The Postcard Bandit (film)

Infobox_Film
name = The Postcard Bandit


imdb_id = 0351576
writer = Peter Gawler
starring = Tom Long,
Brett Stiller,
Matthew Le Nevez
director = Tony Tilse
producer =
distributor =
released = 2003
runtime = 106 mins
language = English
music =
awards =
budget =

"The Postcard Bandit" is a 2003 Australian film loosely based on the life of convicted bank robber, Brenden Abbott.

Cast

*Tom Long as Brenden James Abbott
*Brett Stiller
*Matthew Le Nevez
*Geneviève Lemon
*Simon Burke
*Helen Dallimore
*Tasma Walton
*Anthony Phelan
*Michael Denkha
*David James
*Richard Piper
*Simon Maiden
*Mel Rogan
*Annie Byron
*Kirk Beattie
*Yutaka Izumihara
*Rob Steele
*Martin Broome
*Ian Bliss
*James Reyne
*Steve Rodgers
*Ned Manning
*Morgan O'Neill
*Rudi Baker
*Andrea Leon
*Anthony Jensen.
*Lindsay Moss
*Felicity Price
*Madison Orr

Plot

The Postcard Bandit, a 2003 telemovie, tells the story of Brenden James Abbott, colloquially known as The Postcard Bandit. Released on DVD in 2005, the movie begins with Breden Abbott (Tom Long) on the run with fellow crim Aaron Reynolds, having just busted out of Fremantle prison together. The pair rob banks together across the country, before Abbott decides its time to live the high life for a while. To avoid suspicion the two travel the country with a Japanese tourist, and during this trip Abbott tells Reynolds he is giving him the flick. Reynolds tells Abbott "you won't last a week without me", but it is Reynolds who is arrested some four weeks later.

While on the Gold Coast, Brenden meets the future mother of his only son William. Soon after Abbott decides to get back into robbing banks, to feed his extravigant lifestyle. Abbott is connected with a driver, whom his brother Glen has arranged for him to meet. Glen Abbott is still upset with his brother for leaving him behind in Fremantle Jail and gives the driver a message for Brenden "why'd you leave me behind?". Abbott uses the man as assistant to rob a Perth bank, going in through the roof and breaking his ankle in the process.

Abbott returns to the Gold Coast, only to learn that his lover has become pregnant with his first and only child. She is suspicious about the fact that he has a broken ankle, but this is quickly forgotten when she is presented with a Rolex watch. Soon after Abbott decides to again look for a new partner, upon leaving, his lover again raises her suspicion about his line of work, presenting a balaclava she found in his bag. Abbott tells her nothing other than to return the balaclava to where it was found, before leaving angrily. While on the run, his lover has the child and she learns the true identity of "Peter", Brenden James Abbott.

Abbott begins seeing a prostitute, who gets a rush off driving fast cars. Abbott asks her is she wants a real rush, and uses her as his getaway driver for his next few robberies. Soon after Abbott decides to team up with his brother Glen, which he knows will upset his mother. Glen proves to be a loose cannon and while they successfully rob a number of banks, Brenden soons decides to cut his younger brother loose. He informs Glen telling him he will still need his services in obtaining guns and fake ID's, but will no longer rob banks with him. Glen is upset telling his brother that he is" no good on me own", he punches Brenden before the pair go their separate ways.

Soon after Glen is detained and due to possession of a number of illegal weapons he is forced to give up something on his brothers whereabouts. He gives the police the number of a pager used to contact Brenden Abbott, which is traced back to a post office box on the gold coast. Brenden Abbott is about to walk out on his current lover, when a few mintues later he is arrested on the street in Surfers Paradise. Abbott is sent to a Brisbane Maximum Security prison, where he befriends a small time crim and plots escape with 4 other violent criminals. The petty crim is due for release some four weeks later, so Abbott plots to use the man as a getaway driver for his planned escape.

On the day of the prison break a female visitor gives one of the prisoners some razor wire which has been concealed in her vagina. The crims use the wire to escape their cells and run to the pison fence, where they are met by the other released criminal. He throws a set of bolt cutters over the fence and shoots at the guards who come near the escaping prisoners. A perimeter patrol vehicle is also disable by the mans gunfire when Abbott instructs him to "aim for the battery". The group escapes in an awaiting vehicle which the man had driven to the prison. Soon after the other 4 escapee's are detained while Abbott and the petty crim manage to avoid custody.

Abbott is concerned that his new partner is using drugs, but the man denies he is and Abbott feeling that he owes the man decides to stay by his side. The pair rob a number of banks including his most notorious robbery, netting some $800,000 from the Commonwealth Bank at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast. Abbotts partner soon is the target of a manhunt, after killing two police officers during a failed drug deal. He goes back to Abbott distraught at his actions and the two escape to Darwin, where they remain for some time. While walking down the street one day, Abbott returns a cricket ball to a child (Kirk Beattie) who has hit the ball in front of him. The boys father see's Abbott doing so and he turns out to be a police officer who recognises the crim. Soon after Abbott is caught and sent to jail again in Queesland, with a large sum of money still unaccounted for. Abbott meets his son while in jail and encourages the boy to play hard in cricket, with Brenden himself being a keen Mark Waugh fan. The movie ends with Abbott still in jail a now ageing man, who has lost the edge which he once held as Australia's Most Wanted man.