ccthemovieman-1 Review of Money for Nothing

Money for Nothing (1993)

Is It Really A Comedy, Or Is It A Drama? I Think The Latter

[6/10 · 6 February 2008]

Oddly, this movie is billed as a comedy but I think it was more of a drama and, coincidentally, since it was a mixed mag, so is the lead actor in here: John Cusack. He is acceptable, but nothing super. Cusack plays an ordinary guy, "Joey Coyle," who accidentally finds a million dollars and then tries to keep it. Supposedly, it's a true story (or at least based on one.) What happens to Joey and his million bucks (which had fallen out of an armored car) is not a story of joy and happiness. That's justice, since the honorable thing would have been to turn the money in, to where it belongs, so there are moral lessons taught in this story. What happens - a mixture of drama, comedy plus action and suspense - was pretty entertaining to watch. I wouldn't call this a "keeper," meaning a movie to buy and add to one's collection, but it's worth a rental, especially if you enjoy watching Cusack perform. I have found him to be a consistent actor. In dramas, I think Cusack can be outstanding ("The Grifters," "Eight Men Out," "Identity," etc.) but in comedies, he stinks ("Bullets Over Broadway," "The Road To Wellville," "Grosse Pointe Blank," etc.) Also, the rest of the cast includes some real characters, many of them out of a mob movie: actors like James Gandofini, Elizabeth Bracco, Debi Mazur, Michael Rapaport, Michael Madsen, Benicio Del Toro, Maury Chaykin and Philip Seymour Hoffman - not exactly the kind of actors you'll see in a light, sweet comedy! Halfway through this film I wondered if the writers knew where they were going with the story. I'm not sure they knew, but at least it entertains.