“Don’t get fooled by old people,” Marla tells Fran as they discover the multitudes their latest ward contains. And then once we realize who Jennifer Peterson really is-and who she’s connected to-Wiest reveals a character who’s hilariously sharp through the haze of medications she probably doesn’t even need. Marla is a despicable human being, and while you won’t exactly find yourself rooting for her to succeed, you’ll at least be curious as to whether she can pull off her most outlandish scheme yet. She’s captivating in her confidence and her ability to outmaneuver everyone, every time.
Sure, the blithe, parasitic nature of these characters is disturbing, but the verve of the storytelling on display keeps you hooked, as does the ever-versatile Pike. The snappy and increasingly intense exchange, with both actors matching each other barb for barb, is the film’s highlight.īlakeson’s come up with such an original idea here, and he’s presented it in a way that’s both slick and vivid. Peter Dinklage is low-key chilling as a volatile Russian mobster with a proclivity for pastries, and Chris Messina has a tremendous scene as his smooth-talking lawyer, who strides into Marla’s office and tries to buy her off before resorting to threats. What these predators don’t realize is that they’ve chosen the wrong prey this time, and that by kidnapping, imprisoning, and bilking this seemingly kindly retiree, they’ve angered some dangerous and violent people. She’s just a nice, normal old lady, totally functional, living an unremarkable life-but to Marla and Fran ( Eiza González), her partner in business and romance, she’s “like a golden f**king goose.” Jennifer Peterson ( Dianne Wiest) has no kids, husband or living family, and while she’s suffering from the beginnings of borderline dementia, she’s active and will likely be around for a long time. It’s meant to make us uncomfortable, and it’s effective. But soon, another possibility arises: “a cherry,” as they refer to a prime candidate, and the blasé cruelty in Blakeson’s script is the point. “I thought he had legs,” remarks the doctor ( Alicia Witt) who serves up her potential marks, for a cut. So when she gets the news that one of her clients has died, she pulls his headshot off the wall where it hangs among dozens of others, wads it up and throws it in the trash without a drop of emotion.
#I CARE A LOT NETFLIX SKIN#
That much would have been obvious without her opening voiceover, in which she justifies her scam: “Playing fair is a joke invented by rich people to keep the rest of us poor.” During a court hearing at the film’s start, she argues in persuasive, clear-eyed fashion that she can more accurately assess what’s in the best interest of her clients because she has no skin in the game, unlike family members who are fraught with emotional baggage and financial expectations. With her razor-sharp blonde bob, monochromatic suits, and ever-present vape pen, Marla is a woman driven by cold, hard ambition.
Pike’s Marla Grayson is the towering embodiment of unchecked avarice within a system that’s ripe for exploitation. Blakeson, whose previous films include the stylish mystery “The Disappearance of Alice Creed” as well as the derivative dystopian YA thriller “ The 5th Wave,” has said he was inspired and enraged by stories he read about predatory guardians taking advantage of voiceless victims. But it’s also so infuriating that you probably couldn’t stomach watching the whole thing were it not for the riveting lead performance from Rosamund Pike. The grift is impressive in “I Care a Lot,” writer/director J Blakeson’s pitch-black comedy.
#I CARE A LOT NETFLIX FREE#
And once all the pieces are in place, the guardian is free to drain this unsuspecting woman of every penny she’s got.