Susan Granger’s review of “Life of Crime” (Roadside Attractions)
Adapted from Elmore Leonard’s 1978 novel “The Switch,” this tepid caper comedy references younger versions of characters that were introduced in Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown.”
Set in the late 1970s in Detroit, the plot pivots on the kidnapping of Mickey Dawson (Jennifer Aniston), the trophy wife of Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins), a corrupt real estate developer, by two, fumbling, low-level grifters, cold-blooded Ordell Robbie (Yasiin Bey, a.k.a. Mos Def) and his sweet-natured partner Louis Gara (John Hawkes), who intend to extort Frank with inside information about his crooked business practices and off-shore bank accounts.
The stinger in their get-rich-quick scheme is that the husband, a drunken lout who has taken off for a love nest in the Bahamas with his calculating, much-younger mistress Melanie Ralston (Isla Fisher), has just secretly filed for divorce. He decides that he’d rather not pay the $1 million ransom to get his wife back – figuring that, if Mickey dies, it will save him a great deal of alimony. It’s an easy out. That sets off an unbelievable sequence of double crosses and plot twists, involving two of Mickey’s admirers: Marshall Taylor (Will Forte), a much-married, milquetoast, country-club friend, and Richard (Mark Boone Junior), the crooks’ Nazi-obsessed accomplice, whom Ordell describes as, “He’s so dumb it’s adorable.”
Writer/director David Schechter (“Supporting Characters,” “Goodbye Baby”) cautiously wavers between dark comedy and light-hearted farce. And that tonal inconsistency is reflected in the various performances. Jennifer Aniston underplays the panicked housewife who’s ready to claim any advantage, while Tim Robbins, Isa Fisher, and Will Forte go for the comedy. Fortunately, Schechter respectfully retains Elmore Leonard’s flavorful, gritty dialogue. Indeed, Leonard, who recently died, is listed as an executive producer.
For reference, in “Jackie Brown,” the Ordell Robbie part was originated by Samuel L. Jackson, while Louis was played by Robert de Niro – in very different characterizations.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Life of Crime” is a slackly paced 6, a modestly amusing noir.
