I Care a Lot
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Eiza Gonzalez, Dianne Wiest, Peter Dinklage
Director: J Blakeson
Taking advantage of sweet and vulnerable old people can be difficult to watch, but that is not what the case is with I Care a Lot. Dripped in sharp, witty writing, a brilliant protagonist and twists you don’t see coming, this is a film you cannot take your eyes away from.
I Care a Lot is set in the aspirational world of the ‘American Dream,’ the concept that everyone has a fair chance of climbing up to the top in America. However, the difference lies in our protagonist, Marla Grayson (Pike), who understands that you can do so not by hard-work, but by willing to go to any extent to get what you want. In the first monologue she verbatim says that playing fair is the joke rich folk tell to keep others poor. She says she is a lioness who doesn’t lose, and throughout the film we keep seeing her prove that over and over again.
Marla Grayson is a legal guardian, who manipulates the family court — through her network of corrupt doctors, social workers and old-age home managers — to take control over the financial assets of numerous old people against their will. These people are then sent to live at assisted facilities, and their houses and belongings get auctioned off for her benefit. Marla chooses her targets carefully, they are either people with no families or with those who can be easily dismissed by the court.
It is at this point that she comes across Jennifer Peterson, played by veteran actress Dianne Wiest, a ‘cherry,’ a code for an ideal target, who is rich and has no family to take care of her. Her corrupt doctor friend appeals to the court saying that Jennifer has dementia and cannot take care of her own. Marla then gets Jennifer to come to the assisted facility with her, taking away her phone and practically making her a prisoner.
However, what Marla doesn’t know is that Jennifer is not that sweet, vulnerable old lady and has very powerful and dangerous friends. When she finds a very valuable asset hidden by Jennifer, Marla’s life takes a 180 degree turn as she realises she is not the worst person in this game.
I Care a Lot takes the audience on a ride, with smooth camera movements, expensive cars and pastel hues telling us what luxury is. Tonally, the film does an amazing job at helping us with our shifting alliances. At several points in time, we don’t know whether we should root for Marla, or the Roman Lunyov, the Russian gangster played by a transformative Peter Dinklage. It is a battle of bad vs evil, but you honestly don’t know which is which.
In terms of performances, Rosamund Pike’s ability to hold your attention is almost unrealistic. She plays a different kind of evil than her celebrated Gone Girl performance. Her character is appalling, but she shines in all her glory. Peter Dinklage has his own great moments, from being loving and paternal to a full-on rage monster. Dianne Wiest is a pleasure to watch as she switches from vulnerable to conniving.
I Care a Lot is an absolute delight to watch. However, there are a few shortcomings, including monologues that go nowhere. Even though it ends as powerfully as it started, it feels like the ending does not tie all the loose ends. In a nutshell, apart from a little imperfection here and there, I Care a Lot definitely deserves our time and our words.
Rating: 4/5
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