What would you do if you found 1.2 million dollars? That's the "true story" of 1993's 'Money For Nothing'. In South Philadelphia, Joey Coyle (John Cusack) a low income dockworker discovers the loot having fallen out of a faulty armored car on a back road. The premise is ageless. It's an alluring fantasy.
He does some typical things. Woos his ex flame. Flaunts his new found wealth a little. Then the necessary matter of cleaning up the money and staying out of the grasp of the detective (Michael Madsen) on the case. The pressure mounts for Joey over five days as the media publicity and a reward for turning him in increase.
This film features quite a few familiar faces. Many of them before they broke it big. Which helps out a lot because in depth characters is not this tale's strong suit. Debi Mazar is his on-and-off-again girlfriend. James Gandolfini is his big brother. Benicio Del Toro & Maury Chaykin play two untrustworthy figures. Michael Rapaport is his best friend who actually discovers the money with him but somehow has the sense to not want anything to do with it. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a fellow dockworker. Frankie Faison is a truck guard while Lenny Venito plays the big wig pos from the armored car company itself.
You can't be faulted if you think the story doesn't go anywhere exciting. It really doesn't. The usual moral dilemmas pop up, but a young Cusack is fun to watch slip away under the stress. Michael Madsen gives a measured delivery of a smart, but not arrogant detective as well.
He does some typical things. Woos his ex flame. Flaunts his new found wealth a little. Then the necessary matter of cleaning up the money and staying out of the grasp of the detective (Michael Madsen) on the case. The pressure mounts for Joey over five days as the media publicity and a reward for turning him in increase.
This film features quite a few familiar faces. Many of them before they broke it big. Which helps out a lot because in depth characters is not this tale's strong suit. Debi Mazar is his on-and-off-again girlfriend. James Gandolfini is his big brother. Benicio Del Toro & Maury Chaykin play two untrustworthy figures. Michael Rapaport is his best friend who actually discovers the money with him but somehow has the sense to not want anything to do with it. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a fellow dockworker. Frankie Faison is a truck guard while Lenny Venito plays the big wig pos from the armored car company itself.
You can't be faulted if you think the story doesn't go anywhere exciting. It really doesn't. The usual moral dilemmas pop up, but a young Cusack is fun to watch slip away under the stress. Michael Madsen gives a measured delivery of a smart, but not arrogant detective as well.