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British
comedian Eddie Izzard brings his raffish charisma to The Riches,
a sneaky satirical drama about a family of con artists who lie their
way into a wealthy gated community. Wayne and Dahlia Malloy (Izzard
and Minnie Driver) are travelers--a kind of American gypsies--who
get in trouble with their clan and have to hit the road with their
three kids (Shannon Woodward, Noel Fisher and Aidan Mitchell). When
a confrontation with other travelers causes a deadly car accident,
the Malloys take over the dead couple's brand-new home--a mansion
bought over the Internet--and assume the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Rich.
The premise stretches plausibility, but that's part of the fun; any
successful con game forces the mark to accept something absurd,
because why would anyone tell such a preposterous lie? The pleasure
of trickery drives the show. Wayne weasels his way into a job as
lawyer to an obnoxious real estate developer; Dahlia persuades a
private school to admit her kids after the admission deadline; and
the kids find their skills serve them well in the surface-obsessed
suburban world. |
