EASY MONEY/ SNABBA CASH
Sweden, 2010, 124 minutes, Colour.
Joel Kinnaman, Matias Varela, Dragomir Mrsic.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa.
Easy Money is the first in the trilogy about a young man, from a poorer background, who studies at University becomes involved in taxi driving to make ends meet but also in the shady work of the foreign-born taxidrivers.
This involvement in criminal activity leads to his further corruption, eagerness to get money, tangling with Serbs, especially a criminal with a daughter, and the possibility of a killing. Also involved in the plot is a criminal of Spanish origin who escapes from jail, goes back to meet his pregnant sister, and who also gets entangled with the Serb gangs and their leader.
However, the hero is inventive, with a business sense, and draws on his association with upper-class weeds, attracted to one of the sisters, proposing financial operations – which all go sour tea in the Serb find themselves in prison together.
These characters come together in the second film, Easy Money 2.
1. An interesting crime story? The first in the trilogy?
2. The Swedish settings, the city, the world of the wealthy and society, immigrant criminal gangs, garages, taxis, banks, prison?
3. Action sequences, car chases? Shootouts?
4. The title, JW and his ambitions, studies, schemes, the bank, driving and putting up Jorge, again clashes, overreaching himself, the contact with the
Serbians, capture and prison?
5. JW as a character, his age, experience, from the country, family background? Studies? Jobs, driving? The Arabs and their links? His work with them, being paid for putting up Jorge? The bond with him? High society, students, his friends, Sophie and the bond with her, the relationship? His being looked down on, yet invited to parties? Information about the banks? His studies, finance, accounting? His suggestion about buying the bank, negotiating? His skills? Being welcomed? The contact with the Serbians, with Mrado, his daughter? Being caught in the crossfire between the gangs, his options? In prison, with Mrado?
6. The opening in the prison, the inmates, organising his escape, over the fence, picked up in the car, running into the woods, going to see his sister, her pregnancy, her husband returning and ousting him? His mother? His links with the gangs? Their hiding him His sister and the child? His being in danger, the pursuit?
7. The Serbian gangs, migrants, their hold, in Sweden, links, drugs, money, violence?
8. The role of Mrado, in the gang, his violence? His daughter, taking her out, his delight in her, the drive? The shootings, shielding her? The pressure on him from the gang? The personalities and the pressures, contacts, plans?
9. His being wounded, taken?
10. JW and himself in prison, sharing their experience – and their future?
