Film: I Care A Lot
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza Gonzales, Dianne Wiest
Director: J. Blakeson
Streaming: Netflix
Review: Klep Napier
Rating: 3.5Xs out of 5X’s
Netflix disrupts our moral compass with their latest original film written and directed by J. Blakeson (The 5th Wave).
I Care A Lot follows Marla Grayson (Pike) a sharklike self-assurance, professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly wards, who’s assets she seizes and cunningly bilks through dubious yet legal means. It's a well-oiled racket at first, but when one of her marks [Wiest] turns out to have an equally shady secret of her own Marla is forced to level up in a game only predators can play - one that's neither fair, nor square.
First of all, this film gets an applause for such an original take on the “revenge plot” genre. [ie Taken, The Foreigner, The Equilzer] We often see a pretty bland, clear cut take when it comes to bad people doing bad things to good people, then the good people get their justice in the end. Well, what would happen if the bad people did bad things to some even worse kinds of people? “I Care A lot” explores this leaving it’s viewers conflicted with choosing sides. Rosamund delivers a unsettling performance, doing more harm than good, while still convincingly believing herself to be a decent person. This allows other players to mold the world around her very nicely. The pivotal role of “Roman”, played by Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage is the perfect seasoning added to this wack job of a Comedic Crime Thriller. And he comes off just as scary as Pike does.
Although the ride is as intense as it is entertaining, the third act gets a bit weary or it may seem. A lot is riding on the apparent hero of the story which at this point, it almost feels as there is no where for her character to go. Unrealistic acts of grandeur may disconnect viewers for a brief moment at the start of the third act, but then finally comes full circle with a unexpected yet satisfying twist to cap all of this chaos off. The ride becomes well worth it.
Overall, I Care A Lot’s harsh, gritty unapologetic sense of humor and nail biting plot about how flawed and unfair the state’s system can be once tampered with are the perfect recipe for escapism and or great entertainment. But hold on to your elderly loved ones tight!
I Care A Lot Streams on Netflix February 19th, 2021.