Money Talks
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
As the credits rolled on Tony Mucci's short film, Money Talks, there is no doubt in my mind that he just crafted the best short film I have seen all year. This brilliant short follows a $100 bill as it travels through New York on the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981, with Mucci showing all of these different, interesting characters and how they decide to spend their money. After viewing this film and being left in awe after what Mucci was able to accomplish in just thirty minutes, the sentiment that "they don't make them how they used to" popped into my head. Well, I'm delighted to say Mucci is a rare exception to that saying, crafting this picture in a way that will make audiences fall in love with his vision and filmmaking style.
What's incredibly impressive to me is how Mucci was able to craft this entire story in just thirty minutes, exploring all of these characters from different walks of life. The only thing that unites all of them is this piece of paper that is traded for goods or services, and therefore it creates a chain that is never-ending. Mucci gives us a glimpse of how this bill changes hands and how it is used for a variety of different things, from toys at a toy store to paying for sexual favors from women of the night. This entire idea is made to be such an entertaining film, and Mucci is able to beautifully elevate the story beyond what it could have been.
The main aspect of this film that stands out the most to me is Mucci's filmmaking style. There is no doubt that he has been inspired by the greats, such as Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Quentin Tarantino, to name a few. But, he is also able to add his own style of filmmaking to make the entire film stand out. I loved seeing the double dolly shot and the trunk shot here, as well as the opening à la Mean Streets, but there is something so wonderful about watching this movie in this day and age. In a world where many movies blend together and are similar to one another, we have this fresh, new voice in the art of filmmaking trying to make his mark on the art form of cinema. Not only does Mucci appreciate the past and the greats that came before him, but he simply brings attention to the influence from them in today's filmmaking.
In addition to these influences really coming forward throughout the film, these fresh ideas that he tried succeed beautifully. There is one shot in particular, towards the middle of the film where cashier Franklin (David Mazouz) is assaulted by a mysterious man (Tyler Senerchia) over money being owed. The shot comes when the mysterious man puts the gun in Franklin's mouth, and our point of view is from inside Franklin's mouth looking out. My description for it doesn't do the shot justice, but it is an incredible shot that works perfectly. From the way they shot it to the idea behind having this unique image of a gun in someone's mouth, it's truly awe-inspiring and immediately earns Mucci the credit as being an influential filmmaker. I also want to give DOP Cory Burmester his credit because this film is beautiful from start to finish. Many shots throughout the movie are unique and interesting, bringing the viewer into the picture, but this is the shot that stood out the most to me. Considering this is his first film, this may genuinely be one of the best short film directorial debut I have ever seen.
When looking at the film on a story level, not only is it incredibly entertaining, but offers such an interesting take on how we spend our money. As the film was concluding, it fully hit me on what Mucci was trying to say about money and our spending habits, and it is a beautiful message to really push forward through the art of film. The various characters serve as foils of one another, in terms of contrasting greed and lust with the struggle to make enough money to survive in this ever-changing world. I also appreciate how he juxtaposes these characters with the inauguration of Reagan, showing how this conservative president is coming into this world which consists of very non-conservative individuals. Whether it is the pimp who is trying to persuade a young stripper named Cleopatra (Zolee Griggs) to work for him as a prostitute or a young boy saying "shit" when he is by himself, I think these themes contrasting together work really well to bring Mucci's point across. Consider when Franklin flicks a booger at President Reagan while he is on the screen.
Thankfully, the entire acting ensemble brings these characters to life beautifully, really embodying these characters to tell this story. The entire cast, which exists not only of those I have mentioned, but also Francesca Scorsese, Claudia Robinson, George DeNoto, and Alexander Khan, to name few, leave a lasting impression on the film as a whole, even if only having a couple minutes of screen time. All of these characters are only featured for a very short amount of time, but with Mucci's writing with partner Mazouz and all of these performances here, they are all fleshed out perfectly and do their job to tell the entire story.
A lot of short films come and go, and a lot of them allow their filmmakers to go on to make amazing feature length films. But, there is something there about Money Talks that make it perhaps one of the most important short films I have ever seen. This movie really left a lasting impression on me in only 30-minutes, and Mucci has earned a new fan. I think his filmmaking style is something that already needs to be studied, and I genuinely can't wait to see what he is going to craft next. I mean this when I say he may earn a seat amongst the greats one day because he has the talent and vision beautifully on display.
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