• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Aug 28, 2014 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

For a film about a criminal scheme gone terrifically awry, Life Of Crime is far too squeaky-clean. When the moment where your caper movie’s danger level feels highest—here, a character stepping on broken glass in bare feet—seemed a lot more high-stakes in Home Alone, there’s a problem.

Good-natured lug Louis (John Hawkes) and partner Ordell (Yasiin Bey, nee Mos Def) come up with a plan to kidnap and ransom the socialite wife (Jennifer Aniston) of a wealthy and corrupt real estate developer (Tim Robbins.) The snag is that the sleazy lout doesn’t want his wife back at all, and has shacked up out-of-state with a younger mistress (Isla Fisher.) Negotiations grind to a halt, plans change, and you bet a few hijinks ensue.

Life Of Crime is a pleasant enough movie—but “pleasant” probably isn’t the primary adjective you should want to describe an Elmore Leonard adaptation. Hawkes and Bey make a nice pair of affable hoodlums, and Mark Boone Junior (of Sons of Anarchy) is grotesquely entertaining at times, even as the pair’s slovenly neo-Nazi sidekick. After that, the performances start to feel dialed in. Aniston’s turn is flat; her elegant housewife free of pathos or notable character traits. Tim Robbins’ unscrupulous businessman feels too tame, and Isla Fishler’s manipulative airhead is similar to roles she’s already played out. (This film was shot before Nebraska was released, so we’ll be nice and forgive them relegating Will Forte to a dispensable bit part mired in tiresome bumbling.) This cast is capable of better work, and feels wasted on this dud of a script. Life Of Crime feels stale and toothless, which in an R-rated crime film—particularly a comedy—is unacceptable.

Lifeofcrimemovie.com

Author rating: 3/10