Rather appropriate to its name, I Care a Lot roused the most violent set of emotions I’ve experienced from any film I’ve watched in a long time—I think I loved it as much as I hated it. As usual, Rosamund Pike is nothing short of fantastic leading the film, but her character, Marla, is so dang EVIL (all caps are necessary) I was actively rooting for the worst to happen to her.
Marla’s an ace scam artist who preys on senior citizens by weaseling herself into caretaker roles for them in court. After convincing a judge to let her become the elderly folks’ legal guardian, she leaves them to die drugged out of their minds in assisted living homes while earning herself a nice, fat paycheck from the houses and belongings she sells off and pockets on their part. It’s kind of genius, but holy smokes is it vile!
RELATED: SIT DOWN AND LEARN SOMETHING – ‘THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7’ REVIEW
The problem is, the film wants you to root for Marla after she gets in over her head taking in a woman hiding some sinister secrets (Jennifer, played by Dianne Wiest, who’s also excellent). Scored to poppy music and a glamorous presentation, there’s a sort of ra-ra feminist edge to it all as Marla calls out male showboating from shady representatives of Jennifer, strutting her smarts and independent confidence against “the man.”
I’ll give the film this, it’s certainly thrilling. As Marla gets into deeper, sharkier waters and refuses to back out, I Care a Lot shares some narrative similarities with 2019’s Uncut Gems. The thing is, while the Safdie brothers’ film hinges on you wanting to slam the brakes on its wild train ride of bad decisions for the sake of its protagonist, I Care a Lot wants to have its cake and eat it too by cheering its “hero” on.
RELATED: … – ‘I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS’ REVIEW
Marla isn’t flawed in the film’s eyes, rather, an achieved ideal of an empowered woman. But with this horrible streak of unadulterated sin defining Marla, what’s really being said? That women can also be damned sons of bitches? And should be? It’s a confusing message (written and directed by a man, say of that what you will), and for all of I Care a Lot’s stamps of quality, it’s a revolting, really hard movie to recommend.
Grade: B
70%
Fresh
READ NEXT: BREAKING NEWS BREAKAGE– ‘BOMBSHELL’ REVIEW
Blue Blood Burns Blue Media 