‘Life of crime‘, the 2013 film by director and screenwriter Daniel Schechter is an adaptation of a novel by Elmore Leonard, a kind of prequel with the main heroes being the two crooks who also appear as the lead characters in the film Quentin Tarantino 1997 production of ‘Jackie Brown ‘. The approach is much lighter, Schechter doesn’t go as far as Tarantino does with the cruelty towards his own characters. Despite the top class cast and a plot with enough twists, in the style of the films of the Coen brothers (the other visible source of inspiration), ‘Life of Crime‘ is an enjoyable but not a memorable film. In cinematography, sometimes, too much niceness does not take the movie far.
The story takes place in Detroit. Ordell and Louis are partners in crime, that’s what they did and will do all their lives. The two plan to kidnap Mickey, the beautiful wife of Frank, a real estate bussinesman, by transporting her to the home of Richard, an accomplice that it is clear that any villain should avoid, a neo-Nazi named Richard. The problem is that Frank, who is also a crook in his own business, had just sent in the divorce papers and has no intention of paying the ransom demanded. Mickey proves to be an inconvenient victim and differences between the three villains soon emerge. Actually, the story is just beginning.
The cast is of best quality and the acting performances do not disappoint. For Jennifer Aniston and Tim Robbins, the roles of the Dawsons are not the best of their careers, but they suit them and the two do well in them. The pair of villains are played by Yasiin Bey and John Hawkes – both give excellent performances and only fame separates them from Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro who appear in the respective roles in Tarantino’s film. Two other supporting roles are well sketched by Mark Boone Junior and Isla Fisher. ‘Life of Crime‘ succeeds to be enjoyable entertainment. It could have been more. Some would say, however, that this is no small thing either.