MAD MONEY
US, 2008, 104 minutes, Colour.
Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, Stephen Root, Christopher Mc Donald.
Directed by Callie Khouri.
This is a lighthearted caper film in the tradition of getting money to fulfil the American dream. This time it is ‘girl-power’ that gets the job done. Diane Keaton plays a wife and mother whose husband (Ted Danson) has been retrenched and they find they owe almost $300,000 debts. When she gets a job as a cleaner in the Reserve Bank, the area where old and tattered notes are shredded, she hatches a scheme to relieve the bank of many unwanted notes. She persuades single mother of three, Queen Latifah, who shreds the money, to join her and they recruit a scatty young woman (Katie Holmes) as the third member of their crew. And it works. They do have to incorporate a few others into their plan but…
It is amusing to watch how they do it right under the nose of their incessant supervisor (Stephen Root) and the women together are quite congenial. Except… Diane Keaton’s Brigid gets a taste for money and is never satisfied. Most of the money goes to themselves with practically nothing altruistic about their motives at all. They are no Robin Hoods. Which gives the proceedings something of a bitter taste: this is the self-centred American dream, the ultra-consumerist dream which does not scruple to get more and more money for me and my wants (not necessarily needs)
Director Callie Khouri won an Oscar for her screenplay for Thelma and Louise..
1.A popular comedy? A heist? The planning and the execution?
2.The moral perspective, the role of money, greed, consumerism? Some noble motivations for stealing? The momentum of greed, the lesson to be learnt? The end and everybody getting the money after all?
3.The title, the focus on cash, the worn notes, their being collected, destroyed? Supervision? The economy and the destruction of old notes?
4.The strong cast, light comedy, comic style, the focus on women and their activity? Perspectives?
5.Kansas, the homes and affluence, the neighbours, the poorer families, schools, caravan parks?
6.The structure of the film: people destroying the money, burning, escaping, running away? The interviews punctuating the film? Bridget and her escape? The investigation? The end?
7.Bridget and Don, Don as jobless, their lifestyle, age, their children absent, their social milieu, their friends, the bills? Having to sell the house, Bridget having to go to work, the range of interviews and suitability of jobs? Her finally accepting the job as a cleaner?
8.The world of the bank, the supervisor and his rigidity? The security guards, their chatting, flirting with the workers?
9.Nina, her work, friendly, her relationship with her children, Bridget approaching her, her initial reaction, the note about education, the schools, the discussions with Bridget, the conditions for joining?
10.Jacquie, the music, her dancing, talking, flighty, her intuitions – and being proven right? The test?
11.The execution of the plan, the results, using the money, not using it? Bridget and her lavish spending? Nina and her enrolling her children at the school? Jacquie and her boyfriend, the new caravan, the new bike?
12.The party, various suspicions? The officer and his presence at the party? The confrontation in the office? The supervisor and his declaring that there could be no crime? Checking? The discussions, the attempt at taking the money, the key, Bridget, the phone call, staying in the toilet, the message to Don, his going to Jacquie’s boyfriend? Throwing the key, getting the money?
13.Don, his initial reactions, not wanting the money, his changing of mind, the discussions, Jacquie and her boyfriend? His work at the abattoir? The decision to recruit the security guard, his living with his mother? His fondness for Nina?
14.The meetings at the diner, the owner and his help, the discussions, toasting the money?
15.The plan becoming undone, the arrests? The shredding of the notes, burning, the bomb going off in the caravan?
16.The lawyer, his friendship with Bridget and Don, his ideas, the deals? The issue of who would give information first and get immunity?
17.Nina and her children, their being taken from her? Jacquie and her getting immunity, giving it to Nina?
18.Bridget, her running away, going to the hotel, the money, the IRS, giving it up? The irony of her having the hoard at the diner? Their getting the money? Bridget and Don going to the Bahamas and setting up a bed and breakfast? Crime paying?
