Director Robert Connolly’s sympathy for characters who feel they’re trapped in economies rather than living in societies gets another workout in Three Dollars. A much darker movie than his crowd-pleasing debut The Bank (2001), the new film is still far from humourless. An intimate drama of a family man recalling happier times while contemplating a bleak future, this adaptation of Elliot Perlman’s 1998 novel tackles some weighty themes, but its essential humanism still strikes chords. Eddie (David Wenham) is a clear-cut all round nice guy who, at the age of 38, finds himself with a wife (Frances O’Connor), a child, a childhood love (Sarah Wynter) and three dollars. Fired from his corporate job for being too honest and principled, Eddie discovers the fragile line between financial security and poverty. The film provides some biting comments on Australian society at a time when corporate greed seems to trample over the interests of the ordinary, decent person. Like The Bank, Three Dollars proves that Connolly can make a film that speaks to Australia’s political sensibilities and make it into a cracking good yarn as well.