenes team are practically superheroes (why does Lenny stay behind again outside of the script needing a cameraman there?...BALLS!). I don't really care though because this aspect works.

The other stuff? It's fine. You've seen the previews, you know where the movie is going, and it gets you there. One highly disappointing aspect though is the ending. How can you set up the vest as being (practically) whoever wears it will have to be shot to resolve the situation, then wiggle and squirm and contrive your way to where the uber bad guy in West has it on, and he somehow walks away without a bullet. All his punishment comes off screen at the end of the film. The end isn't exactly satisfying. We all want to see this guy get shot (unintentional vigilante justice! and the film offers up the perfect excuse to do it), just fucking do it! Bah!

B

In Jodie Foster's fourth film behind the camera, Money Monster, a wronged small-time investor (Jack O'Connell) enters a television studio with a gun and two bomb vests. He plans to hold flashy financial-television host Lee Gates (George Clooney) and his crew, including a veteran director (Julia Roberts), hostage in order to present his grievances with Wall Street to a national audience. Credit Foster's tight direction and the collective star power of Clooney, O'Connell, Roberts, and absurdly captivating and elegant Outlander star Caitriona Balfe for rendering a slightly flimsy '90s-style suspense film very entertaining. At the end, one notices where it could have dug deeper—Gates' transition from complacent showman-swindler to regretful crusader is more of a screenplay requirement than an organic shift—and where it is a bit pat: the conspiracy in play is too specific and easily unfurled to capture the incorporeal and nearly indecipherable sense of menace conjured by Wall Street in real life. But in motion, as SWAT teams race to and fro and a suave Clooney plays verbal chess with a sweating, wiry O'Connell, it is a chic, crisp, and involving mainstream entertainment.

B

The hospital scene at the end has a re-shoot feel to it, particularly (as noted by Jmart) the way it quickly and tidily assures us the evil CEO will be investigated, brought to justice, etc.

It is not hard to imagine the film ending with the shot of the dude resuming his game of foosball, a lift from The Truman Show's so-what-else-is-on? hard cut to credits.

I thought this was highly entertaining and thrilling, with great 'movie-star' turns from Julia Roberts and George Clooney, and a solid supporting turn from Caitriona Balfe. It's also very confidently directed by Jodie Foster - I thought the sequence where they take to the street near the end was incredibly tense and well-choreographed. B+

An interesting try at making the financial crisis into an accesible thriller movie. It all doesn't quite work, but it's not for a lack of trying by George Clooney and Jodie Foster. *B-*

This was a decent thriller and had a few twists in second act but the final act becomes really predictable and not much is left for Clooney and Roberts who carry the movie entirely on their shoulders. Jodie Foster behind the camera has a good knack for creating the perfect atmosphere for these kind of thrillers.'

5/10.

This is a decent, competently made thriller, but considering the talent involved I wish it was a bit more memorable. The performances are solid and Foster does a great job directing, but it's pretty predictable, especially the ending.

Oh, right, there was a movie called Money Monster this summer.

Definitely not very memorable. But me circa May above says I mostly enjoyed it.

Money Monster is more bad than good. I was especially surprised to see it being directed by Jodie Foster, thinking she knew a thing or too about directing, but then I saw she hasn't directed anything that got any real credits before either. The film is mostly just mediocre, it has entertainment value because of a bit of a flashy story, but the script itself doesn't have any depth and it solely is able to stand somewhat firmly because of a respectable cast. I didn't like Julia Roberts in this and O'Donnel is plain bad for me. Caitriona Balfe has a nice role but ultimately it's just Clooney's film. He pretty much plays the cocky playboy host and does it well, he's pleasant to keep following throughout the film. Otherwise it doesn't have much to offer. Overall I just found it pretty lame and it's near the bottom of my 2016 films.

C-

Money Monster

I enjoyed this. It's a very liberal, anti-capitalist film, but it does touch upon fundamental issues with modern society. It's not just that "Wall Street is a casino" and they are gambling with people's money, it's that everyone is gambling with everything. Nobody really knows anything. Clooney's host character, Lee Gates, doesn't know what he's being told to read out. The police don't 100% know what the outcome will be on a sniper shot. Everyone is always guessing. And little nobodies that gamble their life savings away on a stock also don't anything about money. But it's bragging rights. It's TV ratings. It's ... not yours, so why not? And I think Money Monster delves into these artificial characters that we want to become. It is too easy to just see this film as a jab at banks and financial institutions. It's too easy to just say they're all crooks. Everyone is accountable for their own wealth. So the film has a decent foundation. There is depth, contrary to what stuffp says above, it is just not spoon-fed to you. Having said that, towards the end I got the impression that it lost track of having anything more to say, when it could and should have tied up more of a stance than simply 'the little man stuck it to the big man'.

Technically, the film is gripping. Clooney and O'Connell give good performances. Now they need to make a prequel to show Lee's three failed marriages and his escort lifestyle, called Muff Monster.

B

It was all right, I just can't get past the "this would never happen" aspect, so the whole thing to me is about as fictional as Narnia.

The acting is solid though.