Mo Money Mo Problems: Review of Money Monster

Money Monster

Director: Jodie Foster

By Alex Watson

While it may lack a certain bite, Jodie Foster's Money Monster is still a fine satire that raises some serious questions about Wall Street Ethics. It doesn't break any new ground it does have an element of fun silliness to it which is capped by a wacky yet composed George Clooney performance. While The Big Short went for the flashy approach, its talk about markets and algorithms because overwhelming. Foster here asks the simple question of how does these millionaires who break the law stay out of prison?

Lee Gates (George Clooney) is a smug host of a network show called Money Monster which gives Wall Street stock tips to viewers. His producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) is weary of his shock-jock persona and wishes he would button it down. One show, a desperate and furious blue collar worker Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) takes Gates hostage live on air and forces him to strap on a bomb. Previously Kyle along with many others lost his life savings on a bad tip by Gates on a company called IBIS owned by Walt Camby (Dominic West) and now he wants Wall Street to pay.

While Money Monster doesn't completely work as a thriller, it still has its merits. Gates is a man who lives for the spotlight and begins every show doing cringeworthy dancing with two backup dancers. When Kyle bursts in and forces him to strap on the vest, Foster manages to inject a needed panic into this scenario. Forget the implausibility that Kyle could sneak in undetected along with this question of whether a truck driver could really build a bomb and go with the flow. Patty is boxed into a difficult corner and the police intervention by Captain Marcus Powell (Giancarlo Esposito) isn't helping a whole lot either.

Previously Gates coerced his viewers into investing with IBIS claiming it was safe. Now the firm has mysteriously lost $800 million in one swoop and Camby is nowhere to be found. Venn and some other producers embark on some investigating to discover to why this sudden dip occurred. This element is entertaining as they continually bug put upon PR lady Diane Lester (Caitriona Balfe). Although this film has its merits it doesn't feel nearly challenging enough, we are aware through Kyle constant explosions about how unaware it is that rich men frequently break the law but go unpunished. Foster, however, seems to want to play it too safely and it leaves us with a flat aftertaste.

While the against time feel does serve Money Monster well, its finale has an air of unbelievability about it. The lies are always being exposed as Camby real destination for the last few days is picked at. There is a more honest approach to this picture than your typical Wall Street picture because it does show the dark underbelly of the trade world. Stripping it back to basics and show a simple story of good guys and villains do make this an easier pill to swallow. Just a shame that Foster decided to go with a slightly overblown ending which sees Gates and Budwell attempt to take on and confront Camby publically. Realistically this whole show would have been long done by this point if the police were allowed to do their thing.

George Clooney has fun with the role of Lee Gates and keeps his head among the increasingly unlikely odds. Embracing his character's arrogance combined with his inner self-loathing, Clooney makes the perfect choice to bring this tale of greed forward (even if his dance moves do need a little work). The real star turn of this piece goes to Julia Roberts who keeps her performance in check as the tension mounts. Not once does she succumb to the urge to phone things in and instead Roberts give a composed turn as a newsroom producer whose in far too deep. Jack O'Connell is a talented performer but he is stranded in this picture with a role that requires him to do little more than shout loudly. With such a raw performer on her hands, Foster could have coaxed out far more than this.

Money Monster might not be the gritty thriller we so hoped for but it does succeed as a witty and zany look at the effects Wall Street can bring. The Big Short may have gotten accolades for its trickery but this piece is more down to earth effort.

Jungle Boogie: Review of The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book

Director: Jon Favreau

By Alex Watson

While it might be as iconic as its predecessor, Jon Favreau's adaptation of The Jungle Book is still a beautiful filmed and fun ride. Getting the casting spot on for this tale was essential and through the talents of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, and a ferocious Idris Elba, Rudyard Kipling's creatures are brought to life in spectacular fashion. Alongside having the entertainment element clamped down, Favreau also adds a more emotional core to this ride that stays with you.

Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a boy-cub who has been raised by a pack of wolves since birth. His panther friend Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) worries for his safety and his Wolf father Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) is frustrated with his inability to run with the pack. The boy cub's life becomes endangered when the man-eating tiger, Shere Khan comes lusting for his flesh. Trying to escape his world and find a home where he belongs will take him into the path of fun-loving bear Baloo (Bill Murray).

Returning to Kipling's world was sneered upon at first when The Jungle Book reboot was announced. Well, it appears the doubters were wrong because Favreau creates an animal world so real you'll believe animals really can talk. Mowgli is seen scrambling across rocks, climbing cliffs to steal honeycombs and in one breathtaking sequence, falling down a cliff with water buffalo. The lurking menace of Shere Khan is cranked up to the max to the extent where he becomes the main attraction. During the Water Truce segment at the Peace Rock (a chapter missing from the 1967 film), you can almost taste the blood on his lips and fury bubbling beneath that scarred face. Khan means not only harm to this boy but he will kill anyone who stands in his way consume him. The sense of belonging gives the film a needed heart as Mowgli struggles to understand is place in the world

Thankfully Favreau says true to the spirit of the movie and gives us what we loved about the characters of old. Bagheera is very much the wise yet overly cautious Panther torn between giving Mowgli over the man world or playing protector to him. Baloo is a mellow and laid back soul who uses Mowgli as both friend and unpaid worker in his quest to get fed. Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) is a slippery and entrancing nemesis whose soft and gentle voice fools even the best of us. Christopher Walken almost steals the show as we get an impressive new spin on King Louie. In this piece he the last of the Gigantopithecus, who sits on a throne with a sizeable amount of treasure and fruit either side. In this, he is a large and slightly unsettling presence who you might think twice about when he says "I wanna make a deal with you!"

Yes "I Wanna Be Like You" and "Bare Necessities" make an appearance but in this picture they feel a little unnecessary. Through the vocals of Walken and Murray, we want to feel transported back to that old magical Disney era but here they feel just added on for old time sake.  The dangers of the jungle, in particular, the nerving Kaa sequence make this a more frightening journey than was needed. When the journey like this is very entertaining such issues are minor ones and Favreau gives us a visually arresting world that it more than we could have expected. Doing this tale as a live action film could have backfired, but it has sufficient charm and love poured into it that it is unthinkable to imagine it any other way.

The cast for this movie is perfectly done and it is impossible to imagine anyone else but Bill Murray as Baloo. Listening to his easy-going charm, you can almost see Murray on a lazy afternoon lying in the jungle with you. Ben Kingsley is also excellent as the authoritative Bagheera who becomes Mowgli's surrogate father throughout, A real presence on screen, Kingsley's voice alone has a commanding feel. Lupita Nyong'o has the most heartfelt role as adoptive Wolf mother Raksha and you can feel the motherly love wherever you look in this film. The real star turn belongs to Idris Elba as the cunning and dangerous Shere Khan. Inject a subtle menace along with a mad obsession, the Luther star is simply electric. There should be Oscars for voice acting alone after this performance.

Forget about your worries fans, The Jungle Book is as fun a ride as you can remember. Jon Favreau has recaptured our love for this old tale and few reboots can wish to be as success as this one. It seems you can teach an old jungle new tricks.