User Reviews

Under the direction of Warren P. Sonoda, "Things I Do for Money" is a giddy, fun little heist film that succeeds in being entertaining, but doesn't quite reach the level to fully take your breath away. Set in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. The ilm centres around two young Japanese brothers, Eli and Nick Yaguchi (Theodor and Maxilmillian Aoki) who are aspiring young cellists who have hopes that their talent will soar them in the right direction. A local miscreant named Alexei Raduli (Dax Lough) forces the siblings to cancel their plans for the upcoming recital so that they can join them on a boisterous heist. Nick agrees to go along on the task, but Eli cleverly rebuffs. Eli fears that Nick is being led into the world of crime, tells him to completely break ties with Alexei and that their music should be their primary concentration. But when a lump some money mysteriously materializes, the young men find themselves in a predicament as they are now part of the underworld and their future is now suddenly put on hold.

Very high on entertainment, "Things I Do for Money" may have a heist element to add to the excitement, but the real genre is mostly coming-of-age as it concentrates on the supportive relationship between two brothers Eli and Nick and for an added bonus, they were performed by real-life brothers Theodor and Maximillian Aoki. In spite of them being real siblings, their chemistry is very effective and not one of them ever one-ups the other. It just makes everything feel organic in nature feeling that they know each very well (at least I hope they should). They seem to stand out for each other; whether they're fighting the mob or practicing their music, they always have each other's backs.

Like many heist films, the scene where the big heist comes into place, the camerawork is very fast-moving and can be very complex to film. Mostly due to the sudden rush in commiting the crime and the no hesitate policy that comes with it. The action must be spot-on in order for it to be effective. In addition the heist plan has to be undertaken in the more simplistic fashion just so that there is no confusion to what the viewers are witnessing. Also an effective heist scene needs a well-rounded twist as a way to effective catch their audience off guard. The film succeeds in accomplish both tactics thanks to the direction from Sonoda and his co-writer Gary R. D. Nolan.

The big flaw of this movie is when the script becomes to overwhelming in its own intentions. If they would have just concentrated on the heist scenes and the relationship between the siblings, this movie had potential to be really special. The problem is that it sadly becomes too involved with a myriad of subplots scattered around making it at times convoluted and confusing. With a cluster of mobsters and backstabbing dealings, the subplots here really don't add up at times. While the setting and the characters provide an intricate level of excitement, the movie just can't seem to piece the puzzle togeher fruitfully. Too bad because it's not everyday that two cellists collaborate to bring down an enitre mob.

There seems to be a rather unorthodox contradiction that intertwines within the realms of the Aoki family dynamics. Though the two brothers are organically gifted musicians, their family have strong connections to criminal activity. Eli tries to estrange himself from those connections and belives that the world of music is the career abmition he's willing to fulfill. And while Eli seem to have a very steady head over his shoulders, we know Nick isn't dumb, but seems pulled into the life crime due to the easy money made and Eli will do anything to persude Nick to turn away and reurn to side where they will make beautiful music together. And sure Eli might be trying his best to turn away from his criminally inclined family, their activities have them involved. And sure it draws a message of chasing your own dreams and following your own path of life, it still counteracts that acclaim that depending on family legacies are what really matters most. And sure it's fun to watch and has a lot of energy saturated in the script, it still sad that trying to escape a dreadful legacy can also mean embracing it as well.

While there is much to like about "Things I Do For Money" being that it's high in ambition, there's way too many characters and subplots to keep the narrative cohesive. While the intense atmosphere is omnipresent the whole time, it's not fully planned out methodically. In spite of its shortcomings, it's still original and entertaining enough for a fun night of heists and good cello music.