Pinching Penny

As somebody who knows the filmmakers, I have no problem professing that all the high reviews as of 10.31.11 are from the filmmakers or their friends and family. In fact, they haven't even bothered to type new reviews, but have copied and pasted their previous glorifying comments from Amazon.com.

As for my review; this movie is your standard film student fare. It borrows from dozens of popular movies and makes no original additions of its own. Pinching Penny would be a good movie to watch if you know the people involved or are stoned, drunk, or otherwise mentally incapacitated. If not, I would suggest you don't waste your time.

I've read everything, I've seen the trailers, and I've heard a lot of buzz about this film. On facebook, friends are talking about it. I like to make up my own open mind, so I rented the movie. I had a BLAST watching it. There are some problems with the writing, which is due, I think, to a young writer who is trying to fit a LOT into 2 hours. I would have preferred a more limited story and stronger character development, but other than that, the movie was pure fun. The leads were terrific, especially Molony and Myer. I think the following critical review excerpt sums it up for me: "The acting was good here, though, and just helped to provide more entertainment. Steven Molony is great in the lead role of Alex. His gritty performance really holds the movie together. The kid shows a lot of promise here. If given the opportunity and time, it could be interesting to see where his career goes. One good role and he could prove to be something of a breakout star in the future. Or, at the very least, one of those respectable mainstays in the indie world. Timothy Meyer does well playing Murray bringing a certain level of charm and humor to the movie." --- Couch Potato; Josh Lyons. I agree completely!!!!

ATTENTION: I copied this from my Amazon review. I said it well then and still believe it: This movie grabs you at the first scene and doesn't let go. From comedic crime caper to the riveting emotional end, it's a gritty roller coaster of consequences. Knowing that this was Dan Glaser's directorial debut on a shoestring budget (literally), I was amazed to discover two hours of really great entertainment, complete with powerful acting, imaginative montages, and cool camera shots. Most impressive? Steven Molony's exceptional performance in the lead role. He reminds me of a young Christian Bale in both looks, intensity, and charisma. He's definitely got the chops to make it to the top; this film gives us a glimpse of his immense talent. Other main characters delivered strong, believable support for the story. (Yeah, it's full of F-bombs; get over it. You know what rated R means.) All in all, you won't go wrong with this film. I recommend you buy it, watch it again and again, and proudly tell your friends in the future, "I own a copy of Dan Glaser's first film, the one that introduced Steven Molony as a promising new star." Very cool.........

I attended a screening of Pinching Penny and was blown away by the performances. Lauren Wertz as Penny was totally believable; Tim Meyer was the witty and fun sidekick; Ginny Glaser was the perfect femme fatale; and Steven Molony as the main character, Alex, was utterly mesmerizing, all the way from the clever hilarious opening to the undeniably tragic end. He definitely has great presence, a lovely voice (!), and talent oozing out of his eyeballs. The four main characters interact honestly, which kept me interested all the way through. Wow...the message is clear: Money isn't everything, and one bad thing leads to another! I think this movie WILL be noticed for its introduction of raw new talent to the movie industry. I predict Dan Glaser will be a famed director who reminds us of Aronofsky and Ritchie, but who develops his own unique tradition. As for Steven Molony, I predict he will carve his place in movie star history at the TOP. He is amazing, and I want to see MORE!

I liked the opening bit with the home invasions, but after that, the movie fell apart. Each new character got more and more ridiculous and unbelievable. The characters had no depth and no development.

They mentioned over and over in the story that the main character had an obsession with buying things. Too bad it wasn't shown in the movie. You didn't see or feel it about the character. It wasn't part of him. All you ever saw were a few additional items cluttering the house. It was an entirely unnecessary motive for him without showing it in the character. Hell, it wasn't necessary at all. Why does he need the obsession in the first place? Why can't they simply want money? Isn't that motive enough? It wasn't entirely rotten. A few scenes and characters showed promise. I've seen a lot worse with bigger budgets. I hope his next movie takes my advice. Great movies have deep characters. Forget the plot. Piling on more characters and more plot points don't make it better. Instead, deepen and develop your characters. Make me feel for them. Make them real.