Make no mistake, Rosamund Pike is vile in I Care a Lot. Not only is her character, Marla Grayson, a ruthless hustler who preys on the elderly and swindles them for all their worth under the pretense of caring for them, she is also confident and outspoken, a feminist (and a lesbian) who believes that she is sticking it to the man and carving out her own version of the American Dream. Throughout the film, you expect Marla to get her comeuppance. But I Care a Lot toys with your expectations and feelings, painting a world where not only the good are taken advantage of, but where even the bad people are outsmarted by more determined individuals.
Marla finds a promising new client in the form of Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), who lives on her own in retirement and seemingly has no kids. Marla gets Jennifer’s doctor to testify in court that she needs legal guardianship and swoops into Jennifer’s home, smothering her with smiles and platitudes as she is carted away to an inpatient facility. Soon, however, a sleazy lawyer (Chris Messina) pops up claiming to represent dangerous people who were concerned about Peterson. Marla needs only to have the doctor attest that Peterson didn’t need any guardianship, and she would be paid handsomely for it. Marla, of course, has discovered a hidden cache of diamonds in the meanwhile, so she turns him down, even after he insinuates that her life might be in danger for it.
Rosamund Pike is the centerpiece of this film. She imbues Marla with just enough humanity to make you root for her against Peter Dinklage’s goons.
Speaking of whom, Dinklage gets just enough material to make his mark as a dangerous Russian mobster named Roman Lunyov with a penchant for pastries. Wiest is also notable in her portrayal of the seemingly innocuous Jennifer, whose facade starts to fall away once Marla puts it together that she is not who she seems to be. Pike recently won a Golden Globe for her role as Marla, and deservedly so. This is the juiciest role she has had since playing Amy Dunne in Gone Girl.
I Care a Lot is a relentless satire that strings the audience along until the very end. After a point, it’s almost unbelievable how Marla keeps overcoming the obstacles in her way, and even Lunyov has to admit she is much more ruthless than he had given her credit for. By the end of the film, it almost seems like Marla has gotten away with it, but a loose end from earlier in the film ultimately takes her down.
I Care a Lot isn’t flawless. Once Marla gets kidnapped by Lunyov, things don’t go exactly as you would expect them to. There’s a bit where Marla makes it a point to visit a dentist to pop a teeth back in even with herself and her partner ostensibly being in danger. Still, it’s a satisfying dark comedy that stands out among recent releases. Of course, watching horrible people fight each other might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can handle that, then definitely give this a watch. Pike’s performance alone makes it worth it.