The horror of the stock exchange
Bakang Israel | Friday June 17, 2016 15:01
Like the title suggests, money is the main subject of this crime drama. It takes us on a detailed depiction of stock exchange shares dealing the bad side, so is a definite watch if you are interested in investing also. You know what they say about money as the root of most evil and whilst on the other hand it can be the perfect helping hand or lovely gesture. Interesting enough in this one however money takes the evil route as it has our protagonists and antagonists at each other’s throat because of this turn of events.
Financial TV host Lee Gates (George Clooney) and his producer Patty (Julia Roberts), are suddenly put in an explosive situation when Kyle (Jack O’Connel), an irate investor who has lost everything, forcefully takes over their studio. During a tense standoff broadcast to millions on live TV, Lee and Patty must work furiously against the clock on an earpiece to unravel the mystery behind a conspiracy at the heart of today’s fast-paced, high-tech global markets and defuse the hostage situation. Renowned as the king and queen of romantic films in their heydays at the turn of the new millennium, George and Roberts demonstrate they still got their magic touch as Money Monster is quite a spectacle which takes one to the very edge and shakes nerves. The movie villain Jack O’Connel also brought his A-game performance from biography hit Unbroken.
Action
Like the norm goes as most people like to wonder (A GOA LOWA MOTENG) referring to, ‘is the action mesmerising enough? Just as actress Angelina Jolie directed Unbroken in 2014, this thriller is rocking cinemas courtesy of yet another actress Jodie Foster. Female directors seem to be on the roll. Money Monster is pretty much eventful, the action is just decently cool enough. For instance, the film picks up steam from the first whistle as Gates (Clooney) discovers the horrific ordeal of what it actually feels like to have a bad day at work as the TV presenter is held hostage at gun point live on air. That is one of the major action plot points. Chaos is the theme in Money Monster. You enjoy the use of high grade weapons; suicide bomb vests to snipers in a corporate environment.
Apart from that what makes it exhilarating is the authenticity of the script/plot. Hostage situation movies are always epic if you happen to recall other high octane nervy thrillers like Phone Booth, Hostage and Swordfish starring Collin Farrell, Bruce Willis and John Travolta. This one shares the same significance as the mentioned films as victims, where hostages are trapped in phone booths, homes and buses but in Money Monster a television broadcast studio endures a hostile takeover. More so in the thick of all this action there is a spark of mellow humour side by side enterprising twists. Imagine this, during a hostage situation the victim winds up defending the criminal, actually having a bonding moment.
That is how crazy and funny this crime drama is. Movie enthusiasts get lost in the maze of this commotion as you have to constantly switch alliances that also are fun part and another huge plot point. Money Monster taps into real life issues such as maladministration, crimes of fraud, obtaining by false pretence amongst its other themes such as commerce, crime, revenge and justice. Imagine if you lost all your assets in an instant because someone misled you.
This film shares that raw emotion as an intense one-and-half hour experience of nothing but suspense. Another contributing factor is the element of time. As the clock ticks away the more dangerous the impatient the villain the more the film becomes exciting.
The curiosity of how a multi-million dollar stock investment got flushed out of the market also keeps one’s eyes peeled as fanatics put the pieces of the puzzle together getting down to the bottom of the madness. I personally enjoyed this. The performances are also top notch, from all the three top leads. Roberts is superb on the earpiece microphone trying to distinguish the hostage situation and Clooney just as awesome. O’Connel convincing as a persuasive disgruntled gunmen. It is a cohesive captivating action thriller show put up by this delightful cast. Lastly the last factor of plot is the film cinematography. Money Monster is fun because it looks good and even sounds good hence the cinematographic setting was just TV studio being exaggerated into our hostile cage so simplicity can be the ultimate sophistication at times.
Quotes from the Action movie
Kyle: to Patty. Are we live, switch off the live cameras again and I am going to blow his head off.
Lee: to Kyle. I know you lost a lot of money
News and upcoming Movies
Hottest gossip making rounds this week was the much anticipated xXx 3 dubbed The Return of Xander Cage. The movie is making a comeback after an 11-year break since the 2005 sequel starring Ice Cube as agent X. Come January 20, 2017, Vin Diesel will be at his usual best going rogue as X alongside Samuel L Jackson. The cherry on top for this gossip is that Brazil/Barcelona soccer superstar Neymar is said to have a role in this upcoming blockbuster. The production team has so far been tight-lipped on his movie role which excites the fans more.
Reception
Money Monster currently occupies 12th spot on Box office chart. Its highest rank was third during its premiere. Released three weeks back, it has generated a worldwide sum of $66 million after a big screen debut of $14 million which is good considering its $27 million production budget.
Top Five movies in the world currently courtesy of box office.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
2. X-Men: Apocalypse
3. Me Before You
4. Alice Through the Looking Glass
5. The Angry Birds Movie
Ratings
The movie is a delightful experience of intense, nervy suspenseful experience. Because it exceeded expectations, I give it a 7.5 rating. The drama is too good.
Movie: Money Monster
Genre: Crime | Drama| Thriller
Duration: 1 hour 38 mins
Age Restriction: 16
Release Date: June 3
Director: Jodie Foster
Main Cast: George Clooney (Lee Gates), Julia Roberts(Patty Fenn) and Jack O’Connell as (Kyle Budwell)