Life of Crime (2013)

• Year: 2013
• Released: 29 Aug 2014
• Country: United States
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663207/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Life_of_Crime
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/life-of-crime
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Comedy, Crime
• Runtime: 98 min
• Writer: Daniel Schechter, Elmore Leonard
• Director: Daniel Schechter
• Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Yasiin Bey, Isla Fisher
• Keywords: kidnapping, detroit, michigan,

	5.8/10
	60/100
	68% – Critics
	37% – Audience

Life of Crime Storyline

Margaret ‘Mickey’ Dawson is a housewife, whose husband Frank (Robbins) has been embezzling millions for years without her knowledge. Career criminals Louis and Ordell catch wind of his scam and figure if they hold Mickey for ransom, Frank would have no choice but to pay up big, without realising Frank is head over heels for his mistress Melanie and doesn’t want his wife back.

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Life of Crime Movie Reviews

Elmore’s wild criminal lowlife characters

It’s 1978 Detroit. Louis Gara (John Hawkes) and Ordell Robbie (Yasiin Bey) are petty criminal best friends. Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins) is a brash abusive real-estate developer. While Frank and his son Bo are away, Louis and Ordell with neo-Nazi Richard Monk kidnap Frank’s wife Mickey (Jennifer Aniston). Marshall Taylor (Will Forte) had interrupted the kidnapping but he is unwilling to reveal the crime. Meanwhile Frank is in the Bahamas with girlfriend Melanie (Isla Fisher). He tells her that he’s getting divorced. The kidnappers want $1 million ransom but it’s questionable if Frank would ever pay.

This is an Elmore Leonard movie or a pale imitation of one. It has the bare bones of unconventional lowlife characters and their desperate eccentric idiocy that is the world of Elmore Leonard. It has some good actors. There are some fun wild moments like a lit cigarette in the eye. However Daniel Schechter doesn’t have quite enough skills to bring Elmore’s words into full bloom.

A life of grime

Elmore Leonard books rarely adapt to good movies. Something about the breezy, sleazy thrillers with undercurrents of dark comedy get lost in the big screen. For every Get Shorty there is a Cat Chaser or The Big Bounce.

Set in late 1970s Detroit, Louis (John Hawkes) and Ordell (Mos Def) are small time crooks who kidnap an ageing trophy wife Mickey Dawson (Jennifer Aniston) of a crooked property developer Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins.) When Frank gets a ransom demand he does not want to pay as he plans to run off with his younger mistress.

Mickey reaches out for her survival instincts as at least as Louis and Ordell come across as nice bumblers. It is Monk the neo nazi pervert whose house that Mickey is holed up in who poses a threat.

Despite a strong performance from Aniston this is a flat and inert movie which lacks the swagger that an Elmore Leonard adaptation should have.

NEVER COMPLAIN. NEVER EXPLAIN

Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins) is a successful Michigan businessman with Mickey (Jennifer Aniston) as his trophy wife. Their life is not perfect as we find out Frank has a girlfriend and has some illegal operations. When Mickey is kidnapped by three colorful individuals, the ransom aspect takes multiple twists as Frank has just filed divorce papers.

This is a light situational comedy. I found it enjoyable, although I thought cast, especially Jennifer Aniston phoned it in. It had potential to be a madcap comedy, but it appeared the writer and director balked at the idea.