At what point does “dark comedy” become so dark that it’s no longer funny? That’s a line that ‘I Care A Lot’ tiptoes on for two hours, occasionally flailing its arms and falling off to one side. It’s an interesting watch because the film skillfully plays with your expectations, but when it’s over you’ll wonder to yourself, “what the hell was that?”
Rosamund Pike is perfectly cast, as in you literally can’t imagine anyone better for the role, as Marla Grayson a professional court appointed legal guardian to elderly folks ruled incapable of caring for their own affairs.
Sounds like a noble profession?
But it’s all a grift for Grayson, who finds ways to have rich but perfectly lucid retirees put in her legal care – then she ships them off to nursing homes and sells all their processions, including their own houses, out from under them If it wouldn’t spoil her icy, gorgeous looks, you could put a mustache on her lip, the better to twirl out of delight at her own nastiness.
One day she and her partner and girlfriend Fran (Eiza González) think they’ve stumbled upon the perfect mark (what they call a “cherry”) when they find Dianne Wiest, a rich woman who has no family and a lot of valuables.
Skipping spoilers, the old lady ends up being a formidable opponent, and the dynamic duo have bitten off more than they can chew…or so it seems. The cat and mouse dynamic shifts back and forth enough times to keep you guessing.
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) plays a powerful, shady and deadly guy who has his own reasons for wanting the Dianne Wiest character to prevail. Dinklage takes the adage that the most powerful people are also the quietest- they move the least – to a new level.
The violence (and I have always loved screen violence, not the real thing) is graphic and frequent. Yes, violence can sit alongside comedy- I mean, Hello, Quentin Tarantino? Here, the filmmakers aren’t as competent with that blend. You know the old saying, “If you slip on a banana peel and fall on your bum–that’s comedy. If you slip and fall on a banana peel and crack your head on the sidewalk and bleed out–that’s tragedy.” It’s a fine line.
And when it’s over? I mean, it’s an interesting couple of hours, but, if everyone is a villain, then there are no winners because even the prevailing villain is still bad.
Now that is dark. But not fucking funny.
I Care A Lot – 3 out of 4 Stars, reviewed by Kyle Osborne. Rated R for violence. 2 hours. Streaming on Netflix
