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"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.

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.

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.

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.