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britprincess1ajax
Jul 03, 2016britprincess1ajax rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
An odd jumble of crime comedy and dark drama, LIFE OF CRIME centers on a botched kidnapping, similar to that of FARGO on the surface but not quite as good. Failing to collect ransom and struggling to work together, the kidnappers operate on all different levels, one too sensitive and friendly, another a womanizer prone to flipping the switch, and the last a nutty Nazi sympathizer with aggressive tendencies and loyalty to no one. Its ensemble is fairly solid with Jennifer Aniston accepting a smarter and more sophisticated role than she typically accepts, along with the well-cast John Hawkes and Tim Robbins. Of all of the performances, Isla Fisher is arguably the weakest link in the chain, there to instigate conflict without motive. But the main problem with LIFE OF CRIME is that it doesn't fit any genre and falls into perpetual overlap. It would have been better as a full-on seventies-era comedy, scrapping the grittier elements and focusing on the dynamics between the kidnappers, the kidnapped, and those who refuse to pay. But instead it loses momentum getting bogged down in heavy themes and lingering close-ups. Too much gloom and doom meant not enough room for smirks and smiles. While I didn't mind watching it, I wouldn't recommend LIFE OF CRIME.