This film, based on the true story of Joey Coyle, has my favorite John Cusack performance. Cusack plays Joey, a dock worker whose life is suddenly changed by finding a couple of bags on the road. Coyle's excitement about his fate exceeds his wisdom and intelligence in dealing with it. It is not an easy role to play. Cusack's performance combines naivete, warmth, greed, fear, rage, and countless subtle shades of other emotions. Although Coyle's brainpower may not be "100%," Cusack's portrayal is consistently 100% human. The supporting actors are all excellent too. This is a tightly edited film with good dialogue and many very funny scenes that never descend to the level of mindless slapstick. It's amazing to me that no one I mention it to has ever heard of it. Highly recommended.
Review of Money for Nothing
