Money for Nothing

This movie is based on the true story of Joey Coyle who found some money lost by a bank and tried to keep it. It is very realistic and the cast includes lots of familiar names like John Cussak, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Benicio Del Toro and Michael Madson, all giving convincing performance. For me it should be rated about 7.2.

John Cusack plays Joey Coyle, an unemployed man from Philadelphia who decided to try and keep a bundle of money which accidentally fell off an armored truck...one million dollars to be exact! The story, albeit true, isn't cinematically original but did have some fresh possibilities. Unfortunately, the handling here is colorless and one-dimensional, and the film is saddled with a flat conclusion. Cusack does all right, but too many of the secondary characters are saintly and rather unbelievable. The movie's chummy tone also proved to be a false front, as the life of the real Joey Coyle came to a sad, tragic end. ** from ****

Joey Coyle (John Cusak) is a young man of twenty-six years old and without any perspective in life: unemployed, with basic level of instruction only. Living with his brother's family and his mother. One day, when he is coming back home with his friend Kenny Kozlowski (Michael Rapaport) after not being hired to work in the dock, he finds 1.2 million dollars that felt from an armored car. He decides to keep the money, and this is the beginning of a series of stupidities, in a true story. Being a simple man, Joey has no malicious and does not know how to handle with such amount of illegal money. This movie alternates action, comedy and drama and entertains. The cast is great. My vote is seven.

In Philadelphia, Joey Coyle (John Cusack) can't even get a day's work at the docks from his brother Billy (James Gandolfini). While Kenny Kozlowski (Michael Rapaport) is driving him home, they find $1.2 million that fell off of an armored truck bound for Trump's casino. Kenny refuses to take any of the money. Joey asks his ex-girlfriend Monica Russo (Debi Mazar) who works in investments to help. He goes to bookie Dino Palladino (Benicio Del Toro) who takes him to Vincente Goldoni (Maury Chaykin) to launder the money. Detective Laurenzi (Michael Madsen) is investigating the case.

John Cusack is not dumb enough for this to be funny. This character is an idiot. He can't even do basic math under duress. I've never bought Cusack playing an idiot. It would work better if Joey is played by a comedian who does stupid well. Don't get me wrong. I like Cusack and I like this movie ... to some extent. Joey is such an idiot that it would be a great black comedy if the movie is cast right.

Oddly, this movie is billed as a comedy but I think it was more of a drama and, coincidentally, since it was a mixed mag, so is the lead actor in here: John Cusack. He is acceptable, but nothing super. Cusack plays an ordinary guy, "Joey Coyle," who accidentally finds a million dollars and then tries to keep it. Supposedly, it's a true story (or at least based on one.) What happens to Joey and his million bucks (which had fallen out of an armored car) is not a story of joy and happiness. That's justice, since the honorable thing would have been to turn the money in, to where it belongs, so there are moral lessons taught in this story. What happens - a mixture of drama, comedy plus action and suspense - was pretty entertaining to watch. I wouldn't call this a "keeper," meaning a movie to buy and add to one's collection, but it's worth a rental, especially if you enjoy watching Cusack perform. I have found him to be a consistent actor. In dramas, I think Cusack can be outstanding ("The Grifters," "Eight Men Out," "Identity," etc.) but in comedies, he stinks ("Bullets Over Broadway," "The Road To Wellville," "Grosse Pointe Blank," etc.) Also, the rest of the cast includes some real characters, many of them out of a mob movie: actors like James Gandofini, Elizabeth Bracco, Debi Mazur, Michael Rapaport, Michael Madsen, Benicio Del Toro, Maury Chaykin and Philip Seymour Hoffman - not exactly the kind of actors you'll see in a light, sweet comedy! Halfway through this film I wondered if the writers knew where they were going with the story. I'm not sure they knew, but at least it entertains.