Well Deserved Praise

Admirable film.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Those words that can put you off a movie entirely. Or if you didn't know at least realize during the movie, that they keep this from going places. While the fall of Edward Furlong is something happened a long time ago (climbing up, won't be easy and not achieved by movies like this) there are other great character actors in this, which make you wonder if the script or the overall idea sounded a lot better? Or maybe it was just the money/job opportunity they got from this.So James Caan and the others try to make this as respectable as possible, but the way things resolve is very anti-climactic. Maybe there are people out there that will like the approach and maybe this is as close to the true events as possible. It doesn't make for an enticing view though

Being caught up in the Tel Aviv underworld of 1973 teenager Izek decides to emigrate to Los Angeles . Howeer he soon finds that crime is a universal aspect of the human condition and that in the United States the stakes are much higher Reportedly based on a true story FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY is a film where you're constantly reminded of the style of Martin Scorsese . Take for example the early scenes featuring Ed Furlong playing violent foul mouthed psychotic Tommy . Was there anyone not reminded of Joe Pesci ? Likewise the constant use of a musical soundtrack and narration gives the impression director Ellie Kanner is trying to emulate Scorsese down to a tee but at the same time you're constantly reminded that you're most certainly not watching Scorsese I also had a slight problem with Izek who is maybe a little bit too stand up and self righteous to be taken seriously especially since he's supposed to be based on a real life character . Take for example the scene where he agrees to be a get away driver for two characters he knows are gangsters . They go round to someone's business to extort money , beat the victim to a pulp and when they go back to the car Izek remonstrates and leaves them . Let me get this straight , he knows they're violent criminals and he's upset they batter people half to death . It's not like the job description advertised " Driver for Mr Whippy's ice cream van required " . I think Izek is spinning himself as being a bit too innocent . That said it was the same in GOODFELLAS FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY isn't a a bad film just an over familiar one with a slightly cynical air where the big names such as James Caan and Paul Sorvino seem to be included for a marketing excises and Sorvino especially is confined to a blink and you'll miss it cameo . That said despite the flaws Ellie Kanner does bring a sense of time and place to the proceedings and it does genuinely look like a 1980s movie . Just a pity there isn't a more idiosyncratic flourish to the movie that feels to need to ape Scorsese in everything

The production design was good. Excessive use of old songs though. Old music is welcomed even in a dentist's chair but they should feel natural. The actual people who's story this film tells may have struggled but it doesn't come out here. A few brothers and cousins go to another country, and a few good and a few bad things happen...Could be anybody's story. James Caan saved it. However, it tried to be The Godfather and that is something no film should attempt to do. Some parts cater to the nostalgia very well but for some reason the film feels like Styrofoam, you watch it and you don't know what to take home from it. Or may be it's just me. This is my first review I hope I haven't written anything that qualifies as spoiling.

"A wise man once said the love of money is the root of all evil." Izek (Longo) is a young boy growing up in Tel Aviv. He is introduced to a life of organized crime at a very young age and has grown accustomed to it. After a member of his family becomes to involved in the world the family decides to movie to Los Angeles. Izek, looking to leave the world behind begins his new life and a quest to live American dream. I have to admit that if a movie is about organized crime in anyway I will watch it. When they are done right they are great, but the problem is that too many try to be "Goodfellas" and end up falling flat. While this movie isn't terrible it is also nothing amazing either. I think the biggest problem I had with this is that it didn't know what it wanted to be. Even though it is a true story it seemed like it was trying to hard to have the organized crime aspect (even having James Caan in it) but it didn't really fit in with the rest of the movie. I don't know how to explain what I mean but watch it and you will see. This is not a bad movie but it tended to drag a little and I was starting to lose interest in some parts. Overall, not bad but also a pretty flat movie that had more potential. I give it a B-.