Hot Money

We in Australia have recently had quite a few British dramas focusing on women. There was that god-awful piece of crap "Footballer's Wives", and there was another one whose name escapes me now about some relatively glamorous women who stole some money.

Here, on the other hand, they are plain grey women, your "salt of the earth", who like some policemen, simply succumb to overwhelming temptation. You can't help but like them, to cheer them on. As usual, things start well and then turn to mud, but what would drama be without that?

The very ending, the last two minutes, is an excellent surprise. If indeed this is based on a true story (uhh, I don't always believe the producers when they say that), then it's quite a good one.

Caroline Quentin plays a cleaning lady who works in the Bank of England and has a plan to steal money from the incinerator where old notes are decommissioned. As is customary in heist dramas, things go well at first and then start to go awry. Despite the cliches of the genre, the direction and humour of this movie is refreshing and holds viewer attention well. Throughout the movie there is a subtle battle of the sexes going on. The cleaners have to outwit the male security guards while at the same time trying to keep their husbands under control. In general, the male characters don't come off too well from the encounter. It is all good natured though, rather like the comedy series Men Behaving Badly, in which Quentin also stars.

I watched this movie on TV (in Canada) because it's advertised storyline seemed to be the same as a currently playing movie, "Mad Money" (with Diane Keaton & Queen Latifah). It was much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. It is a real relief from all the super-hi-tech heist movies of today.

Some people deplore the depiction of crooks as heroes, but that's what heist movies do--make you cheer the bad guys and boo the good guys. If you don't want to do that, don't go. I think it just shows how easily we can change our view of good and bad. And this film does a masterful job. The characters are real, serious, funny, sympathetic.

Now, I can't wait to see "Mad Money" and compare the two: old & new, black/white & color, TV movie & screen movie, British & American.

Three low-level employees at the Royal Mint -- a couple of them cleaners -- figure out how to steal money that is scheduled to be destroyed.

It's based on the Loughton incinerator thefts, in which that very thing happened. It's an ITV movie, with a fine little cast, including Caroline Quentin as the ringleader, and Georgia McKenzie as one of her confederates. The copy I looked at wasn't very good -- it was derived from a taped version, and the colors were muddied, but it's a cleverly done piece of work.

Hot Money was essentially a star vehicle for Caroline Quentin at the time. It is a fictionalised version of the Loughton incinerator thefts between 1988 and 1992.

Quentin plays Bridget Watmore who takes a job as a cleaner after his middle management husband becomes unemployed. She works at the Bank of England's incinerator plant where used money is destroyed.

Along with fellow employees Liz Hoodless and Jackie Haggar who all have money troubles. They hatch a plan to steal the money by changing padlocks and stuff the money inside their underwear.

Trouble arises as they are flushed with cash and go on a spending spree. When they have low paid jobs. One of the husband's deposits the old money in a bank.

For something regarded as a victimless crime. It is all very affable. I think it wanted to be a lighthearted version of Widows. It was all rather bland.