Lee Gates (George Clooney) is a slick and vacuous high profile TV host, with his daily financial markets show being more about glitz and frivolity than a serious analysis of solid investment opportunities.
But some are taken in by the fast talking and bright lights, and in this fateful day one such sucker named Kyle (Jack O’Connell) has decided that someone must pay for his (literal) misfortune caused by following his recommendations.
Kyle arrives with a loaded gun and an explosive vest and demands air time and answers. All this despite the unacknowledged fact that Kyle took the advice from a talking head on a show named Money Monster.
If Lee cannot take responsibility for his dud endorsement, he must find Walt Camby (Dominic West) the company’s CEO and have him explain it. Camby of course cannot be found, and Lee and the frazzled Kyle verbally joust on high stakes live TV, with director Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) doing her best to prevent Lee’s big mouth from getting him killed while also convincing Camby’s media liaison Diane Lester (Cateiona Balfe) of the merits of having her boss address the issue.
Money Monster attempts to highlight the responsibility of TV to inform as well as entertain, and of big business to answer to investors when things go pear shaped. Instead though it attempts to put a case forward for Justified Terrorism – because if holding an entire studio full of innocent people with the threat of explosion isn’t terrorism I don’t know what is – while portraying the police force as a bunch of inept idiots. The only amusing moment arrives when they find Kyle’s partner and have her talk him down from his perch, with disastrous results.
This is insanely unlikely from go to whoa, and much like the titular TV show it expects you to overlook the inconsistencies and unlikeliness of it all behind the credibility of the cast and a series of loud noises and distractions.
Money Monster is the small bowl of lollies the grown ups keep in the bottom drawer. The Freddo Frog that sits in the fridge for months just waiting for a small child to appear.
On this occasion the small child was Jodie Foster, so rather than disappoint the fresh faced (directing) youngster, Hollywood gave her Money Monster. It was a small gesture designed to distract and placate, with the end result being no one either happy nor sad.
More an exercise in deflection as opposed to any satisfaction. Which is what Money Monster the movie is, one hundred minutes of brain numbing diversion.
Final Rating – 5.5 / 10. As a (cinematic) investment tip, this is neither a blue chip nor a penny dreadful. Personally I’d invest my hundred minutes elsewhere.
