MONEY MONSTER
US, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’ Connell, Dominic West, Caitriona Balfe, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Denham, Dennis Boutsikaris.
Directed by Jodie Foster.
At first hearing, the name might sound like a description of financial exploiter, a wolf of Wall Street, a dealer whose creed is “Greed is good”. And there is a character who fits these descriptions.
However, the title of the film is the title of a glitzy television show with a personality who relies on zany enthusiasm and antics while commenting on American finance. His name is Lee and he is played by George Clooney.
There have been quite a number of films about American finance and the double dealings, many documentaries, especially in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, and interesting feature films like the 1987 Wall Street as well as its successor in 2009, films like Margin Call and the 2015 The Big Short.
For most audiences, Money Monster will be the most enjoyable.
We are introduced to explanations about computerised money with computerised visuals illustrating money changing hands and the question about whether a computer can lose money through glitches in the algorithm. While the question hangs there, Lee appears, George Clooney obviously enjoying himself as a rather egotistical personality, controlling everyone, defying his director, Patty, Julia Roberts, and forever going off the prepared text and with a whole lot of gimmicks including his arrival as a song and dance man with chorus, a different hat each time and then tossing it away, and a whole lot of gimmicks, pressing buttons for all kinds of visuals, including clips from horror films to give background to his commentary, his observations and, though he later denies it but is proved wrong, his investment recommendations.
So, where could this be going? A delivery man appears the studio, lurking within range of the camera – and then pulling a gun, firing shots, uttering all kinds of threats, taking Lee, now a quivering mass compared with his self-confident patter, as hostage. Much of the rest of the film takes place in the studio with the hostage situation, Patty able to communicate with Lee through the microphone in his ear, directing him, encouraging him to recover his confidence to try to take charge of the situation. Then there are the police, a negotiator, snipers moving throughout the studio, the discovery of the young man’s girlfriend and getting her to talk to him on camera.
Who is this young man? His name is Kyle and he is played very effectively by English actor Jack O’ Connell. He has inherited $60,000 and invested it in a company (whose CEO we have glimpsed, with clips from Korea and South Africa, and who has not turned up for a scheduled interview). Kyle is in the network vein of being mad as hell and refusing to take it anymore. He puts a bomb vest on Lee and keeps his thumb on the button for detonation.
The film does not have a long-running time, just under 100 minutes, but the pace keeps up, plot developments, swift and slick editing, the audience participating with eagerness and touches of adrenaline.
With this kind of story, there is a potential for many twists and this is what happens. Kyle has the gun and the finger on the button but he is not the brightest, especially when his girlfriend turns on him, Lee getting the better of him with financial commentary (although Lee makes a huge on camera appeal to the American masses to invest in the company to adjust the losses – the audience sees quite a range of audiences and then discovers that they are rather apathetic, even about Lee’s life).
The film does eventually move outside the studio into the New York streets with crowds apprehensive, imitating Lee’s song and dance routines, the police following, but Kyle with his finger still on the button.
In the meantime, the CEO, played by Dominic West, does turn up, deals with his PR associate, Caitriona Balfe, and Kyle gets his chance for confrontation and Lee gets his opportunity to do his program live, with Patty working excellently behind the scenes with computer hackers, with a producer running the streets to get documentation, with her research assistants turning up information and so able to provide visuals for Lee to bring it all to a close.
While all is serious, there is enough humour in dialogue and situation throughout the film keep it both exciting and entertaining, with the touch of the amusing. George Clooney is at his best, having to go through quite a range of emotions from his self-promotion to fear, to gaining control of the situation, to becoming an on-screen hero again. Julia Roberts is a solid presence as the director.
The interesting thing is that money Monster was directed by Jodie Foster, the kind of film that she might appear in but not that we expect her to direct: very well-based action, interesting character development, keeping the pace moving with the changing situations.
So, a very enjoyable film, entertaining but raising many issues of finance, entrepreneurs, fraud and the victims of fraudsters.
1. An entertainment? Social observations, especially on the money market? Picture of human nature?
2. The American context of finance, fraud and greed, entrepreneurs, victims?
3. The American context of media, television programming, glitz, personalities, message, technical aspects?
4. The context of journalism, reporters, the influence, investigative journalism?
5. The context of anger, victims, guns, bombs, sieges, hostages?
6. The point made that this was about an American – and not Muslim or Asian?
7. New York City, the studio, the interiors, the details of the interiors? The streets, police precincts, apartments, business offices? The musical score?
8. The world of television, the studio, performance, technical aspects, behind-the-scenes, communication between producer and personality, research, producers in action, hackers, research?
9. The skills of the director and her cast?
10. The introduction, algorithms, computerised money, the possibility of glitches? The visuals for this computer money?
11. Lee, George Clooney performance, talking before his show, Patty, issues of dates, dinners, busyness, phone calls, his assistants? Letting the script go? Improvising? The visuals behind his talking, the use of horror movies? The entrance, the song and dance routines, talking, his enthusiasm? His money subject?
12. Ibis, Walt Canby, the glimpses of South Africa, Korea? As a person, his plane, no contact for several days? Diane, PR, ready for the interview, her role, her reactions, Avery confronting her, disobeying him, not accountable to him, starting up her own investigation?
13. Kyle, coming in with the parcels, the camera seeking him, the gun, everybody’s reaction, Lee and his fear, putting on the vest and Kyle with his hand on the button? His claims, loss of money, the gradual revelation of his personal story? Inheriting the money, investing it, his girlfriend, her pregnancy? His threats, the shots?
14. Lee, his reaction, fear, talking, Patty telling him not to talk? The situation, Patty directing him, control, screens, Lee listening to Patty, the camera angles, Lenny the cameraman and his presence? Strategies?
15. The police, the chief, in charge, the negotiator, the bet about the character of Kyle, placing of the snipers, tracking down Kyle’s identity, finding the girlfriend, the maps of the studio, the evacuation of the personnel? The agreement to kill Lee if necessary?
16. Lee keeping steady, taking charge more and more, using his ability as a performer? Patty and the information? Kyle and his response, the score points on the board?
17. The girlfriend, coming into the studio, on the screen, her fierce attack on Kyle, as a person, his arrogance, spending the money, his losses, her criticisms of his weakness of character?
18. The effect on Kyle, talking about himself, the money inheritance, the attack on his self-confidence?
19. The audiences watching, Lee and his speaking, wanting them to buy, their not responding?
20. Behind-the-scenes, Ron, the sexual encounter and his not knowing what was going on, getting him on further investigations, literally
running around the city, getting information, feeding it to Patty? The other assistants, the assistant in the street and overhearing the information about killing Lee?
21. Diane, her role, the information from Korea, interview with the creator of the algorithm? The translator? Comment about the failure of the company and the human print?
22. Hackers, in Iceland, contacting them, the different voice for the phone, the giving the information? In the studio, the researcher, finding out about Mambo?
23. Kyle and Lee together, and alliance, the reactions of police, Patty, the viewing public? Going out with Lenny, Lenny and the comment on the ball’s image? In the lift, Lee talking frankly about Patty not knowing she was hearing him? On the street, the long walk, the crowds and the variety of reactions? Fans, those attacking? Patty in the van, Ron and his providing the information? The van prevented
from going further after the shots on the street and Ron’s being wounded?
24. Diane, airport, meeting Walt, searching his passport, texting Patty, the issue of betrayal and Walt’s reaction?
25. The drama on the way, the shooting, the crowd reaction? Kyle revealing that there was no bomb? The continuing with the pretence because of the police?
26. The arrival, Walt trying to escape, court, the police, the gun, transferring the vest to Walt? Lee having his show, the interview with Walt, Patty ready with the condemnatory visuals, the explanation?
27. Kyle, wanting Walt to admit that he had lied? Walt and his fear? Kyle lifting his finger, then shot? Lee and his reaction, dismay?
28. The aftermath, the takeaway dinner, Lee and Patty talking? Kyle and the TV reported about him? The prospect of Walt and his arrest
– and the humorous technique on you tube and his continually being afraid of the bombs – and the insertion of terror scenes from the movies?
29. A popular way of communicating message about American finances and fraud?
