SET IT OFF__

US, 1996, 121 minutes, Colour.
Jada Pinkett, Vivica A Fox, Queen Latifah, Blair Underwood, John C. Mc Ginley.
Directed by F. Gary Gray.

Set if Off is an action and psychological thriller devised for American black audiences. It is also designed for women's audiences. It focuses on four women, victims of society in different ways, who band together to perform bank robberies - successfully and then, ultimately, with tragic results.

The screenplay is by Kate Lanier and Takashi Bufford and directed by F. Gary Gray (who directed the comedy thriller Friday with Ice Cube). The film has a very strong cast, especially the four women. Jada Pinkett (The Nutty Professor) is the central character, Stony. Rap artist Queen Latifah (who has the opportunity to sing some rap songs) is the strong Cleo (who gets a death scene reminiscent of Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde). The other actresses are Viveca A. Fox and Kimberley Elise. John C. Mc Ginley is the detective and Blair Underwood has the role as a top bank executive.

The film focuses on the four women and their situations, reminiscent of Waiting to Exhale with its portrait of female friendship. However, it then moves into action which is somewhat reminiscent of the issues in Thelma and Louise. With the psychological and social background, it makes the performance of the robberies more forceful.

There are some very strong action sequences. While the film had great impact in the United States, especially with black women audiences, the characterisations and themes are sufficiently universal to make it of worldwide interest.

1. Action drama? Psychological drama? The blend of portraits of people in social difficulties edged into crime? The film as a police thriller?

2. The Los Angeles background, the city itself, the environment for each of the four characters, homes, workplaces? The police precincts? The action sequences, the robberies and the chases? The musical score? The songs, the rap music creating atmosphere?

3. The title and its focus on the women, their plight, their action?

4. The film designed for black audiences? Identifying with the characters? The experience of injustice? The dominating white world of Los Angeles, of big business, of banking, of the police? The bonds between the women - `sisters'? The parallel with male bonding films? With black action male bonding?

5. The introduction to the four women and their situations? Frankie - her working in the bank, the hold-up, her recognising one of the thieves, the discussions with management, her being fired? Her sense of loyalty to the neighbourhood? Stony and her work, the cleaning company, wanting to get money for her brother, her aims for him to get an education, his being involved in criminal action? His death? Tisean and being a single mother, the hardships with her child, the environment in which she lived? Cleo and her tough attitudes, her relationships, her work with the cleaners? Sufficient personal and psychological background to understand the women, to identify with them, to believe that they would work together for the robberies?

6. Detective Strode, the investigation of the bank robbery? Suspicions of Frankie? The shoot-out and the accidental killing of Stony's brother?

7. Tisean and her son, poisoned, being rushed to the hospital, her anxiety? The social authorities and the decision to take her son away from her?

8. The work at the cleaners, their friendship, working together? The men at the business? Luther and his harassment? The use of the building to hide the money after the robberies?

9. The planning of the robberies? The discussions together? Going to the banks, checking them out, the plans and the detail? Tisean and her backing out? The execution of the robbery and its success? The decision to rob the second bank? The getaway, the police chase? Hiding the money in the building (and its being taken - and stolen by Luther)?

10. The reaction to the disappearance of the money? Going to find Luther, in the hotel, the prostitute? His pulling a gun - and Tisean shooting him?

11. Their lack of financial success? The decision to rob another bank? Stony and her relationship with Keith? Choosing his bank? The elaborate plans to send him a message, get him out of the way? The raiding of the bank? Strode and his team arriving? The robbery and the shootout? Tisean and her being shot? Her dying in the getaway car? The helicopter pursuing them? The chase, trapped in the traffic tunnel? Cleo going to the ambush, her being dramatically shot? Frankie and the confrontation with Strode? Her attempt to run, her being shot? Stony and her escape, going on to the Mexican bus? Going past the scene, watching Frankie die? Strode seeing her - and letting her go off in the bus?

12. Frankie, her character, the opportunities in the bank, the injustice of her being fired? Her clashes with the detective? The bonds with the women? The decision to rob the bank? Her death?

13. Tisean, her child, the cleaning job, the decision to rob the bank, her getting a fright, pulling out? The irony of her shooting Luther? The pathos of her death?

14. Cleo, a big woman, tough? Her girlfriends and her relationships? Her work? The confrontation with Luther? Her decision to save the other women and her being shot?

15. Stony as the central character, audiences identifying with her? Her trying to educate her brother, the sadness of his death? Her motivation for doing the robberies? The meeting with Keith, her false persona, going out with him, the dress, the dinners, being invited into his world? Her deceiving him? Luring him away from the bank, the robbery? Her being allowed to escape?

16. Detective Strode, doing his job, the accidental killing of Stony's brother? The pursuit, the questions, suspicions? Going to the bank, the shootout? His reasons for letting Stony go?

17. Keith, upwardly mobile, his job at the bank, executive status? The attraction to Stony, the relationship with her? His believing her story? Transforming her and taking her to the society gatherings? His being used by Stony?

18. The popular ingredients of the action thriller - and the twists because of the women, African American women, the Thelma and Louise tradition in American films of the '90s? Social comment?