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Mad Money (2008)
Director: Callie Khouri
Movie review
From Time Out New York
You know the economy is bad when a spoiled housewife like Bridget Cardigan (Keaton, playing the usual dithering Keaton character) has to take a job as a cleaning lady at the Federal Reserve. Why the Fed would hire her, however, is anybody’s guess, since she spends inordinate amounts of time mugging for the camera. But Keaton’s broad approach at least keeps things lively in this fair-to-middling comedy.
Crafty Bridget finds a hole in the security and devises a scheme to smuggle out money scheduled for destruction. It’s not theft, she explains to her husband (Danson), it’s recycling—a line that’s fairly typical of the mild laughs in Mad Money. To carry off her idea, Bridget enlists the help of two fellow employees. Space case Jackie (Holmes, who seems like an Ivy Leaguer pretending to be working-class) transports carts of worn-out cash around the building. Those tired bills get shredded by struggling single mom Nina (Latifah, the only person here who crafts a
real character).
The scheme is pretty ingenious, actually, and the pleasures of watching the caper unfold make up in part for the lazy characterization, clumsy script and uninspired direction. In legal terms, Mad Money isn’t a felony; it’s more like a misdemeanor.
Author: Hank Sartin
Time Out New York Issue 642: January 17-23
User reviews of this film
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- Les Molloy said...
- Posted on Apr 06 2008 00:45 Although Mad Money may not be a film you would change plans to see as something to watch at 16.45 hrs. when the sky is overcast but it's still 28 degrees outside you could do a lot worse. I quite like the way Keaton has aged herself out of the Woody Allen type casting and made films all about her. It is also refreshing to see the crooks getting away with something and The Feds not being so perfect as portrayed by most Hollywood films. I laughed a few times and I felt tense in one or two moments so, overall, worth the two stars I have given it.
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Cast & crew
Director: Callie Khouri
Cast: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Ted Danson, Katie Holmes, Adam Rothenberg, Stephen Root full cast
Duration: 104 mins
US Release: Jan 18 2008
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