Movie Review: I Care Alot

chekohler (70)in #movies • 3 years ago

It's been a while since I did one of these movie reviews, well I guess sign of the times, it's not like they're really making many these days. My regular trips to the cinema have all but halted and since the events of 2020. I've only seen Bad boys 3 and Tenet thinking they were cinema worthy.

Since the big screen isn't really pumping out the titles, you'd think the streaming small screen would take up the challenge. There are plenty of actors looking for work now and writers have time to flesh out decent concepts.

When I saw I Care A lot, I liked the sounds of the movie, the cast looked good so I thought let's give it a shot. Netflix pops out a good one now and then, so why not?

Plot

"I care a lot" centres around Marla Grayson an ambitious but crooked legal guardian who drains the savings of her elderly wards.

She thinks she's hit the jackpot when she finds an old lonely rich woman and tries to take control over her estate. However, this woman has more to her than a lovely old retireee.

As things escalate the two play a cat and mouse game not only for money but for freedom and their lives.

I care a lot poster

Image source: - www.imdb.com

A solid start

If you're a fan of Gone Girl, which I highly rate and think you should check out before this movie then you should be sold on the concept and of course the lead in Pike. There are several similar characteristics and her monologues tend to be a similar formula.

The movie starts off really strong, as we meet this morally bankrupt woman who has built quite the unethical and at times illegal operation for herself, swindling old people out of their money.

She is meticulous, she knows all the loopholes and moves through the legal system with ease. This part of the story is well fleshed out and done really well to set up the rest of the movie.

Plot holes galore

The movie sets up Rosamund as the villain, then switches her into the ani-hero which really annoyed me, as it didn't push the story forward, it actually took it on a completely ridiculous tangent.

You'll wonder how this swindler of the legal system, becomes so street smart overnight and can mastermind operations, break into buildings, take out bodyguards and more.

The so-called villains are meant to be menacing as Russian mob members, but they are all bumbling idiots who have no mean streak and have endless time for chatting and compassion.

They spend most of the time trying to bargain with someone when they have all the leverage in the world and make things so much harder for themselves when just a few threats, bribes or whacking a few people would have done the job.

The movies grounded start is thrown out the window and the main character pegged as an anti-hero in the end no redeeming qualities and barely any background. The fact that some scriptwriter decided viewers will be able to get past that and stick with her as the main heroine is a joke in itself.

Speaking of the humour.

Issues with the humour

The movie could have pegged itself as a dark comedy and left it at that, but it starts to pull in elements of slapstick and ridiculous especially in the third act that really break the audience's association with the characters. The humour doesn't defuse tension but removes you from the situation and you start to feel it's not serious.

My verdict

Starts off strong, has some solid character development, only to ruin it with questionable arcs, plot holes galore, poor decision making and character motivation, and what could have been an amazing concept is executed poorly.

I would have to give this one a 5 old age homes out of 10