Counterfeiting in Suburbia

I don't know why so many people post negative reviews which are unduly harsh on this website.

Anyway, I saw this and I thought it was pretty damn good! The acting was actually good and the movie kept me interested throughout.

It also starred Sarah Butler, who is always fantastic!

8/10.

Take Mad Money (2008), which isn't exactly a masterpiece, dilute its plot with gallons of water and you'll be left with something resembling this film.

Stereotypical, one-dimensional characters, a strange plot that's disjointed at best (and bizarre at worst) with a cookie cutter story of good guys dealing with financial woes and venturing into a life of crime to pay back the loan sharks (and banks).

And, of course, throw in a character who's there merely for the adrenaline rush. Just to spice things up a tad bit.

The reason I'm giving it 3/10 is because, at the very least, it wasn't exactly unwatchable. Probably because counterfeiting is something I've fantasized about as a cash strapped kid.

I try to judge these TV movies, especially the ones shown on Hallmark and Lifetime, on a curve. After all, they aren't even in the same universe as the movies from Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, and a dozen other current and past filmmakers I could name. They are formulaic, aimed to meet specific audience expectations, and almost always follow a similar pattern.

Even grading on a scale, this one is especially bad. It started out with an interesting premise, but went downhill faster than a bobsled. No one noticed the bills all had the same serial numbers? Inept Secret Service agents that can't catch a high school girl - twice? No backup? I don't like reviews with spoilers, so I'll stop there with mentioning the things that were just wrong with the plot. Most especially, the last half hour or so, and the totally unrealistic ending, really had me shaking my head. I can suspend disbelief happily with some movies, but this one stretched by ability to do so beyond the breaking point.

I've long ago learned that when you see a move that claims to be "based on true events" or "inspired by true events", what you are really going to see is complete fiction. That had to be the case here. I would guess that somewhere some high school students tried to make counterfeit money. That would be where any similarity between reality and this movie ended.

I am curious about one thing, though. Why does Lifetime keep changing the titles of movies? This was "Counterfeiting in Suburbia" when it was originally released. Lifetime recently replayed it under the title "Deadly Transaction". That title change thing has happened with quite a few of the movies they have shown recently, with movies that are a couple of years or more older. Why do they do that?

This movie is something that would be good at your 14 year old daughter's sleepover. The two main characters are pretty static and predictable but the antagonists and supporting characters are entertaining especially near the end. The acting depicts teenagers how a 12-14 year old would think of teenagers which would explain why older people are less entertained. Not unlike the depiction of teenagers in riverdale. Also bonus points for attractive people.

We saw this last night under the title Deadly Transaction. Riley and Erica are NOT your typical high schoolers. They print counterfeit money and spend it lavishly. The movie stars Sarah Butler who always does a great job as the relative who discovers their secret as well as their lowlife art teacher who has an unpaid debt. He also discovers their secret. What happens next? Tune in to find. out Only thing that was missing is HOW the high schoolers got involved with this life of crime? Definitely would watch again.