Direction: J Blakeson
Country: USA / UK
British filmmaker J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed, 2009) has in I Care a Lot an imperfect yet sufficiently inspired dark comedy thriller mounted with propulsive intensity and satiric push. The most accomplished aspect in his third feature is the way he molded up the characters, while the story keeps contracting with fatuous exaggeration and expanding with some thrilling action.
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, 2014; Pride & Prejudice, 2005) will be remembered for her role here as Marla Grayson, an unscrupulous, avid lawyer whose scheme consists in becoming a legal guardian of wealthy elders living on their own, under the pretext that they cannot take care of themselves anymore. After confiding them to an assisted living facility with no contact with the external world, she’s in the position to make huge amounts of money by selling their house and assets.
When Marla is informed about Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), a rich woman giving signs of dementia and with no family at all, she immediately starts to celebrate with her partner/assistant Fran (Eiza González). However, this apparently solitary woman has a stable connection with the Russian mafia and its leader, Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage). Since the detestable, fearless Marla refuses to play fair, a cat-and-mouse game begins between her and the gangster.
Persuasive for more than a third of its length, I Care a Lot stumbles in a few overdone scenes that, with the proper dedication from Blakeson, would have lead to a better outcome. Still, the film is a fun watch, moving stylishly and pulling out a couple of inflammatory twists. Sometimes, antagonistic disputes have no solution in sight. Hence, if you can’t beat them, join them.
