Mad Money

I was expecting to start watching this movie then switch it off. Yes my expectations were low. However this little movie was great, not great art but a great pleasure to watch. I am no fan of any of the three leading actresses but they made this a joy to watch. Ted Danson (who I could never warm to in Cheers) impresses me with his timing and (in Damages) his acting talent. The story is simply told and is absorbing, entertaining and (unusually for a modern comedy) funny. Not uproariously but it made me smile on many occasions. The viewer cares about the characters and what happens to them and that is a testament to the writing and direction. It is not the best comedy I have ever seen nor the best heist movie but the sum is greater than the parts. Keaton was very good and Queen Latifah was terrific support. I recommend this for a pleasant way to pass an hour or so.

An Oscar winning actress (Keaton), an Oscar nominated actress (Latifah), and the current spouse of an Oscar nominated actor (Holmes) shine in this delightful comedy/crime film as three employees of a federal reserve who plot to steal a large sum of disposable cash. This is a simple movie, nothing more nothing less. It offers inconsistent and infrequent laughs, while providing a thrill to the audience. Though I am not familiar with director Callie Khouri who apparently won an Oscar, the cast of this movie was compelling, from Diane Keaton to Ted Danson, from Katie Holmes to Queen Latifah. A renowned cast saved this film from being a total disaster with a witty and fitting performance. As far as the content of the movie It is nothing more than what a regular movie goer might expect it to be. A heist gone bad, but with no blood and violence....Just plain comedy. However, this is an unusual idea for a movie, because I am sure it would not be attempted in real life, and even if it is, I am positive that the schemers will not get that far.. A nice and enjoyable film worth seeing.

Bridget (Diane Keaton) is a gracious matron with a lovely home. Yet, her world turns upside-down when her husband (Ted Danson) loses his job. Suddenly, bills are piling up and there is no solution in sight. Needing to maintain her lifestyle, Bridget takes a job as a custodial worker for the local branch of the federal mint. Now, she has the health care coverage she needs and the means to pay her creditors. But, she wants more, especially considering the menial tasks she is asked to perform and the smug attitude of the mint's bossman. Being a tough and smart cookie, Bridget hatches an elaborate plot to help herself to some of the worn-out bills that are headed for the shredder. But, in order for the scheme to work, she needs the aid of Nina (Queen Latifah), who operates one of the shredders, and Jackie (Katie Holmes), whose task it is to transport the cart of paper money to and fro. They agree, after some initial reluctance, to become Bridget's partners in crime, for Nina wants to send her two little boys to a fine school and Jackie has a need for some excitement. But, will they really be able to pull one over on the Feds? This is really a fairly funny movie, with a great plot and a nice cast. Keaton, especially, is fabulous as the conniving, high maintenance housewife and the Queen is equally wonderful as a single mother with big dreams. Danson, Christopher McDonald and the lesser players are fine, too. Only Holmes strikes a flat note, as her Jackie is rather forgettable. Since Katie has shown she is a fine actress (see Pieces of April or Abandon), one can only conclude that the director failed her miserably. Then, too, she sports an awful hair style and terrible costumes throughout the film as well. This is most odd, for Keaton and Latifah look great. Although the sets are not noteworthy, they are certainly adequate, as is the look of the film. If you have heard that this film is a bomb, don't believe it. While it may not be a masterpiece, it definitely has its funny moments and zany charm, more than enough, in fact, to make it a worthwhile watch.

Gabrielle Burton's Manna from Heaven (2002) is a cloying bit of larceny about old folks who pull a heist, so to speak. As bad as that allegedly funny comic caper is, Callie Khouri directs a caper headed by old folk Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton) that makes Manna look smart. Mad Money, about three chicks who rip off the Federal Reserve, is a bankrupt comedy for which there was not a laugh for over an hour, and that's with an audience at a sneak preview, one of the easier groups to please.

Diane Keaton shows no comedic skills beyond the lines Woody Allen has given her in previous movies long ago; Queen Latifa as single mama Nina Brewster has no range beyond the broad beam of her smile and her bod; Katie Holmes as daffy Jackie Truman is a much more successful wife of Tom Cruise. The only one with half-way funny lines is Ted Danson as Don Cardigan, but his perfect white-haired, brush-cut hairpiece distracts from his delivery.

Mad Money appears in early January, an infamous graveyard for films studios know flat-out won't be successful but distribute to satisfy investors and actors that the film actually played theaters. I hope this film makes them money across the seas because stateside it would take a serious heist to make any money for this felonious assault on even the notoriously easy American audience.

Ignore the IMDb Bad Reviews! I am really starting to doubt the endorsements from the IMDb Users not to mention the blatant lack of taste and inability to discriminate. The casting is 100% on point. The Queen, Keaton, and Holmes form a perfect modern day, realistic Stooges routine, portraying regular people in a struggle we all go thru: MONEY! Danson was as equally hysterical as Keaton's husband. I don't think they could have cast different actors and achieved the same magic.

It's smart, funny, and the plot is something that every viewer can completely related to and dream about. Don't miss out on this little gem!