After her iconic turn as Amy Dunne in 2014’s Gone Girl, any movie starring Rosamund Pike as a badass yet sociopathic woman was sure to turn heads. Pike taps into some of that Amazing Amy energy for I Care A Lot, a dark comedy thriller about a legal guardian who profits off her elderly clients. Things turn dangerous when she unwittingly gets involved with a prominent gangster (Peter Dinklage).
While I Care A Lot starts off with a campy tone, the comedy slowly fades as the story gets more serious, and the film slightly suffers for it. However, Pike‘s undeniably compelling performance, the excellent supporting characters, and writer-director J Blakeson‘s takedown of capitalism and exploitation of the elderly makes for an incredibly unique American crime story.
Pitch Dark Comedy
The film opens with Marla Grayson (Pike) telling us point blank that “there’s no such thing as good people” and reaffirming what most people probably already know; in America, getting to the top by working hard and playing fair is a myth. But Marla isn’t an activist for systemic change. In her own words, “I’m a fucking lioness.” This voiceover plays as the son of one of Marla’s clients fights to break into the assisted living facility his mother is being held in. From the beginning it is clear that our main character is not someone we want to root for, but she sure is captivating.
That opening sets the tone for a first act that blends camp with criticism. Marla hits a comically oversized vape and puts on a painfully fake smile that somehow convinces a judge (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) that she’s truly trying to help the people she’s conning. Her reaction to the news of a client’s unexpected death is not one of grief but of annoyance that she now has to deal with the paperwork of his inheritance. It’s cold, but the delivery is so stark you can’t help be amused.
Each new character introduced brings the perfect energy to match Pike‘s. Dianne Wiest plays Jennifer Peterson, the woman who Marla grifts without knowing she has ties to organized crime. A legend like Wiest might be expected to play a bigger role, but she sells the limited amount of time she has, with memorable line readings like, “I’m the biggest mistake you’ll ever make”. Chris Messina makes a brief appearance as a sharky lawyer in flashy suits who reeks of corruption and misogyny. His scene with Marla is one of the film’s best, showcasing the best of both actors and the screenplay.
Most of the reason why it is so easy to enjoy a film about such a disturbing topic is Pike. She sits so perfectly in the role of Marla Grayson that it feels like she was born to play her. She evokes the magic found in performances like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and more recently Hugh Jackman in Bad Education. Her character is an objectively bad person whose only motivation is to be rich. But she’s so good at charming the people around her, and in turn, the audience, that you’re invested in her story.
A New Exploration of American Crime
Peter Dinklage plays Roman Lunyov, a ruthless Russian mob boss who throws smoothies at his henchmen when he doesn’t get what he wants. The scenes where he and Pike go toe-to-toe are some of the best in the film. Dinklage has been turning out memorable performances for several decades now (he won a record 4 Emmy Awards for Game of Thrones) but this role proves he needs to be leading more projects.
While Dinklage himself is great, as his character is more developed the film’s tone changes into something much darker. In theory, this is a good choice. There can only be so much lightness in a story about such an upsetting topic. However, in this film, the tonal shift doesn’t feel so smooth. At this point, it starts to feel like a standard studio thriller, with unrealistic escapes from death and basic dialogue. There are moments at this point in the film that save it from being completely separated from the rest of the film, like Marla using a gas station hot dog warmer as a personal heater.
The attention to detail in this movie cannot be understated. Marla’s haircut is as sharp as her words. Her bright-colored suits are perfectly tailored and always match, illustrating the character’s obsession with convincing people she’s something she isn’t. Messina‘s character’s persona is heightened by his Colonel Sanders-esque suits. The production design is also excellent. Marla’s wall of pictures of her clients resembles an FBI evidence board more than the office of a legal guardian. All of the technical aspects propel Blakeson‘s story to a stylistic wonder.
Ultimately, what makes the film stand out are Blakeson‘s observations about crime. We don’t often see stories about the way the elderly are taken advantage of, something that deserves our attention. The film also has a feminist perspective that is interesting considering the fact that Marla is a morally corrupt character. Even as a con artist she faces obstacles based on her gender. This is best shown in her conversation with Messina, who she corrects when he refers to a female doctor as “he”. He responds to the correction with a mix of amusement and fake apology, saying “of course”. While it definitely doesn’t make us root for Marla, it’s something that many can relate to no matter what field you’re in, even conning.
I Care A Lot: Conclusion
Due to its late release in this year’s award season, many were surprised to see Pike land a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy. But if you’ve seen I Care A Lot, you know she deserves that and more. The film almost suffers from a tonal shift, but Blakeson‘s point of view is still prevalent enough that the film is entertaining and enlightening all the way through. It breaks new ground in the American crime genre, and will leave you thinking about who is really at the top in this country.
How did you feel about I Care A Lot? Let us know in the comments!
I Care A Lot was released in the U.S. on Netflix and on Amazon Prime in some locations on February 19, 2021.
Watch I Care A Lot
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema – get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
Join now!
