Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike), who is at the center of the playful and comical film, “I Care A Lot” is an obscure lady. She looks attentive, but – watch out! – she is cunning. Marla may be a court-appointed legal guardian for the elderly, but she steals her pupils from their homes and income. She still has a discreet network of accomplices who help her.
Just watching Marla exhale the steam smoke suggests that she is the devil’s incarnation, and Pike embraces her devious character with the same cruelty with which she embraced her Oscar-nominated role in “Gone Girl”. Marla goes so far as to say in the opening narration of the film: “Playing fair is a joke invented by the rich to keep the rest of us poor.” She is a self-proclaimed lioness, not a lamb. She plans because she was poor and knows that being rich is better.
Marla’s ethical boundaries are fragile, although she says she cares – very much – for the elderly she represents legally. Furthermore, given that the Lomax Family Court judge (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) claims that she is a “highly respected professional guardian”, one might think that he is on her payroll.
“I Care a Lot” begins with Marla using her charm in Judge Lomax’s court when the disgruntled Mr. Feldstrom (Macon Blair) accuses her of keeping her mother away from him and draining her assets. He’s right, of course, but Marla’s hermetic defense – aside from the fact that Feldstrom assaulted a team member and vandalized the facility’s reception area – sees the case in her favor.
Ready to take advantage of this success, Marla learns of a vacancy at Berkshire Oaks Senior Living, partly because manager Sam Rice (Damian Young) is in Marla’s pocket. With the help of another paid contact, Dr. Amos (Alicia Witt), Marla finds “a cherry” (a perfect brand) in Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest). This unmarried, childless woman, who happens to be sitting on a pile of money, thanks to the guardianship appointed by Marla’s court, then unhappy and sheltered in a new unit in Berkshire Oaks.
The entire operation is insidious, invasive and quick. Marla and Fran (Eiza González) – her partner in crime and in bed – clean Jennifer’s house, sell her property and find a safe that contains something that is very expensive and impossible to track. Gold mine!
But “I Care a Lot”, written and directed by J. Blakeson, is just getting started. When Alexi (Nicholas Logan) meets Fran at Jennifer’s house, his boss Roman (Peter Dinklage) is not very happy with this turnaround. Roman sends his shark lawyer, Dean Erickson (a Chris Messina who steals the show) to find Marla. He offers her money and even the threat, but the lioness doesn’t give up – or lose. A game of superiority and several twists of luck follows quickly.
Blakeson makes his brilliant film fall smoothly while the elegantly dressed characters misbehave and sometimes use tasers. “I Care a Lot” is expertly traced as the film makes viewers feel like accomplices in the subterfuge. Part of the film’s dizzying fun is waiting to see if, when and how Marla and / or Roman will be brought down.
In fact, the best joke in the movie may be the mutual respect that these two criminals have for each other while playing “Who’s going to wink first?” during a particularly tense meeting. That said, both Marla and Roman seem to be efficient types, so the fact that each gives the other an opportunity to return is curious and perhaps even sloppy. Blakeson’s film is also a little flabby when it shows an extensive sequence involving a broken tooth.
Despite the expected setbacks, the plot of the film has some opportunities to fall perfectly into Marla’s lap. Given how much her character hopes to win, she could fight more.
Pike, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for “I Care a Lot”, impresses with her false politeness and inability to back down. It is highly gratifying to see her fight verbally with the elegant Dean Ericson in her office or in a courtroom. But his exchanges with Jennifer are even better; they show that Marla may have unexpectedly found her match. When Wiest purrs, “I’m the worst mistake you’ll ever make,” it’s hard not to expect it to be true.
Marla’s relationship with Fran, however, is arguably the weakest part of the film. It almost fails to serve a purpose, which is a good thing to some extent (nothing is made of it), but it also feels like a missed opportunity (nothing is made of it). Blakeson does not go so far as to equate homosexuality with villainy, but “I Care A Lot” does not compare to the pleasure of “lesbians attacking the mafia” which is “linked”. Unfortunately, Marla and Fran look more like demons (sic) with benefits than two women in love. González simply receives very little to do.
In support, Peter Dinklage interprets Roman as coldly threatening and his tantrums when things don’t go his way are dry fun. And Dianne Wiest’s expressions while her life is torn apart are priceless. (It could also have been better used).
“I Care a Lot” offers the same stimulating pleasure as the recent “promising young woman”, as these protagonists use a ruse to get what they want. Marla doesn’t have an altruistic motive for her actions, which impregnates the film with some amorality, but there are some feminist messages about women beating men.
Blakeson’s film is not profound, but it is pleasant because Pike makes viewers worry about Marla. And that can be more than enough.
“I Care a Lot” is now available for streaming on Netflix.