Director: Daniel Schechter
Cast: Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Jennifer Aniston and Mos Def
Crime comedies are a delightful breed of movies. They have the right amount of thrill and ample room for wit. Life Of Crime is one such gem. It’s genuinely funny, cleverly written and smartly acted. Author Elmore Leonard is known to be an excellent crime novel writer, and Life Of Crime is based on his acclaimed book The Switch. So the inventiveness and dexterity in writing is no surprise. With a stellar cast on offer this one does become a proverbial steal of a deal.
This is a period film. It’s based in the late ‘70s and the setting makes it an even fresher prospect. Two con men hatch a plan to kidnap the trophy wife of a real estate magnet. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. It helps that every character has an odd trait that makes the situation even more hilarious. The bad guys aren’t all that bad, the good guys aren’t all that good. The result is a nice blend of comedy of errors. There are certain insights in the writing that just blow you away. For instance, when the con men break into the house to kidnap the wife, they can’t move in at the instant, because she’s talking on the phone. There are many such instances of sublime intelligence.
But if there’s one thing that movie lore has taught us, it’s that good source material doesn’t always make a good film. It all boils down to the interpretation and execution of the team making the film. It’s here that Life Of Crime truly finds its force. With names like Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Jennifer Aniston and Mos Def on the roster things have to go right. But it’s the relatively new director / writer Daniel Schechter who surprises. His take on the story and his treatment of situations is brilliant. The characters are odd, the humour is subtle, witty and wry and the situations are ever so surreal. It’s reminiscent of the Coens’ brand of cinema. At least superficially. It’s definitely not as dark and masterful as a Coens’ film. But it is appropriately dialogue heavy and the scenes unintentionally funny.
As it happens in every Coens’ movie, it’s the actors who hit the home runs. Life Of Crime benefits hugely due to the talents of Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Mos Def and Jennifer Aniston. Robbins and Def are supporting characters. Yet they light up the situations with clinical performances. Hawkes and Aniston on the other hand make the odd couple. One is the kidnapper the other is the trophy wife. Put together they’re as unique and odd as the seventies.
If you’re in India, do not waste time with other big ticket releases playing in theatres right now. Go watch this wonderfully executed and delightfully funny crime caper comedy. The characters will engage you, the story will surprise you and the dialogue will make you laugh out loud. Go criminally good time.
Cast: Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Jennifer Aniston and Mos Def
Crime comedies are a delightful breed of movies. They have the right amount of thrill and ample room for wit. Life Of Crime is one such gem. It’s genuinely funny, cleverly written and smartly acted. Author Elmore Leonard is known to be an excellent crime novel writer, and Life Of Crime is based on his acclaimed book The Switch. So the inventiveness and dexterity in writing is no surprise. With a stellar cast on offer this one does become a proverbial steal of a deal.
This is a period film. It’s based in the late ‘70s and the setting makes it an even fresher prospect. Two con men hatch a plan to kidnap the trophy wife of a real estate magnet. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. It helps that every character has an odd trait that makes the situation even more hilarious. The bad guys aren’t all that bad, the good guys aren’t all that good. The result is a nice blend of comedy of errors. There are certain insights in the writing that just blow you away. For instance, when the con men break into the house to kidnap the wife, they can’t move in at the instant, because she’s talking on the phone. There are many such instances of sublime intelligence.
But if there’s one thing that movie lore has taught us, it’s that good source material doesn’t always make a good film. It all boils down to the interpretation and execution of the team making the film. It’s here that Life Of Crime truly finds its force. With names like Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Jennifer Aniston and Mos Def on the roster things have to go right. But it’s the relatively new director / writer Daniel Schechter who surprises. His take on the story and his treatment of situations is brilliant. The characters are odd, the humour is subtle, witty and wry and the situations are ever so surreal. It’s reminiscent of the Coens’ brand of cinema. At least superficially. It’s definitely not as dark and masterful as a Coens’ film. But it is appropriately dialogue heavy and the scenes unintentionally funny.
As it happens in every Coens’ movie, it’s the actors who hit the home runs. Life Of Crime benefits hugely due to the talents of Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Mos Def and Jennifer Aniston. Robbins and Def are supporting characters. Yet they light up the situations with clinical performances. Hawkes and Aniston on the other hand make the odd couple. One is the kidnapper the other is the trophy wife. Put together they’re as unique and odd as the seventies.
If you’re in India, do not waste time with other big ticket releases playing in theatres right now. Go watch this wonderfully executed and delightfully funny crime caper comedy. The characters will engage you, the story will surprise you and the dialogue will make you laugh out loud. Go criminally good time.
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