A thriller with a lot of black comedy, full of unpleasant characters, but exquisitely funny.
J Blakeson is an English filmmaker who in 2009 surprised me with the thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed, starring Gemma Arterton and whose plot was the kidnapping of a rich young woman, but the relationship with the two criminals intensifies. In that film there were already touches of black comedy, unpleasant characters and ambiguity in their behavior. I recommend watching it, it was the director's first feature film and left me with good impressions.
The filmmaker had a downturn when he directed a science fiction film for teenagers, The Fifth Wave, in the United States. I think it was a work for hire. Fortunately, in 2017 he took it upon himself to direct the miniseries Gunpowder, where in three episodes he narrates the life of British activist Guy Fawkes. And now, he returns to thriller and black comedy, what he does best, with this fabulous I Care a Lot.
I hated the main characters of the film, from the very beginning, when I heard the voiceover of the main character, that was a good sign for me. I mean, from minute one the story grabbed me and I enjoyed it very much, because it shows the most horrible side of people and of an unscrupulous society.
What are you, a lion or a lamb?
What is the plot of the film?
Marla Grayson is a successful lawyer who only has in mind to make money, she has decided to be a lioness, a hunter and devour all the prey. She and her partner and romantic partner, Fran, have set up a network in which they take advantage of the judicial system, with the help of accomplices, doctors and owners of retirement homes, they have the elderly declared incompetent by a court, appointing her as guardian, putting the poor elderly in residences and she begins to sell the assets and properties. When one of the elderly dies, there is a vacancy to find a new victim, that's when they select the goose that lays the golden eggs, retired elderly woman Jennifer Peterson, who is wealthy, has no children or close living relatives. Both women have found the perfect victim to take all the money from. The plan is set in motion and the court appoints her guardian of Mrs. Peterson, who is confined to a nursing home. But soon Marla and Fran discover that they have messed with the wrong person and that the seemingly helpless Jennifer Peterson has things to hide and is not who she appears to be. Is Marla prepared for the danger that awaits her? Who will win in the battle of the lions?
"Doing things right is an invention of the rich and powerful to make us poor". Something like that is one of the first sentences said by Marla Grayson, the cold lawyer who only thinks about getting rich.
She has no scruples, doesn't care about anything, is cold, calculating, intelligent, beautiful and seems to be afraid of nothing, she doesn't even seem to be afraid of dying. She is an absolutely despicable being, but deliciously played, I hated her and loved her at the same time, I wanted things to go wrong for her, to suffer, to kill her. With that character I felt the same as with the characters in the Succession series, a divine repulsion.
I think she is a character that extreme feminists are going to love, because Marla is not afraid of the power of men, they love to challenge them, because she always wins in court and everyone ends up humiliated. She seems to have a hatred of men, although in reality she doesn't seem to care about anyone, only her partner, the girl who is her partner and lover, Fran.
With a first part in which the pace is fast-paced, we are shown how the racket that these two women have set up works, with the help of a doctor who is in charge of making false medical assessments to show and testify before the family court, where the judge is fooled like a fool by Marla, who puts on a lamb face that only seeks to help and do good with the poor old disabled people.
All the characters want a slice of the loot, the administrator of the nursing home, the doctor who does the evaluation of the elderly, Marla, Fran, etc. The one who is a fool is the Judge, who doesn't get any of the money, he's just an idiot who is easily manipulated by that woman lawyer. That's why she feels she has so much power, she takes advantage of everyone, especially the men. Some of the children of the elderly, who go to court, are defeated by Marla, who continues as a guardian and enjoying the money.
It is interesting to see how they do all the cheating in justice, although I see it somewhat exaggerated, in real life it might take a little longer in the process, but for the purposes of fiction and entertainment, everything happens easily and quickly.
Sooner or later, you end up making a mistake. The one they thought was the perfect victim turns out not to be who she appears to be. There's something they hadn't figured out about Jennifer Peterson. Locking her up and stealing all her riches is the worst thing the ambitious Marla could have done. There is a little lion who wants to get Mrs. Peterson back, another unscrupulous character with enough power to destroy Marla's life.
A war between two lions, very similar, ruthless and cold. Perhaps the denouement of that battle is the weakest point of the movie, but recapping, it was the most obvious solution, to give that message that our society is totally screwed up, and the villains always get their way. Those of us who do things right are fools, on the other hand, the cheaters are the ones who are successful and moneyed.
I found the ending a bit predictable, I knew that a character that appears at the beginning would have importance in the final part, I've seen that script trick many times in other movies. That last scene serves as the moral component of a totally amoral film. Nothing is free in this life and to get to the top you have to pay a price.
The film is very striking visually, the makeup and costumes look mesmerizing on screen. The cinematography was done by Doug Emmett and Mike Valentine. The cinematography is one of the elements you will love about the film, I have seen Doug Emmett's previous work, the most recent being Unpregnat, which I reviewed and where I noted that the cinematographer did a fabulous job, his colorful and symmetrical style is noticeable.
The director again turns to composer Marc Canham, with whom he worked on The Disappearance of Alice Creed, to create the film's score, which provides the necessary rhythm and complements all the fascinating scenes. If you want to listen to the complete soundtrack of the film, I recommend you to visit this page: link There you will find the 15 songs, most of them composed by Marc Canham, with their respective youtube link so you can enjoy the songs.
Rosamund Pike, the protagonist of the film.
The great actress Rosamund Pike is to eat her, playing Marla Greyson, a character that I hate with all my heart, what a despicable, arrogant, manipulative character, I swear that if I have her in front of me I would make her into mush. To take advantage of the elderly like that, is to be heartless.
It's a character made to her measure and especially for her to shine. Many have compared her to the character she played in Gone Girl that propelled her career. While there may be similarities, this film is more unbridled, funny, with dark humor. I don't agree with those statements, they are characters with some similarities, besides having the same face of the actress, but they are totally different in other aspects. I tell you what, Gone Girl is the film I like the least of David Fincher's beloved David Fincher.
Pike has been nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes for this great performance. She has a very good chance of winning it. Her strongest contenders are Anya Taylor-Joy for 'Emma' and newcomer Maria Bakalova for 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm'.
Beautiful Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez plays Fran, Marla's partner and lover. Another character without scruples or compassion. Her character is the stereotypical lesbian girl investigator who has contacts everywhere, it seems to me a similar character to the one played by Katherine Moening in the series Ray Donovan. The difference is that Eiza has a fabulous body, another reason why I liked this movie. I'm going to see Godzilla vs. Kong just for her hahaha.
Two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest plays the lonely and harmless Jennifer Peterson, the perfect victim for Marla. This extraordinary actress is capable of conveying any feeling just with her gaze. In the scenes she shares with Pike it is impossible not to pay more attention to her. A star that shines with her own light the times she appears.
Peter Dinklage plays Roman Lunyod, a powerful man who has a particular and personal interest in Jennifer Peterson. He will be Marla's nemesis and a dangerous opponent who is willing to do anything to get the most important thing in her life back. His character is fun, Peter is great, but I found the character to be a mobster with many stereotypes already seen. Uncontrolled fits of rage, which are fun, but I like him better if they had opted for a more serious and badass side of the character.
The other well-known actors in the cast are Alicia Witt playing Dr. Amos, the one who writes the fake medical reports. Damian Young as Sam Rice, administrator of one of the nursing homes, who gets his cut of the business. Chris Messina playing Dean Ericosn, Roman's lawyer who will try to get Jennifer out of the nursing home. And the great Isiah Whitlock Jr. plays the stupid Judge Lomax, a small role and unfortunately here he doesn't have any scenes with his usual line.
I Care a Lot is divine, it's the kind of comedy I love. Black humor and crime. A mix that fascinates me. It's good that the director is back on the right track in his career, I already want to see his next film.
Rosamund Pike, I hate you and love you at the same time. She is wonderful, I want her to win the Golden Globe in her category. Eiza Gonzalez,OMG!!! she looks great in jeans hahaha. I thought it was a very funny movie and I recommend it.
Look for it on the best streaming platform: Netflix. And if you can't afford the subscription or you are from a fourth world country, like me, look for it in other ways on the internet.
My Ranking: 3.8/5
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