Set It Off Movie Review

Stony (Jada Pinkett), Cleo (Queen Latifah), single mom Tisean (newcomer Kimberly Elise), and bank teller Frankie (Vivica Fox) have shared similar miserable experiences with bosses, boyfriends, and the police. They decide to team up and pursue a life of crime by robbing banks. Their internal friction is complicated by the constant threat of the police, as well as banker Keith's (Blair Underwood) attraction to one of the women. Well acted by the four leads, but reviewers have learned to watch out for movies about robbing banks where the director says stuff in the press kits like “This movie is not about robbing banks, it's about personal sacrifice and commitment to friendship…robbing banks is a means to an end.” As opposed to all those other movies where robbing banks is what? NOT a means to an end?

1996 (R) 121m/C Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, John C. McGinley, Anna Maria Horsford, Ella Joyce, Charles Robinson, Chaz Lamas Shepard, Vincent Baum, Van Baum, Tom Byrd, Samantha MacLachlan; D: F. Gary Gray; W: Kate Lanier, Takashi Bufford; C: Marc Reshovsky; M: Christopher Young. Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘97: Best Supporting Actress (Queen Latifah). VHS