I Care a Lot

This is my Promising Adult Woman! Original subject matter with modern definition of the characters, a clever battle of rock-solid egos, where no one is an angel and everyone deserves a punch in the mouth. A thriller and a gangster film, led by a female character as masterfully as Clint Eastwood did in Leone’s westerns and, at the same time, an accurate mirror held up to American society. Rosamund Pike hands in the best performance by an actress in an English-language film in recent memory – not with award-winning depth, but by bejewelling every scene with surgically precise facial expressions. She is the backbone of this boldly conceived mix of genre elements. The casting of Peter Dinklage seems bizarre at first, but gradually fits perfectly into the caricaturish concept of the film. I Care a Lot could have come off as a cheap novelty, but thanks to great directing and Pike, it turned out to be a little post-modern gem. (22/02/2021)

An excellent, cynical, motherfucking thriller about the conflict between two assholes. Rosamund Pike enjoys herself plenty playing a despicable being who abuses defenceless old people, until one day she messes with an old woman who has very dangerous friends. It’s brisk, with excellent performances and a lot of fun, but unfortunately not so well written. In the last act things go a bit too over-the-top and the script begins to rely too much on unlikely coincidences. But I’m willing to turn a blind eye to it, because the ending was pleasant. In short, great satisfaction. (19/02/2021)

Of course, I'm glad it turned out the way it did .... but had it ended a few minutes earlier, I would’ve tipped my proverbial hat because a film with such big cynical balls would be remembered years from now. Blakeson just went soft, but it doesn’t matter, my idealistic little soul was relieved, so at least I send my kisses to Rosamund, those mischievously ironic pursed lips of hers at exactly the right moment, that eye play, it was an acting recital. (26/02/2021)

This movie has an imaginative subject matter, a likable cynical approach, and a great plot. However, disappointment soon comes. With such a strong concept and edgy heroine, it is a complete shame that the filmmaker decided to include villains worthy of Looney Tunes animated cartoons, and completely resigned from making any bold decisions. Moreover, it is one of those movies whose final act just happens to be whatever tickled the screenwriter's fancy at the time. It was OK, but it could have been much better. (01/05/2021)

It hasn’t happened to me in a long time that I've had this much trouble rooting for a character in a movie. Because the problem here is the lack of any "character" in the good sense of the word. Besides, the way the main character justifies his own actions here (lioness or lambs) is insanely banal in every way. Of course I can't say that I don't care how the whole thing turns out and that I wasn't entertained. I Care a Lot combines thriller elements with Coen-esque absurdity quite playfully, and of course tries to put everything into a current social context. Rosamund Pike is OK, though she was a bit more demonic and believable in Gone Girl. In the end, though, it's a pretty cool one-off with a cool story. The ending is a bit overladen and makes a statement more tragicomic than believable on the current status of women in society, but who cares. As long as you don't have exaggerated expectations involving major statements and don't look for any deeper meanings, you'll be reasonably satisfied. It's such a nice play on the genre. [65%] (12/04/2021)