What is it? Satire about a TV personality and money expert (George Clooney) held hostage by a disgruntled family man (Jack O'Connell) who lost all his money on a bad tip. Why is it a major player? Jodie Foster's last film as director, The Beaver, didn't quite bring the house down, but her latest sounds less ambitious and, crucially, seriously timely, what with Money Monster being a Network-type skewering of modern society, with capitalist critique thrown in along with the media satirising. Money Monster also stars George Clooney, who's basically a good luck charm for any film hoping to show up to the Oscars, and Julia Roberts, who proved she still had some Oscar clout by getting herself nominated last year for Best Supporting Actress. Also on-board is Dominic West, but Jack O'Connell is the one to keep an eye on, especially seeing as his star exploded in 2014; as ever, it's going to be a crowded Best Actor race in 2016, but if O'Connell keeps doing his thing and finds himself in a supporting rather than lead role, behind Clooney, he could be a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nom. Depending on how well the film turns out, though, and on how well Academy voters react to its politics, Money Monster could be in for more than just acting nods.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
