“Money Talk$” Introduces Tony Mucci Via 33-Minute Short

The short “Money Talk$” boasts an impressive cast and is helmed by Director/Writer Tony Mucci, who has 33 directing credits for music videos. The director’s full name is Anthony Scaramucci, Jr.  If you wondered if he was the son of “the Mooch” (who was infamously fired in 2017 after a very brief stint working for DJT), yes, he is. For someone who is only 25, having 33 directing credits  is very impressive. Tony Mucci directed music videos for artists like Lil Wayne, Travis Barker, Lil Uzi Vert, Juice WRLD, Machine Gun Kelly, Justin Bieber and Drake, and worked in the visual effects and motion capture department at Activision on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. He co-wrote the script for “Money Talk$” with David Mazouz.

PLOT

At the center of this 33-minute film is a $100 bill, passed hand-to-hand through a web of strangers.  My reaction: condense the number of strangers. There are too many of them for a 33-minute film. When you have access to young actors who are so experienced, it is probably tough to eliminate or pare down their parts.

The log line is: “On the day of Reagan’s inauguration, a $100 bill travels through the underbelly of 1981 New York City.” We actually hear a snippet of Reagan, speaking on a television screen, saying, “Those that say we are in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.”

THEME

“Money Talk$” examines the impact of money and how it reveals character. Young Tony Mucci’s father (Anthony Scaramucci, Sr.) had this to say about money ( New York magazine , January 23). “The thing I have learned about these people in Washington is they have no money. So what happens when they have no fucking money is they write about what seat they are in and what the title is. Fucking congressmen act like that. They are fucking jackasses.”

Tony Mucci’s (Anthony Scaramucci, Jr.’s) take on money, as scripted in this 33 minute short is this: “Nothing reveals one’s true character quite like money.” The script adds, “When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.” Young Tony plays the cashier in one small scene involving 8-year-old Benjy (Jaxon Grundleger) buying toys of the era. The stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold (Natalie Shinnick) reveals her good-heartedness. Another encounter shows a cold-hearted opportunist taking advantage of a wounded war veteran.

THE GOOD

Music

The music is great, beginning with the title track and also in the scene set in a stripper bar. The original score was composed by Andrew Luce with sound design by Thomas Jovon Nielsen; the music is top-notch, which speaks to the director’s previous work. There are multiple musical artists involved. So, music: A+.

Cinematography

The moody lighting in alley sequences, with smoke filling the frame, as well as the instances when a camera shot was looking up (kudos to cinematographer Cory Burmeister) were excellent and interesting choices. One such shot is of 8-year-old Benjy (Jaxon Grundleger) purchasing toys of the era in Tony’s Toy Store. Another such camera vantage point  was to have Iris lying on her back onstage, looking up at an admirer. Then there was the $100 bill that ties the entire short together, tucked into Iris’ s bosom as she leaves the stage—also a good choice.

So, music and sound: great. Cinematography: good. Set decoration:  excellent. How about the story?

THEME

The idea of a $100 bill that moves through the city and unites disparate characters in 1981 New York City was a good one. Back when phone booths were a thing (remember phone booths?), I once had the idea for a screenplay that would use a phone booth as the unifying device in a plot joining diverse characters. The $100 bill that initially flies out the window of a moving cab is that creative unifying device. There were too many people to substantially develop any of them satisfactorily in such a short time.

Some—like Francesca Scorsese’s opening sequence where she is the first to lose the bill–seem gratuitous and shoe-horned in. (Francesca, billed as “damsel in distress” is dressed in a luxurious white mink coat and expensive jewelry, so why the cabbie would think she wouldn’t be able to pay him once they reached her destination puzzled me. Francesca’s initial appearance as the individual who loses the bill out the window was one of the weakest of the many included in the 33-minute video, not because of her acting, but because of the logic of the situation, coupled with her lavish attire. The obnoxious cab driver did not seem very logical in his handling of the situation.)

“Money Talk$” won the Producer award at 2025’s HollyShorts Film Festival for David Mazouz, Tony Mucci, Scott Aharoni and Bryan Schmier. It’s easy to see why the producers won when you see the quality of the cast assembled.

CAST

The film features an outstanding ensemble cast, including David Mazouz (Gotham), Zolee Griggs (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Ethan Cutkosky (Shameless), Fredro Starr D.C. (The Wire), Francesca Scorsese (We Are Who We Are), Bo Dietl (Goodfellas), George Denoto (The Last Airbender), Golden Landis Von Jones (rapper/singer 24kGoldn), Swoosh God (rapper), Sean Pertwee (Gotham), Tyler Senerchia AKA “Hook” (professional wrestler), Natalie Shinnick (The Brutalist), Claudia Robinson (Severance), Alexander Khait (Sneaky Pete), and Jaxon Cain (Broadway). It’s a “Who’s Who” of shorts participation. Most shorts are lucky to get one big name star; this one may have too many for the short time span.

Tony Mucci serves as the film’s director, writer, producer, and lead actor (cashier scene).  David Mazouz is also a co-writer and producer. A Stanford University graduate, Mazouz has worked in development at Disney and is best known for his role as young Bruce Wayne in Gotham.

The film also boasts the involvement of Scott Aharoni, an award-winning producer and director whose films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and beyond. One of his short films was shortlisted for Best Live Action Short at the 94th Academy Awards. His most recent feature, starring Steve Buscemi, John Magaro, and Britt Lower, won the Audience Choice Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and is now available on Apple TV and Amazon

THE BAD

From the first shots of the “damsel in distress” (Francesca Scorsese) losing the $100 bill out the window of a cab  the phrase “Nepo baby” surfaced, unbidden, to my Midwestern brain. There are so many well-known names and experienced actors in this one; I can’t think of any other 33-minute short that had this kind of star power available to a first-time shorts director.  I recognized Ethan Cutkosky from “Shameless,” who played Karl Gallagher  (the young troublemaker) for 10 years and 134 episodes. Cutkosky was just the beginning of a bevy of accomplished and experienced young actors, a true embarrassment of riches. All of the participants are pros, either as actors or as musicians. I found photos of many of the cast, but the only photo of Anthony (Tony) Mucci, (wearing a jacket labeled Louis Vuitton) was not able to be copied. (Yes, he resembles his father,)

CONCLUSION

Actors are only as good as their scripted material. If there isn’t compelling conflict and intensity and an absorbing story on the page, it won’t show up onscreen. You can have a gorgeously photographed film with great music that simply fails to engage. Some of the encounters in “Money Talk$” worked; some did not. The number of encounters in “Money Talk$” needed to be pared down.

For me, while all of the actors acted with confidence, the story wasn’t as compelling as the cinematography, music, set direction, or the expert grounding in the  toys and cultural touchstones of 1981. A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The weakest thing about this project, for me, was the flimsy somewhat bloated and meandering story-line. After a great opening that grabs you via the music, “Money Talk$” is a stylish, polished 33 minute short that showcases style over substance.

As a directing debut for Tony Mucci after his earlier work in music videos, it was a great kick-off short film. He’s not the only director to get his start doing music videos. Last year’s “Dream Scenario” (Nicolas Cage), one of the most creative films of 2023, was directed by a 40-year-old Norwegian director, Kristoffer Borgli, who began by directing skateboard and music videos and commercials.

Shorts are where most great directors  begin. This short shows great promise. Pair Tony Mucci with a writer as accomplished as his cast  and  he will not disappoint. I get the feeling that he will be working on features soon