Note: I actually watched “I Care A Lot” a while back, but with the Netflix making a big social media push on the film, I wanted to republish this now.
There is something wonderful about Rosamund Pike when she finds a role that allows her to be sharp and manipulative. We saw it with another one of my favorites in “Gone Girl” and we see this kind of top tier acting pushed up even higher with “I Care A Lot”.
Pike plays Marla Grayson, a corrupt caretaker in this film, who runs a scam with the doctors of the elderly to have them placed under her control. She gets the court order without them ever knowing, then proceeds to financially strip them of everything while they rot away in a retirement home, unable to even use a cellphone without her permission. When her operation takes an unforeseen turn, she’ll have to become even more ruthless to survive.
The two winners here are Pike, who’s already winning awards for the role, and director J Blakeson, who’s eye is in top form, giving us striking visuals on everything from Grayson’s wardrobe, to the sterility of these nursing homes. Peter Dinklage and Diane Wiest, also put on great performances here in support.
If there is a problem, it’s that this film gives us no one to root for. Marla is a terrible, terrible person. But this only makes Pike’s performance even stronger because the film never lets us get bored and at times we honestly don’t know how to feel. There are also a couple of twists I could have done without though.
My Orlando readers will also think of the high profile Rebecca Fierle case when they see this film. It only made it only more potent for me.
But Pike and “I Care A Lot” is a sharp film that I couldn’t turn away from. And Marla joins Amy from “Gone Girl” in the catalog of some of the most complicated characters of movies over the past decade.
You can watch the film right now on Netflix.
“I Care A Lot”
GRADE: B+
Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
Rated: R