r e v i e w
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Well, who cares? These days, we can chomp on popcorn and watch superhero movies, comfortably knowing that the good guys will win. Forces and objects are gonna clash in flashy ways. Awesome. But the methods come second to the outcome. Second to the good guys winning.
Again and again, we go into superhero movies assuming this ending, and yet we still have an exciting, fun, even exhilarating time. How?
One reason is that these stories contain conflicts so difficult that we truly question whether the good guys will win. We start thinking about how we would win. About each character’s approach to winning. In other words, good writing makes us think about the process as much as the outcome. Makes us question what those unstoppable forces and immovable objects really are, and whether it would be OK to use them, or be them.
So it turns out we do care about the winner of that clash. I Care a Lot is a savage, delicious study on this. It moves our burning question out of superhero space and into the real world, and adds a twist: What happens when there are no good guys?
It’s subtle about it, and it’s not. Our lead, Marla, asks us the question as soon as the movie begins. As a legal guardian unashamed of taking advantage of her elderly wards, she has no qualms putting it all out there.
Watching Marla string a web to catch her prey, slowly tying up their living situation, their finances—their life—is a deeply disturbing and interesting watch. Costume design, editing, camerawork, and acting of the highest level highlight how high this makes Marla feel, and how confusing and terrifying it is for the people she traps. It is compelling watching on its own, but it is just the half of things.
At some point, it becomes clear Marla shouldn’t be messing with one of her wards. A powerful, dangerous person is connected with this ward, and will do whatever it takes to save the ward. Marla becomes our immovable object; the most determined, stubborn, capable being. The dangerous person is our unstoppable force; no single entity could possibly withstand its attack. So who wins?
We do. This movie is beautifully paced, shot, acted, directed, edited, sound-tracked, costumed, cast, set, color-schemed. Sure we’re watching bad guys, but clever writing makes it impossible not to empathize with them. It creates a tug of war in our hearts, as we constantly change who we want to win; who we think deserves what treatment; who we hate or admire.
This is not an easy thing to do to us. Many movies have tried, but many have glamorized the bad guy as much as demonized. (Looking at you, Scorsese, anche se ti rispetto tanto.) I Care a Lot does no such thing. With a heart-pounding, realistic story, it makes us grapple with what we are willing to do to get ahead, and reminds us how to think about others who use different methods—but share our very same goal.
It makes clear that taking advantage of others is, at no point along the line, glamorous. It is simply delusion. But it happens. This makes the movie ambitious and important, scary and real.
s t a n d o u t s — **spoiler alert**
Some things will catch your eye here.
(1) c o l o r
The movie uses color in beautiful ways. Yes, color can be pretty on its own, but it can also be a tool that carries meaning.
One example of color as meaning here is Marla’s outfits.
When we meet her, she is in her prime. Capable, determined, and winning. Her outfits do business in striking primary colors. Solid reds and yellows.
As she is introduced to dilemmas, the colors become darker, less flashy. Maybe she is less sure of herself. Less OK with being loud. Or maybe, the darkness means she is more serious. Stepping up her game.
So what would black mean? Or white?
(2) a l l e g o r y
The movie preaches, but is only outwardly preachy for a few seconds over its two-hour runtime. Most of the time, it relies on allegory.
(a) n u t s h e l l
The opening scene blends the two. It is an introduction to, and summary of, the movie.
“Look at you. Sitting there. You think you’re good people. You’re not good people . . . there’s no such thing as good people . . . Playing fair is a joke invented by rich people to keep the rest of us poor.” How many movies begin by calling the viewer out as a bad person? A stooge? This is as preachy as it gets.
As Marla preaches to us over a grungy, minor-chord riff, we watch elderly people being fed pills. They swallow it; we swallow it. That lie we tell ourselves about doing the right thing, as we languish, as Marla and others get rich off of us.
Gulp.
(b) ’m u r i c a
Marla also lets us know that she was once like us, and that she didn’t enjoy it. She doesn’t dwell on this as the story continues, but we do see glimpses of her motivations and life-choices in movie imagery.
We come to realize that Marla actually appreciates this conception of the world, of predator and prey, because it empowers her. If there are only two choices, then she can choose to be a predator. A simple enough path to leave a life of fear, no? We also learn that Marla believes the United States is a blessing, because it provides fair ground to become a predator—if one works hard enough and plays by the rules.
As stretched a conception as that may be, play by the rules Marla does. She takes advantage of the elderly by the books. See below where she fights for what she thinks is right, appealing to justice, and the American flag? (This makes the conflict of the movie even more interesting, as she believes herself better than her antagonist, who doesn’t follow the American legal playbook, but who is trying to prevent a wrong.)
Much later, when Marla is in the depths, losing ground to the unstoppable force, she clings to this American promise. And it saves her. When her tooth is knocked loose, a gas station and its cheap milk rescue it. When Marla is cold, a hot dog machine provides a hearth to warm up on. Red ketchup and yellow mustard sit like a dog by her side; reminders of the comfort and stability the United States has to offer. As long as she and this country are alive, she can do anything. It is no surprise that Marla finds a new resolve after this scene.
