by Conan Simmons – February 23, 2021 – 8:27 pm
Rosamund Pike plays an unscrupulous court appointed caregiver who targets wealthy elders. Assisted by her wife (Eiza González), who investigates the respective targets, and a doctor (Alicia Witt) who recommends potential victims for the scam of bilking their savings. When they target a mild mannered lady living alone (Dianne Wiest), it soon becomes apparent that they’ve picked the wrong target to con.
Soon, a quick tempered mobster (Peter Dinklage) sets his sights on the con woman and a battle of the wits ensues between criminal predators.
‘I Care a Lot’ is a darkly humorous thriller featuring Rosamund Pike in a performance with similarities to her stellar turn in ‘Gone Girl’. Dianne Wiest excels as her character knows who holds the cards even through a heavy haze of forced medication. Peter Dinklage does what he does best, portraying a morally ambiguous mob boss who may be an anti-hero if the story was told from his point of view. Eiza González is a solid supporting player in a slightly underdeveloped role, as is Alicia Witt. Chris Messina gets a standout scene as a lawyer hired to bribe Rosamund Pike’s character early on in the film.
Nominated for one Golden Globe, Rosamund Pike for Best Actress in a Comedy. It is the kind of quirky nomination the Golden Globes like to acknowledge, unlikely to win, especially against Maria Bakalova for ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ or Anya Taylor-Joy for ‘Emma’, but fun to watch nonetheless.
The best part of this movie is watching the charismatic cast vie for dominance over one another. An intriguing aspect of the story is how ruthless the characters can be. Arguably, this also presents a detriment for the audience as it makes it very murky as to who to root for. Villains being villains in the absence of a redeeming protagonist may put some viewers off.
For those not put off by the treachery of the villains, ‘I Care a Lot’ may be mostly standard on thrills, but entertaining to watch the cast play to their strengths.