Money

After directing "Voice Over" one of the most successful and spectacular shorts of the last years with more than 100 awards, Martin Rosete directs his first feature film, "Money." The short is fantastic so the expectations for "Money" were pretty high and I wasn't disappointed.

The movie has an impressive cast that includes Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams and Jess Weixler. I thought they were all pretty great, specially Jamie Bamber and Jesse Williams. The film's limitations in terms of budget and location are not a handicap but an asset. Its clever dialogue and unexpected twists kept me guessing at the edge of my sit for an hour and a half.

If you are a fan of cat-and-mouse thrillers, "Money" is definitely for you.

Not that this is a bad film. But there are number of things that are somewhat annoying: too much dialog, characters and situations that aren't really believable and a story that is somewhat predictable. Settings are OK, director tries to give a visual touch but the film smells to much like a stage play. But hey, the actors are OK and the story is still strong enough to keep your attention. All by all a film that is easy to see but also easy to forget.

It seems to me that 'Money' is a perfect, elegant and flawless product; a very stylized classic drama. While I was watching it, movies like The Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948) or Wait Until Dark (Terence Young, 1967) came to my mind. The movie is concise, pragmatic and straightforward. Its goals are clear and they know how to reach them. Its message is, on top of that, beautiful, illuminating and not indulgent. The tension is built up in a superb manner for a movie that needs to keep us in suspense. And the director's work with the actors is sublime. With perhaps the exception of Kellan Lutz, more inexpressive, they are all splendid, and that makes the text shine and the credibility of what is taking place escalate. In that sense, the actor's direction is spectacular. At times, the necessity of filming hastily is noticeable, but not so much because of the editing, which is perfect, with just some isolated glimpses that can be observed. However, it is more noticeable in the staging: it looks like there wasn't time to plan a proper communicative meaning beyond what's functional. There is not a genuine relationship between the characters and the space, not a single shot provides more information than what the characters verbally announce. It would have been a spectacular movie if they had taken more risks in that sense. It would have been even better if they had what every movie lacks of: time! But, in spite of that, everything in 'Money' is believable, accurate and intense. Concision, focusing on a single location, a right pace in the dialogues, witty replicas and great performances are but a few of its virtues. In that sense, 'Money' is a complete success.

Gave this movie a 6 - as it executed very well throughout the main story - however it's ending has more flaws than the Pontiac Aztec. I have a huge issue with giving high marks to a movie that just can't execute on its landing. In the words of Teddy KGB - just like a young man coming in for a quickie ... I feel so unsatisfied. What is satisfying though is watching Jamie Bamber execute a Christian Bale like performance for his character John (a Patrick Bateman like character). A very well educated psychopath who's out to take what's his at whatever the cost. Christian Bale would be proud of Bamber's performance. Bamber was the MVP of this movie without question. The other actors could've been played by anybody and it wouldn't of mattered much. The most disappointing turn of events that didn't sit right with me -- was the wife's actions near the end of the movie. I won't spoil it - but you end up being betrayed by all the previous character development that had taken place. Maybe the moral of the story is that you really never know anybody?

There is not an extra word or an extra shot in Money. Everything is brilliantly calculated to take the audience on a smooth ride. There are no explosions or fireworks in here. It's all about humans making choices and making mistakes based on their darkest ambitions. I enjoyed very much the performances and how the script can flip the circumstances upside down in just a second. There is some kind of seductive coldness in this film. It didn't make me care particularly for any of the characters. Instead I was fascinated watching their actions and decisions. The film kept me intrigued until the very end. The premise is simple yet the unfolding is quite elegant and believable. I recommend this film to anyone that likes smart thrillers that rely on human psychology.