THE MONEY MOVERS
Australia, 1979, 92 minutes, Colour.
Terence Donovan, Tony Bonner, Ed Devereaux, Bud Tingwell, Candy Raymond, Jeanie Drynan, Bryan Brown, Allen Cassell, Frank Wilson.
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
This is what people mean when they praise "professional film-making" - the technically efficient and creative blend of content and style. Taking material familiar from TV series and U.S. models, writer-director, Bruce Beresford (Barry Mc Kenzie. Don's Party, The Getting of Wisdom gives us a crime thriller that not only has pace, but has good performances and an attention to detail that commands our response. The world is that of Sydney security, insurance, police and criminals, both big time and small. It is also a world of unscrupulous violence that is presented here with its customary ugliness, some startling shocks, but generally that of our frequently screaming headlines. An interesting and exciting Australian thriller.
1. A good and efficient thriller? Its appeal? Interest as a thriller with authentic background, based on fact?
2. The Australian atmosphere and qualities of the film? In comparison with American examples of the crime-robbery thriller, In comparison with television series and episodes? The impact of action, static sequences combined with fast-paced sequences? The clarity of the plot, the Involvement of the audience, the sketching of the characters, the attention to authentic detail, violence and blood and gore?
3. The presentation of the Sydney scene, the Australian atmosphere, authentic atmosphere and locales, the security firms and the way that they worked, the way of life in a city with money, the police, security guards, officials? Contribution of colour, musical score?
4. The film said that it was based on facts. How plausible and authentic the film? The communication of information about security firms without giving too much to the audience or breaking security? How satisfying was the explanation of security? The presentation of the people involved in such work, criminals, the plausibility of the robberies and the plans, the motivations?
5. How well did the film sketch the background for the thriller? The pre-credits sequence of moving the money, the counting room, the amounts of money, the trucks, the drivers, security personnel? The presentation of the managerial staff, the bosses, the Union men? The background of insurance investigation and detection? The cumulative effect of such detail?
6. The title's focus on money - the amounts of money Involved, the visual presentation of such money, greed, robbery, the motivation for such large-scale and long-term plans? The theme of 'what doth it profit...?'
7. The impact of the initial robbery? The trucks, Union rules and lunch, the criminals and their swift presence, Martin and his discussion with the man selling meat (an indication of his looser attitudes and background in the police force?), the resistance to the robbers and the inevitable shooting at and violence, the death of the innocent bystander? The dramatic impact of the getaway and the irony of Dino and the other assassins shooting the robbers immediately and making off with the money for Henderson? The ugliness of such a world of crime?
8. The repercussions of this initial robbery for the plot - for the police and their involvement, the picture of the police investigations, hospital work etc.? Mr. Darcy and his running of the firm, his assessment of the situation? Conway and his attitudes and investigation and paying off Sam and getting extra information? The Welsh investigator and his work with the various men? The Jacksons and their long-term plan and having to move on it? Martin being alerted to security? The investigations within the firm, the tightening of security?
9. The role of Henderson and his gangsters as background for such robberies? Henderson's brutality in having the initial robbers killed? His character, cold, smug satisfaction? His use of such subordinates as Ernest? Thugs? The link with Sammy and the police, the exerting of pressure and exercise of power e.g. over the lie detector investigations? His tracking down the Jacksons? His using Erie Jackson? The importance of the torture sequence and the way this was presented - with the audience thinking they had seen the cutting off of the toe while not seeing it? His madness? His involvement in the plan, getting both Jacksons involved? His final graft and the blackmail in getting himself out of the fiasco? The Hendersons of this world still remaining in power at the end?
10. The character sketch of Darcy - the self-made man, the boss, the humorous irony of his saying prayers before his snack lunch, his efficiency, the cheeks? His employing of Mendel and her spying out people for him? His disregard of Sammy? His reliance on the Welsh investigator for understanding men? The clashes with Conway and his easygoing attitude? His presence at the funeral of the murdered guard? The fact that he could be under suspicion by the insurance agency? A portrait of an executive?
11. The portrait of the subordinate in Conway - his size easygoing manner, efficiency within the firm, the encounter with Sammy and the decisions about how much money held be paid, his attitude towards the Jacksons? His presence .at the end, comedy touches, being locked in with the beer?
12. The importance of the Welshman and his background in the police, the gradual indications of his homosexuality? His efficiency in his job, testing? His fascination for Eric Jackson and the rebuff? The repercussions of his violent shooting him at the end? The comment on the motives, efficiency, human feelings in this character?
13. The number of ex-police as personnel in security firms? The irony of Martin's weakness and yet his being framed by Sammy? Martin as hero and the vindication of his skill in his work?
14. The Jacksons and the Union man and their years of planning, their personalities, skill in their work, reputation? The fears, testing of their theories, apprehensions about Leo and Eric leading him into testing and violent situations? Eric killing the guard? The irony of the family background and Eric’s relationship with his wife and her love of her dog, the time away and providing him with an alibi? His brother and his work and the building of the van? The bonds between them? The Union man and his using the Unions and popular opinion for his own purposes? Eric and his spying on Leo, the bugging device, his being captured by Henderson and his efficient watchers? The torture sequence and his losing his toe? His bowing to Henderson's plans? The difficulty with the lie detector and its being taken away just In time? The build-up to the robbery itself, his performance in the robbery, the death and his being shot by the Welshman? His brother as part of the plan, different personality, almost getting away with it, being shot by Martin? The portrait of criminals? As persons and the exploration of their motives?
15. Martin as hero - framed by the police yet taking meat on the sly? Efficiency In his job, toughness at the first robbery defying of the Unions# friendship with Leo, alert at the finale, his handling of the situation and heroic death? An admirable hero for this rind of film?
16. Leo and the appearance of weakness, the background dossier, Eric and his roughing him up and Leos irony of finding out who was suspicious by this method? His being framed for the watchman's death? Was it credible that he should so take up with Mendel and explain everything to her - and the irony of the bugging device giving the information? His place in the firm, Sammy and the false suspicions? His presence In the truck with Martin at the end? His place in the violence, surviving? His writing the initial note to alert the firm and his position as an insurance Investigator? As hero for this kind of film?
17. How well did the film present to the audience the intricacies of the plots, the thieves clashing amongst themselves, the ugliness of Henderson's world with his professional thugs for shooting, the petty thieves with great. ambitions as with the Jacksons?
18. The presentation of Union meetings, the using of the Unions for criminals' own purposes and the men being gullible?
19. The final robbery - the audience knowing the plans, the pacing of the editing, the cross-cutting of people at the counting house, Darey and Mendel and their discovery, Conway and his presence, Henderson waiting The trucks, Erie in charge, the Union meeting, Eric's brother and his arrival? Why was there a failure when they were so close to success?
20. The ugliness of the ending and its reality? The story behind headlines of daily papers? A crime story? How did it reflect society and its values and patterns, heroics, sense of right and wrong, good and evil, justice?
