Following with the recent viewing of certain films by the Wayans that I had never seen, I decided to watch Mo' Money, something that I actually wanted to watch instead of Major Payne the other day but couldn't seem to find it. I already mentioned that the films by this family are often, well, bad. Some of which are pure silliness and ideas that came around at the height of parodies and obscure humour. But a few of their films, despite the general reception that they received from critics at the time, aren't actually that bad. In terms of comedy, they're actually quite enjoyable. To me, a lot of these more decent films by them tend to be from the 90s - early 2000s. Their films, while often focusing on comedy, still tend to follow a few of the hot trends of the decade. In the case of Mo' Money, it came about in the 90s during the huge success of crime and action films. Gritty city views, crime syndicates, and characters that try to escape getting caught up in a mess that's far greater than they could've imagined.
With this, I actually think Mo' Money is a pretty fun film. I am sure I have seen it before at some point in my life, but it seemed completely fresh. And I couldn't help but think of more modern comedy films which are, well, maybe just a little bit similar in practice, but really fall flat. There's something about these older comedy feels that feels more authentic. Perhaps it's the use of 35mm film which produced relatively dark tones, and cameras used were not always looking to pursue the most cinematic scene they could with various wide angle focal lengths. These older comedies tend to feel a bit more tight, which in turn makes the world we see feel more closed, as if we are tightly following the protagonist throughout their story. Compared to wide angle perspectives that display many side characters or extras, with views that don't really play much part in the broader scale of things, just looking fancy in the shot.
It does feel a bit strange to be talking about this things in a review of a film by the Wayans, but I guess it does go to show that sometimes less does feel like more. And simplcity can be effective in getting a story told without going overboard with visuals and techniques. I think this could apply to the modern era of television show productions, where cinematography is almost more thought of than in feature length productions. Of course, there's room for both creativty and simplicity. Anyway, let's get into Mo' Money!
Mo' Money
I really like films that give us the perspectives of those we'd consider bad in society. Criminals and underachievers, people we can't really sympathise with and would struggle to support in a real world setting. The comedy elements help contribute to the ability to like these characters in the case of Mo' Money. These crooks roam the streets performing various hustles in efforts to get by, living by the street and incapable of living any other way. Though with a life of crime comes a struggle with the law, the constant threat of being caught and punished with jail. With the threat of this, comes the realisation of attempting to change. One of the two main characters aims to change, mostly for a woman, I should add. Unrelated, but it seemed this film was branded as a romance/comedy on Google. Would I classify it was a romcom? Perhaps not.
With the attempt at change comes applying for jobs. At the same time, these two characters roam the streets and get into their various hustles still. The comedy for the most part comes from these moments. Pretending to be a couple in a Jewelery store to get away with fraud. Trying to steal from taxi drivers while waiting for a public phone box phone call. But despite the comedy, the film doesn't shy away from the fact that it is trying to tell an actual story. The company he applies to work at is actually part of a series of murders, which of course leads to our main character getting caught up in it all as they use his fraud as blackmail to keep quiet. I quite liked the fact that the film wasn't afraid to switch between comedy and action, ensuring it took itself seriously when it was necessary.
While the hustle moments are mostly used for comedy, the action is used for fast pacing. This is where the film often picks up and starts going full 90s action film. Guitar solo atmospheric music playing. The gritty night city streets full of headlights. The rundown apartment buildings that display the economic decay that is still very much present. I think atmosphere was handled quite well, contributing to the characters and their lifestyles. To see it all definitely makes it easier to connect with them, given their actions you'd think they'd be characters you could easily dislike. That wasn't really the case, in a way they're quite fun. Perhaps some of this came from the characters having very little ability to take most of their actions seriously, they're familiar with this setting and therefore don't quite feel the potential consequences. A bit deeper than it may seem!
Mo' Money was ultimately about the struggles people face. The want, obviously, to get more money by any means necessary. And the ways in which people can change once they start to obtain a little more. Losing sight of the things that really matter which the film shows to be communication and community. Being capable of being good to those around you; and what's interesting is how this film comes to an end, not really giving any specific closure. The characters don't really end up any better off by the end, nothing has really changed. As if these struggles and events are just a regular few weeks in their lives. All part of the struggle to get more.
It was a fun film for sure, one I wasn't really expecting much from. Perhaps not the most memorable film, but it made me laugh a few times and had a story that was engaging enough. Definitely not what I would call a romcom, however! For a film featuring the Wayans, I'd say it was definitely one of the better ones I have seen. Cinematic here and there, atmospheric, full of tropes from the era. And the comedy wasn't highly obnoxious, which is a major plus!
