Monday, October 3, 2016

Money Monster - 7 stars out of 10

Money Monster - 7 stars out of 10

"Money Monster" has a fascinating concept.  A crude Mad Money-esque talk show host is held hostage on live television by a disgruntled man that lost his savings by following one of the host's investment tips.  If the synopsis doesn't grab your attention, add in George Clooney and Julia Roberts and the film becomes irresistible.  The critics gave it mixed reviews and it may not live up to its full potential, but I find this film to be honest, unpredictable, and intense.  Even though the film is about corporate corruption, it builds an appreciation for all of the work that goes into a seemingly simple live TV production.  The script is well-written as it avoids predictability and continually changes our perspective of the characters.  A lot of seemingly random puzzle pieces are introduced throughout the story and unexpectedly come together in the end.  Even twenty minutes into the movie, you can't imagine half of the events that will occur by the conclusion.  It combines all of the best aspects of a hostage film, tv production film, detective film, big corporation film, and heist film.  Clooney turns in a fine performance as he taps into a lot of tough emotions and Roberts plays off of him perfectly, even though they are rarely in the same room.  Jack O'Connell keeps stride with the two veteran actors as he transitions through a series of emotions that successfully portray his desperation.  The main flaws of this film come from its script.  There is so much unnecessary swearing and there are a few moments where the plot begins to plod along until the next secret is revealed.  It doesn't seem as if the script enhanced the performances of the actors; rather, it seems as if these actors took average dialogue and elevated it through their emotions.  The film is on par with action films like "Hostage" and "16 Blocks," but it maintains its realism in the moments that could easily become farfetched.  "Money Monster" won't be getting any Oscar nominations, but this could easily become one of those Sunday afternoon cable classics.

[Pictured: Clooney's range of emotions reminds us of why he is such a celebrated actor]

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Amanda Knox (2016) - 8 stars out of 10

Amanda Knox (2016) - 8 stars out of 10

“Amanda Knox” falls into the crime-mystery documentary genre that has been in vogue for several years.  Hot off of the success and buzz created by their “Making a Murderer” series, Netflix was smart to quickly bring this controversial story back into the public eye.  The key was their ability to get Knox to give them her first onscreen interview.  The one-sided nature of the documentary makes her innocence very obvious from start to finish.  The result is an emotionally-driven tale of empathy instead of a slow revelation of details that forces us to decide whether she is guilty or innocent.  The entire documentary hinges on our sympathy for Knox and it works.  Her opening monologue puts us into her position, claiming that she is either a psychopath in sheep’s clothing or she is as innocent as us.  It is unnerving to see the witch hunt that commenced with little-to-no evidence.  The filmmakers do represent the other side of the argument by providing interviews with the case’s lead investigator but he comes off as unintelligent and presumptuous in every word that he speaks about Knox.  Before watching this film, it is important to know that nearly half of it requires the reading of subtitles.  You have to commit to this one fully or else you will miss important information each time that you glance down at your phone.  Also, it carries a Mature rating for a reason, so be prepared for strong language and some fairly graphic crime scene footage.  I am around the same age as Knox but this story somehow eluded me back in 2007.  If you don’t know the details of the case or even if you wonder what ever happened to that study-abroad student who was convicted of murdering her roommate, “Amanda Knox” delivers an informative and gripping story that will stick with you for a while.


[Pictured: Hard to believe that such an innocent-looking person received such a harsh accusation with so little evidence]