Money Monster — film review: ‘Righteousness’

“You believe in money, you don’t believe in people!” cries the hostage-taking TV studio intruder (Jack O’Connell) in Money Monster. We get that, thanks, without being told. It’s spelt out in all but exploding neon in this febrile, yackety thriller directed by Jodie Foster. Those awful financial folk; monsters in high rises, King Kongs in suits. They beggar the young, such as the overwrought young gunman who forces money-show compère George Clooney to don a suicide vest, live on air, and then wants to march him off to a showdown with the dodgy CEO (Dominic West) whose company shares have tumbled, ruining him (O’Connell) and his girlfriend.

The girlfriend intercedes briefly on video link in the only good scene. Instead of soothing her mate she takes him down big-time. It’s scary-funny; the screenwriter’s pen must have slipped, creating a moment of wit. Elsewhere the yammer and righteousness defeat Clooney and even Julia Roberts, stuck at a console twitching knobs and micromanaging frowns as the producer trying to hold the show together.