Por Amor ou Por Dinheiro

Wasn't sure with the movie didn't think I would like it but it turned out to be a really funny movie a little sad at times shed a tear or two but otherwise funny movie

Was this written by an 8 year old?! Atheist comedies are a dime a dozen these days, but most still exert effort to justify their take on the subject. Whether you call that education or simple expression, it's there. Even entertaining at times. But this one just wants to be an atheist movie with all the wit of a grade schooler. Lazy writing that just ruins the fun.

An enjoyable British comedy with over-the-top humor worthy of Monty Python. Samantha Barks, who displays real comedic talent, finds out that a former classmate was about to sell a business for a lot of money. Her boyfriend, who should have been wearing a top hat and a handlebar mustache, convinces her to marry him so she can get half the money then share it with him. However, the victim finds out about the plot and does everything he can to insult and antagonize her so she will quit. The movie is a lot of fun for those who can suspend disbelief and not be offended by the fact that the characters are more caricatures than people. The primary problem is that the script would have been wonderful for a one-hour TV sitcom. After an hour, I was saying, enough already.

For Love or Money is fun to watch. It's a great twist on the "revenge on the goldigger" story. Fun performances by Robert Kazinsky, Samantha Barks, Tony Way, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and the wacky performances of Anna Chancellor, Ian Kaye and Tanya Reynolds were great scene stealers.

This movie isn't perfect, but it does generate some good laughs. The ending is just ok, but at least it's more realistic than most movies in the romcom genre. Don't rush to see it, but it's not a bad Netflix date movie.

I've rounded up to a 7 because I think the one star reviews are a joke. In my book, this is significantly better than plenty of the generic Hollywood romcoms produced, and far better than 90% of the stuff produced by Hallmark or Lifetime, and it has clearly been done on a relatively low budget.

Having said that, if you generally enjoy those types of movies and look forward to that stereotypical formula, then this will likely not be for you. If you are bothered by a little bad language and offended by a priest professing to be an atheist, then this is not for you. If you have a problem with absurdity, then this is not for you.

The best things it has going for it are its short runtime, its plot which moves along quickly, and its decision not to conform to type. There are a couple of funny moments and a couple of heartfelt moments, though its quality varies when it leans into the absurd. It likely won't appeal to an American audience because its scenes aren't written to build to a laugh.

There is likely a much better film in there somewhere but it would require a serious rewrite. Almost all of the scenes would need to be funnier and the character relationships and interactions put on more solid footing. Having said this, I liked most of the characters, the acting was solid enough, and I didn't mind the ending.

It is worth a one-time watch but I'd be unlikely to make any effort to watch it again. Could have much been better, could have been far worse! 6/10