Rent Emily the Criminal on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: John Patton Ford
Directed by: John Patton Ford
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Bernardo Badillo, Gina Gershon
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Saddled with student debt and unable to find work, a college graduate becomes involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles.
Verdict
How do you survive saddled with debt when you can't get a job? Crime. We understand the why even if Emily's situation soon spirals out of control. What she does isn't right, but you get it. People make rash decisions when their survival is threatened. Plaza does a great job, the directing creates a great mood, and the ending is strong.
Watch It.
Review
This starts with a job interview that is going poorly for Emily (Aubrey Plaza). A conviction on her record makes it difficult to get a job, and the jobs for which she's relegated make it difficult to pay off student loans.
I really like the small details in this movie that build character. Emily goes out with a successful friend. We imagine she's envious with what we know about her life. We later knows she's nervous when she discreetly reaches for mace in her purse.
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| Aubrey Plaza plays Emily Benetto |
Emily, desperate for money, falls into a credit card scam. This creates a great mood. We don't just know she's nervous, we feel it. We know what she's thinking. While hesitant, it nets her easy money which causes her take it even further, accepting another job. This is how she spirals into the criminal underworld. She has no prospects, can't get a job she even likes, and then gets her hours at a catering company cut. Bill are still due, this scam has worked out so far, so she takes another step.
This movie offers an explanation as to why some of the online deals seem too good to be true or why some people are selling a trunk full of brand new merchandise. It's probably stolen. Emily steals and then sells the merchandise. When Emily gets careless, there are immediate repercussions. That makes for an intense scene.
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| Aubrey Plaza plays Emily Benetto |
Emily finally gets a chance to interview for a job she wants. I wondered if she still cared as her criminal career is going well. It's an entry level position, but the boss then reveals that the position is an unpaid internship. The manager calls Emily spoiled for spurning the offer, unwilling to work for free. How can Emily be expected to work for free? If you aren't lucky enough to have college paid for and have someone cover your expenses, the good job may be out of reach. It's a fair bit of social commentary. The whole movie is commentary, but this scene especially comments on how the older generation expects the younger generation to sacrifice. The boss cites various ways she worked through adversity or was taken advantage of, but the boss is blind to how she's trying to take advantage of Emily.
Emily does seem quite adept in the criminal environment, but she's certainly gotten plenty of on the job training. Then again, she has a felony on her record. I give the movie credit for making me surprised at how well she adapts. The movie has told us she has a past. This movie has a way out putting everything together. Later in the movie Emily re-enacts what she's seen. It's brutal, because she knows what it's like to be on the other side. This ends in much the same way, with Emily re-enacting what she's seen.
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