xhidden99 This was filmed in 2015 but it's clear that Jesse Williams was forced on this production at the last minute and squeezed into filming in under a week for the money. Money for the movie and money for Jesse. The rest of the casting is a shambles; meat puppet Kellan Lutz as a chemical engineer and chief scientist at a pharma firm? Christina the chain smoking Spanish girlfriend? Poofy Brit with a gun? Sylvia the aggrieved WASP? Oh my god what a train wreck. 2 healthy strong men can't overpower one guy as he sits with a drink in hand, pontificating? Wives and dates seemingly utterly unaffected by mind bending violence and no one questions it?

James Farmer The film is watchable enough and passes the time quite easily. However the acting is abysmal and why oh why do we keep film-makers keep making the bad guy a middle aged pompous English twit, which an accent that is seldom heard in England unless one visits a Royal Palace. The accent was silly and affected and does not reflect how English people speak. Even the aristocracy do not sound like this. The acting performances and silly accents make the film very hard to take seriously, it is a wooden film with every plot turn expected and in some cases down right ludicrous. How anyone can possibly rate this film above 5 is beyond my understanding.

lavatch In the "Behind the Scenes" segment of the DVD of "Money," the screenwriter Josep Ciutat identified his film concept as "normal people acting like gangsters." That is a perfect description of a set of nondescript characters struggling through a long night of amateur criminal activity.The opening of the film sets the stage for a mundane experience that will soon escalate to the abnormal in the short space of twenty-four hours. A kind gardener takes the time to show Sylvia (Jess Weixler), the lady of the house, a few ballroom dance steps. It turns out that the gardener will figure prominently in the turbulent chain of events.One of the memorable images of the film is that of the beautiful turquoise quetzal bird. Sylvia explains that her prized possession of the figurine of the quetzal represents the symbol of freedom in Guatemala. But the greatest threat to the bird is to be locked in a cage. It soon becomes clear that Sylvia herself is confined in the gilded cage of her opulent home that contains secrets and lies that will explode in the drama. The filmmakers have chosen an especially vulgar box-like home of Sylvia that does indeed resemble a cage.Sylvia's husband Mark is involved in a scheme to sell his company's secrets to a rival organization. Mark and his buddy Sean believe they have pulled off the scam. Yet their elation turns to shock and despair when they are held hostage by a suave, smooth-talking hustler named John (Jamie Bamber), who seems to know every intimate details of their lives.The confrontation between the intruder and the thieves unfolds like a group of rank amateurs trying to salvage the money and outfox one another. The dialogue is snappy, and the changes in fortune and the reversals are well-executed during the night in the home.This low-budget thriller was clearly a compact and economical film production. In the bonus segment of the DVD, the director noted that the shoot was completed in only sixteen days. The film was especially well-crafted with small details like the Saul Bellow book that are effectively incorporated into the action. Above all, it was the character of Sylvia who was intriguing in the transformation that occurs over the course of the film. There is one turning point when she learns from her husband that their home is encumbered and that they are near bankruptcy. That moment is the catalyst for Sylvia to show her true (an rather distasteful) colors and to do something about escaping from her cage.

ethanzeenath "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.