I Care a Lot Movie Storyline. Poised with sharklike self-assurance, Marla Grayson is a professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly wards whose assets she seizes and cunningly bilks through dubious but legal means. It’s a well-oiled racket that Marla and her business-partner and lover, Fran, use with brutal efficiency on their latest “cherry,” Jennifer Peterson – a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family. But when their mark turns out to have an equally shady secret of her own and connections to a volatile gangster, Marla is forced to level up in a game only predators can play – one that’s neither fair, nor square.
I Care a Lot is a 2020 American black comedy thriller film written and directed by J Blakeson. The film stars Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Chris Messina, Macon Blair, Alicia Witt, and Damian Young, with Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Dianne Wiest. The film follows a con woman who makes a living as a court-appointed guardian, seizing the assets of vulnerable elderly people, only for her to get mixed up with a dangerous gangster.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2020, and was released via streaming on February 19, 2021, through Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, depending on the region. The film received positive reviews from critics, with Pike winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her performance.
About the Story
Marla Grayson is a con artist who makes a living by convincing the legal system to grant her guardianship over elders she pretends cannot take care of themselves. She places them in an assisted living facility, where they are sedated and lose contact with the outside world. She then sells off their homes and assets, pocketing the proceeds. She and the court deny a man, Mr. Feldstrom, access to his mother after he attempts to force his way in to the assisted living facility. He later threatens her outside the courthouse, saying that he hopes she is killed.
Dr. Karen Amos informs Marla about a wealthy retiree with no apparent partner or close family who they can exploit named Jennifer Peterson. A judge appoints Marla guardian after she and Dr. Amos falsely testify that Jennifer suffers from dementia and confusion. Marla moves Jennifer into assisted living and immediately gets to work selling Jennifer’s furniture, car and home. While rooting through Jennifer’s possessions, Marla discovers the key to a safe deposit box containing a watch, gold bars, bank notes and hidden diamonds, which she takes and stashes away.
As Marla’s girlfriend and business partner, Fran, helps renovate the house, a man named Alexi Ignatyev arrives in a cab and claims that he is there to pick up Jennifer. Fran informs him that Jennifer has moved. Alexi returns to his employer, Roman Lunyov greatly distressed. Roman, a crime lord, is revealed to be Jennifer’s son. He threatens Alexi and orders him to investigate what happened to Jennifer. Mafia lawyer Dean Ericson offers to pay Marla $150,000 in cash to release Jennifer but she refuses, only willing to do it for $5 million. He threatens Marla and takes her to court. The judge dismisses the case as he cannot prove Jennifer hired him.
Fran discovers “Jennifer Peterson” is an identity stolen from a girl who died of polio. When Jennifer refuses to tell Marla her real identity, Marla teams up with property manager Sam Rice, having many of Jennifer’s basic needs withdrawn. Roman, finding his mother’s safe deposit box rifled, sends three thugs to Jennifer’s facility to take her. This violent effort fails, and Marla helps police apprehend one of the men, Alexi.
Fran’s police contact informs them that Alexi is the sibling of two other mafia bosses who supposedly died in a fire. Having failed to rescue his mother, Roman has Amos killed at her office. After hearing the news, Marla and Fran move into one of the unsold properties of one of their previous victims. At the facility, Jennifer attacks Marla and is moved to a psychiatric ward.
Marla is kidnapped while Fran is attacked in their home. Marla is brought before Roman, where she asks for $10 million for Jennifer’s release. He refuses, and his associates knock her out with chloroform and send her in a car into a lake. She escapes and returns home to find Fran beaten unconscious as gas fills the house. They narrowly escape an explosion and flee to another unsold property, where Marla shows Fran diamonds she has hidden there.
She offers Fran a choice: they can use the diamonds to start a new life elsewhere, or they can get revenge.Marla Grayson is a con artist who makes a living by convincing the legal system to grant her guardianship over elders she pretends cannot take care of themselves. She places them in an assisted living facility, where they are sedated and lose contact with the outside world. She then sells off their homes and assets, pocketing the proceeds. She and the court deny a man, Mr. Feldstrom, access to his mother after he attempts to force his way in to the assisted living facility. He later threatens her outside the courthouse, saying that he hopes she is killed.
Dr. Karen Amos informs Marla about a wealthy retiree with no apparent partner or close family who they can exploit named Jennifer Peterson. A judge appoints Marla guardian after she and Dr. Amos falsely testify that Jennifer suffers from dementia and confusion. Marla moves Jennifer into assisted living and immediately gets to work selling Jennifer’s furniture, car and home. While rooting through Jennifer’s possessions, Marla discovers the key to a safe deposit box containing a watch, gold bars, bank notes and hidden diamonds, which she takes and stashes away.
As Marla’s girlfriend and business partner, Fran, helps renovate the house, a man named Alexi Ignatyev arrives in a cab and claims that he is there to pick up Jennifer. Fran informs him that Jennifer has moved. Alexi returns to his employer, Roman Lunyov greatly distressed. Roman, a crime lord, is revealed to be Jennifer’s son. He threatens Alexi and orders him to investigate what happened to Jennifer. Mafia lawyer Dean Ericson offers to pay Marla $150,000 in cash to release Jennifer but she refuses, only willing to do it for $5 million. He threatens Marla and takes her to court. The judge dismisses the case as he cannot prove Jennifer hired him.
Fran discovers “Jennifer Peterson” is an identity stolen from a girl who died of polio. When Jennifer refuses to tell Marla her real identity, Marla teams up with property manager Sam Rice, having many of Jennifer’s basic needs withdrawn. Roman, finding his mother’s safe deposit box rifled, sends three thugs to Jennifer’s facility to take her. This violent effort fails, and Marla helps police apprehend one of the men, Alexi.
Fran’s police contact informs them that Alexi is the sibling of two other mafia bosses who supposedly died in a fire. Having failed to rescue his mother, Roman has Amos killed at her office. After hearing the news, Marla and Fran move into one of the unsold properties of one of their previous victims. At the facility, Jennifer attacks Marla and is moved to a psychiatric ward.
Marla is kidnapped while Fran is attacked in their home. Marla is brought before Roman, where she asks for $10 million for Jennifer’s release. He refuses, and his associates knock her out with chloroform and send her in a car into a lake. She escapes and returns home to find Fran beaten unconscious as gas fills the house. They narrowly escape an explosion and flee to another unsold property, where Marla shows Fran diamonds she has hidden there. She offers Fran a choice: they can use the diamonds to start a new life elsewhere, or they can get revenge.
I Care a Lot (2021)
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Dianne Wiest, Chris Messina, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Macon Blair, Alicia Witt, Damian Young, Nicholas Logan, Ava Gaudet, Evelyn Howe
Screenplay by: J Blakeson
Production Design by: Michael Grasley
Cinematography by: Doug Emmett
Film Editing by: Mark Eckersley
Costume Design by: Deborah Newhall
Set Decoration by: Vanessa Knoll
Art Direction by: Michael C. Stone
Music by: Marc Canham
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some violence.
Distributed by: Netflix
Release Date: September 12, 2020 (TIFF), February 19, 2021 (United States)
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