by Jason Daniel Baker

Created on: July 25, 2008

Mad Money (2008) Starring Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes, Queen Latifah, Ted Danson, Stephen Root, Chris MacDonald.

Directed by Callie Khouri.

Runtime: 104 minutes.

Rating: PG-13 (Coarse Language)

"They say money can't buy happiness. But it sure as hell can buy everything else"

Suddenly broke after years living beyond their means, an upper middle class couple (Keaton and Danson) is forced to sell their home. The wife (Keaton) who kept house (supervised a maid and co-ordinated a social schedule really) for most of her life manages to get a custodial job at the U.S. federal bank. Once there she hatches a scheme to expropriate massive amounts of bills destined to be shredded.

With two other employees (Latifah and Holmes) who are also in less than ideal economic straits they loot the bank over several months and have a terrific time doing it. We do too even though we are just watching because It is romantic in the most cynical kind of way.

Working stiffs can be captivated because many of them are sick of waiting for their own slice of the American dream to materialise. In moments of daring rebellion we see the lovably desperate characters here snatch a big piece for themselves, then escape into the night. Will they beat the system and then live happily every after? We hope they will.

Keeping the economic downturn of today in mind a lot of people have been fired and turned out of their homes not necessarily in that order. There has got to be some resentment doesn't there? Not everyone is simply going to blame the economy and swallow indignity. Few people are going to pity the U.S. treasury or the free market system. I assure you that people will love the free market infinitley more when they actually benefit from it.

Where is the morality? In this economic downturn where is it anywhere? Where was it before? Billions have been stolen by corporate criminals in the very recent past and many of them have been charged and convicted (don't worry it was mostly the nouveau riche). One wonders if Savile Row will come out with a line of orange prison jumpsuits in the near future. My sense is that with their knowledge of fabrics and tones they could come up with something both trendy and comfortable.

I don't know much about banking but I do know many of the reasons currency carries serial numbers. One reason has to be to identify the authenticity of each bill, yeah? So the federal treasury just indiscriminantly shreds money without taking note of the serial numbers of each bill? I VERY much doubt that. This film doesn't deal with that in any real way nor does it suggest any moral resistance whatsoever from anyone. But the production itself is just too entertaining to dwell on something like that as significant a fact as it should theoretically be. Close examination can ruin the mystique of almost anything.

Character actor Stephen Root appears again in one of dozens of performances on TV and feature film he gave before anyone ever took notice. If you want to know what a real actor it is this guy. He becomes every character he plays where you just accept it and forget it is a performance. He is so convincing and blends in so well that people remember the characters he plays and not the actor even with the whimsical edge his prescence adds.

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