What do you do when your husband refuses to pay a ransom to get you back? Never complain, never explain.
The film “Life of Crime,” had a good story line, but was masked with crude and insenstive humor. Throughout the movie, there seemed to be a underlying misogynistic theme as well as blatant racial slurs that made me question not only my taste in films, but also the world’s view of what is acceptable.
Written and directed by Daniel Schechter, “Life of Crime” is an American drama set in 1978 Detroit with major actors including Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes, Isla Fisher, Yasiin Bey and Will Forte.
Mickey Dawson, played by Aniston, is a well-known socialite and the person of interest in a botched kidnapping by a pair of ex convicts. Louis Gara (Hawkes) and Ordell Robbie (Bey) attempt to kidnap Dawson to get rich quick from her husband’s illegal real-estate dealings.
The pair run into a snag when they realize that Mr. Dawson (Robbins) refuses to pay the $1 million ransom because of his impending divorce and current relations with his mistress Melanie (Fisher). The criminal pair must then find a way to turn around the scrambled kidnapping in their favor. The film spirals into a series of swindling and unbelievable twists that leaves viewers in a state of confusion and suspense.
The soundtrack was perfectly selected and the acting was believable, but the hidden innuendo ruined the film. The film sets a tone that women are inferior to men, seen as objects instead of human beings and do not have the option to voice their opinions or feelings.
Although Aniston seems to come into her own near the end, that does not give this film any more credit. I find it interesting that Aniston was comfortable working on a film with such a deeper meaning than meets the eye.
Another alarming issue was the disregard for the racial slurs that were outwardly and overly offensive. There were a few scenes in which certain characters discussed a particular race and religion with a nonchalant air of amusement. Although Americans no longer live in the past, I do not believe that it is politically correct or acceptable to poke fun at any race, religion or gender. These themes were paramount because media is one of the primary routes in which concepts are delivered to America, regardless of validity.
The plot held many interesting parts that did provoke me to think about things beyond what was on the screen. The positive thing about presenting controversial issues in a film such as this is that it presses the viewers to consider topics that are typically taboo.
Despite its flaws, I would recommend this movie solely because I believe that cultural awakening and diversity are key to growing separate from what is deemed acceptable as a social norm.
