83. I Care A Lot; movie review

 

 

I CARE A LOT

Cert 15

120 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong violence

“There are two types of people in this world. The people who take, and those getting took. Predators and prey. Lions and lambs. My name is Marla Grayson, and I’m not a lamb—I am a f****** lioness.”

From this opening quote, I knew that Rosamund Pike would not only have me hooked but she would be back to her Gone Girl best.

I Care A Lot is clever. It demands attention on every single scene and it has so many twists I was close to dizziness.

And, at its heart, is a superb performance by Pike as the most ruthless and heartless movie lead I have seen for a while.

Indeed, Marla Grayson was so convincing that Mrs W was genuinely wound up by her.

She owns a residential home for the elderly and is given court permission to act as legal guardian for her clients.

This enables her to take control of their assets including bank accounts and property which she snaffles in cahoots with her partner (Eiza González).

The pair have the giant fraud running like clockwork, working with a doctor who convinces courts of a patient's need for such guardianship - sometimes even against the wishes of their own family.

On the face of it, the pair act because they 'care a lot' and their blemish-free reputation means that judges accept that they have the best interest of the elderly person at heart.

The truth is they are money-grabbers of the highest order.

However, they apparently make the wrong call when they decide to target a wealthy woman (Diane Wiest) because the scam results in them falling across the path of a crime lord (Peter Dinklage).

Dinklage is in superb form as the permanently angry and manipulative criminal who is served by a gang of complete incompetents.

This unexpectedly adds a pinch of In Bruges-style comedy to the proceedings.

And beyond that, I shall add no more because the attraction of J. Blakeson's I Care A Lot is in its many surprise shifts in gear and storyline.

Suffice to say that we were gripped until the credits.

Reasons to watch: Rosamund Pike at her Gone Girl best

Reasons to avoid: A tad convoluted

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? People seeking guardianship in the United States need to demonstrate that there is a care plan in place and will make appropriate use of their parent’s funds. If the court agrees that the petition would make an appropriate guardian and that the senior is genuinely incapacitated, guardianship is granted.

The final word. "I have nothing in common with Marla Grayson, and I think that's why it was so freeing. I think there are characters where you can channel bits of yourself and spin your own character flaws and character strengths sort of around the qualities that you find in a character, and with Marla there was nothing, and therefore I kind of could completely let go and sort of just be free." EW.com

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