Money

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.

"MONEY" is a well-made, really exciting thriller that stays interesting despite the limited locations. This is one of those movies that I trilled I got to see as part of the closing night film at the Big Apple Film Festival in NY (where it ended up winning Best Film). The premise is pretty simple. Two guys (Kellan Lutz and Jesse Williams) and their significant others (Jess Weixler and Lucia Guerrero) are having dinner at their home in the Hamptons when Jamie Bamber shows up and the twists begin.

There are many smart choices in the movie, one of which is to keep the cast small. For most of the movie we only get 5 characters and that allows us to get to know them. You feel like you're inside the movie, studying everyone and trying to get the edge on them by observing their mannerisms and gauging their personality. While you're getting inside the characters' heads, a strong sense of urgency builds. I'm no criminal, but I know that with a robbery, you have to get in and get out quick. The longer the plot drags on, the worse it's going to get because you increase the chances of more things going wrong. After a while you realize there are no heroes or villains in this film. Because the characters are intelligent, they're always trying something new and it kept me guessing as to what was going to happen or be said next. It's really satisfying to see a movie where people act logically; always trying to sneak past each other's defenses (both physical and mental/emotional) and you'll constantly be surprised by the new elements introduced. "Money" is a terrific thriller that really cleverly uses its location, creates genuine thrills and exciting feelings of paranoia and claustrophobia too.

"Money" is a passable Monster-in-the-House/Heist-Gone-Wrong character-driven drama. It seems somewhat hampered by an obviously limited budget. About 95% of the action takes place in and around an isolated residence with a core cast of five people. Much of the story is relayed through dialogue; however, the dialogue is generally reasonably clever. Jamie Bamber, as the villain, largely drives the plot, with credible supporting performances by Jesse Williams, Lucia Guerrero and Fredric Lehne. Unfortunately, over-reliance on jiggly-cam shots is obvious and frequently distracting. The story doesn't break any new ground and several of the plot points are predictable. It doesn't have much to offer in the way of theme or character arcs and there really isn't a good protagonist to balance Bamber's villainy. For a film titled "Money," with an alternate title of "$," one would think they would at least get the stage money right. The bills look authentic, but there aren't nearly enough of them. What is supposedly five million dollars can't be more than half a million. As low budget direct-to-video fare, it's okay. It's watchable, but not a film one would want to view repeatedly to appreciate subtle nuances.

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.

Great movie with impeccable dramatic development. From the presentation of the characters to their arrival to the house until the development of the past of each of them within it, the story is provoking in the viewers a continuous change of reference point and, therefore, fixation of your interest. Excellent management work of actors who manage to set the tone for each of the personal stories of each and an almost perfect casting for each of the roles. The film, whose development does not leave indifferent to the spectators by its continuous change of point of view of the history on the part of each one of its personages, ends of surprise form presenting / displaying a worthy end of the whole history.