For Love or Money (a.k.a. The Revenger: An Unromantic Comedy) is a 2019 British romantic comedy film directed by Mark Murphy, starring Robert Kazinsky and Samantha Barks.
Contents
Plot
Mark, a socially awkward but successful entrepreneur, has been infatuated with Connie since their school days. The two reconnect years later at the funeral of Connie’s boyfriend. Despite Mark’s attempts to remind her of their shared history, Connie has no memory of him. Before leaving, Mark gives her his business card.
The card is seen by Johnny, a former classmate, who discovers that Mark’s tech start-up is about to be acquired for £20 million. Seeing an opportunity, Johnny convinces Connie to seduce Mark, marry him, and then divorce him to claim half of his fortune. Connie successfully charms Mark, leading to a whirlwind engagement and her moving into his home.
However, the scheme unravels when Mark sees incriminating text messages between Connie and Johnny. He also finds out that Connie and Johnny were sleeping together. Devastated, Mark enlists the help of his roommate Tim and Connie’s estranged former best friend, Kendra - who holds a grudge after Connie slept with her fiancé. Together, they hatch a counter-plan to make Connie’s life a misery. They subject Connie to a series of escalating pranks and humiliations, including replacing her shampoo with hair removal cream, staging public embarrassments and forcing her to choose an undersized green child’s bridesmaid dress for their wedding.
Despite the psychological warfare, Connie remains steadfast, driven by Johnny's pressure and the promise of the payout. On the wedding day, however, Connie discovers an old, heartfelt poem Mark wrote for her when they were children. Overcome with genuine guilt and a change of heart, she arrives at the altar wearing the green dress but stops the ceremony. She confesses that she knows about his wealth and intended to con him.
Mark reveals that he has known about her plan for a long time but was willing to go through with the marriage because his love for her was real. Though they decide to part ways, the film ends with a voiceover from Mark, expressing optimism that he will eventually win her over now that their relationship is finally based on the truth.
Cast
Robert Kazinsky as Mark
Samantha Barks as Connie
Ed Speleers as Johnny, a childhood schoolmate of both Mark and Connie
Rachel Hurd-Wood as Kendra, Connie's former best friend
Tony Way as Tim, Mark's roommate
Ivan Kaye as Patrick, Connie's father
Anna Chancellor as Carol, Connie's mother
Tanya Reynolds as Alexa, Connie's Sister
David Hargreaves as Priest
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 10 reviews. Frazer MacDonald from Film Inquiry called it a "A bare-bones, functional comedy", while Tori Brazier from Flickering Myth gave it a rating of 3 stars.