Review of I Care A Lot
midlandsmovies • February 26, 2021
I Care a Lot (2021) Dir. J Blakeson
From Marla Singer in Fight Club to Gremlins 2’s red-headed no-nonsense career woman, what is it with take-no-shit cinematic “Marla’s”? In I Care A Lot we get another to add to the list. We have Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) running a con putting the elderly into care homes as she reaps the profits of the sale of their houses and possessions.
With a number of professionals in on the scam too, she chooses her next “victim” (a not-enough-seen Dianne Wiest as Jennifer Peterson) but this gentle lady is hiding a two-faced secret of her own.
I Care A Lot has a very tough beginning though. To be serious for a moment, my own mother was reluctantly put into a care home and I found the exploitation of vulnerable people almost unwatchable. The jet-black comedy becomes so harsh that there is literally no-one to root for a fair chunk. Pike is amazing in the role though and is truly one of the nastiest villains I’ve seen on screen for a while. Think her character in Gone Girl was bad? You ain’t see nothing.
After some hidden diamonds are later discovered, it is slowly revealed that Jennifer has a connection with a Mafia boss (Peter Dinklage) who locks horns, legally and very much illegally, with Marla whose cruel guardianship leads to violent encounters between them
The film does settle down however and for want of a better word, ‘lightens up’. The film switches allegiances and attempts to push audiences towards some kind of sympathy to Marla’s predicament with the increasing threats directed against her. However, not once did I empathise and so the film settles into a place where neither protagonist is really relatable.
But Pike delivers fully as the lead and maintains her current run of form supporting her spiky and excellent performance in A Private War.
Without spoilers I think the ending is the only way this film could have gone (and I guessed it 30 mins before the conclusion) but that’s not to say the film isn’t a riveting ride with tension, drama and great character drama all rolled into one.
It tags on a bit of political commentary to the proceedings but in reality, a fair chunk of the film sits firmly as a satirical thriller that amps up all its aspects to the extreme to get an audience’s emotions boiling with rage.
With likeable actors playing unlikeable people, I Care A Lot has lots to recommend it, all held together by Pike’s forceful and accomplished take on this low-life law-breaker.
★★★★
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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