by Josh Sewell
Two of my favorite authors are Elmore Leonard and Flannery O’Connor. I’ve read plenty of their works, and they’re both entertaining and deeply philosophical. So, you can imagine my surprise when a movie that hits select theaters and On Demand this weekend came out of nowhere to deliver a modern spin on the work of both darkly comedic writers.
Greedy People, from director Potsy Ponciroli and screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich, is a crime thriller revolving around rookie police officer Will (Himesh Patel) and his rogue partner Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who discover a bunch of money at a crime scene after a bizarre accident. When the pair decides to cover up a death so they can steal the cash, they initiate a bloody chain of events that ropes in Will’s pregnant wife (Lily James); a dimwitted masseur (Simon Rex); a seafood company owner (Tim Blake Nelson) and his mistress (Nina Arianda); as well as two low-rent assassins (Jim Gaffigan and José María Yazpik).
The premise of Greedy People is simple, but Vukadinovich and Ponciroli (director of 2021’s equally strong Old Henry, which also starred Nelson) use it to explore the seedy underbelly of seemingly humdrum small-town life. Every character is a cliché on the surface, but over the course of the film they reveal their complex natures. Even though they all behave in a despicable manner – aside from a kindhearted cop played by the fantastic Uzo Aduba – that doesn’t mean they’re not interesting people. The filmmakers understand that awful can still be compelling.
That’s particularly true of Gordon-Levitt. He’s been acting since he was a kid in the 1980s, so I think audiences tend to take his talent for granted. Considering the movie takes place in rural South Carolina, he could’ve easily played Terry as a stereotypical corrupt and racist cop. Instead, his worldview and (admittedly immoral) extracurricular activities make him a compelling protagonist. In a simpler movie, he’d be a straightforward villain; but when his co-stars are playing characters who are just as awful, he’s on an equal playing field. Let’s call him an antihero.
The same goes for Patel and James (reuniting after their work in in the disappointing Yesterday), playing a happily married couple who quickly find themselves in way over their heads. To cover up a profoundly unfortunate fluke of nature, instead of owning up to the truth, they’re forced to pile one lie on top of the other in a futile attempt to escape fate.
Nelson and Arianda (who was robbed of a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in Aaron Sorkin’s otherwise lackluster Being the Ricardos) also deliver excellent comedic performances. Granted, it’s delightful to see their characters get their comeuppance following a duplicitous scheme that put a bunch of other people in harm’s way.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see the great Joey Lauren Adams in a small but entertaining role. The actress, best known for her work in Chasing Amy, Dazed and Confused and Big Daddy, hasn’t had many high-profile roles since the ’90s, but I’m always happy to see her pop up in something I’m watching. (On that note, be sure to keep an eye out for Chasing Chasing Amy, a phenomenal documentary about Kevin Smith’s indie darling, coming out this fall.)
However, the honor of the most powerful performance goes to Aduba. Although she’s not in the film for very long compared to her co-stars, her character’s moral compass is what gives Greedy People its emotional heft. The opening and closing scenes pack a real wallop, and that’s because she brings home the real stakes of the story.
To bring it back to the comparison I made to Leonard and O’Connor several paragraphs ago, Greedy People understands the ridiculous and contradictory nature of humanity. Seemingly well-meaning individuals are willing to throw away all morals and compassion when it comes to their own selfish desires. Sure, they might be able to justify their decisions on a basic level. However, when you view those actions on a larger scale, it becomes easy to see just how destructive they can truly be.
Plus, as with Leonard and O’Connor’s best works, the movie is funny until its dead-serious conclusion. Most viewers probably don’t want to see these characters display the worst side of themselves, but it’s ridiculously entertaining to watch them make things worse despite their best efforts to conceal their immorality.
Greedy People is rated R for violence, language throughout and sexual content. Opens in select theaters and available On Demand starting August 23.
Grade: B
Greedy People, from director Potsy Ponciroli and screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich, is a crime thriller revolving around rookie police officer Will (Himesh Patel) and his rogue partner Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who discover a bunch of money at a crime scene after a bizarre accident. When the pair decides to cover up a death so they can steal the cash, they initiate a bloody chain of events that ropes in Will’s pregnant wife (Lily James); a dimwitted masseur (Simon Rex); a seafood company owner (Tim Blake Nelson) and his mistress (Nina Arianda); as well as two low-rent assassins (Jim Gaffigan and José María Yazpik).
The premise of Greedy People is simple, but Vukadinovich and Ponciroli (director of 2021’s equally strong Old Henry, which also starred Nelson) use it to explore the seedy underbelly of seemingly humdrum small-town life. Every character is a cliché on the surface, but over the course of the film they reveal their complex natures. Even though they all behave in a despicable manner – aside from a kindhearted cop played by the fantastic Uzo Aduba – that doesn’t mean they’re not interesting people. The filmmakers understand that awful can still be compelling.
That’s particularly true of Gordon-Levitt. He’s been acting since he was a kid in the 1980s, so I think audiences tend to take his talent for granted. Considering the movie takes place in rural South Carolina, he could’ve easily played Terry as a stereotypical corrupt and racist cop. Instead, his worldview and (admittedly immoral) extracurricular activities make him a compelling protagonist. In a simpler movie, he’d be a straightforward villain; but when his co-stars are playing characters who are just as awful, he’s on an equal playing field. Let’s call him an antihero.
The same goes for Patel and James (reuniting after their work in in the disappointing Yesterday), playing a happily married couple who quickly find themselves in way over their heads. To cover up a profoundly unfortunate fluke of nature, instead of owning up to the truth, they’re forced to pile one lie on top of the other in a futile attempt to escape fate.
Nelson and Arianda (who was robbed of a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in Aaron Sorkin’s otherwise lackluster Being the Ricardos) also deliver excellent comedic performances. Granted, it’s delightful to see their characters get their comeuppance following a duplicitous scheme that put a bunch of other people in harm’s way.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see the great Joey Lauren Adams in a small but entertaining role. The actress, best known for her work in Chasing Amy, Dazed and Confused and Big Daddy, hasn’t had many high-profile roles since the ’90s, but I’m always happy to see her pop up in something I’m watching. (On that note, be sure to keep an eye out for Chasing Chasing Amy, a phenomenal documentary about Kevin Smith’s indie darling, coming out this fall.)
However, the honor of the most powerful performance goes to Aduba. Although she’s not in the film for very long compared to her co-stars, her character’s moral compass is what gives Greedy People its emotional heft. The opening and closing scenes pack a real wallop, and that’s because she brings home the real stakes of the story.
To bring it back to the comparison I made to Leonard and O’Connor several paragraphs ago, Greedy People understands the ridiculous and contradictory nature of humanity. Seemingly well-meaning individuals are willing to throw away all morals and compassion when it comes to their own selfish desires. Sure, they might be able to justify their decisions on a basic level. However, when you view those actions on a larger scale, it becomes easy to see just how destructive they can truly be.
Plus, as with Leonard and O’Connor’s best works, the movie is funny until its dead-serious conclusion. Most viewers probably don’t want to see these characters display the worst side of themselves, but it’s ridiculously entertaining to watch them make things worse despite their best efforts to conceal their immorality.
Greedy People is rated R for violence, language throughout and sexual content. Opens in select theaters and available On Demand starting August 23.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment