Originally, Michael Caton-Jones was attached to direct the adaptation of the homonymous 1992 book by Andrew Davies, but left over creative differences.

Alan (Jared Harris) is a schoolteacher in London who also moonlights as a jazz disc jockey for a hospital PA system.

What Alan doesn't know is that Beatrice is an infamous thief known to the police as "B. Monkey" (named for her ability to break into anything) and the men she was arguing with were Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) a homosexual couple who are her partners in crime.

[5] Anita Gates of The New York Times had a mixed review of the film but thought highly of the actors: The best part of B. Monkey is reveling in the dark side of Rupert Everett.

Rupert Everett, drinking and drugging, destroying his chiseled good looks and recklessly putting his life in danger... which is where the second-best part of B. Monkey comes in: Jared Harris, who is becoming one of the most fascinating actors around.