Review of Life of Crime (2013) by Patrick L — 22 Dec 2014

"Life of Crime doesn't quite reach Elmore Leonard's original source material but the cast is great.".

Movie Review: Life of Crime.

Date Viewed: September 3 2014.

Directed By Daniel Schechter.

Screenplay By Daniel Schechter, Based on the novel "The Switch" by Elmore Leonard.

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins,.

Yasiin Bey, John Hawkes, Isla Fisher, Will Forte, Mark Boone Junior and Charlie Tahan.

Based on Elmore Leonard's 1978 novel "The Switch", "Life of Crime" is an entertaining diversion. It's not as brilliant as other Elmore Leonard adaptations like "Get Shorty", "Out of Sight" or "Jackie Brown" but thanks to the talented cast, it works. Inside Leonard's world of wiseguys and tough guys, we also get some very sharp humor and good performances from Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes, Tim Robbins and Mos Def (or call him Yasiin Bey).

"Life of Crime" stars Aniston as Mickey Dawson, the wife of a corrupt real estate developer. Meanwhile, a pair of low-end criminals, Ordell Robbie (Yasiin Bey) and Louis Gara (John Hawkes) are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. Soon, Ordell and Louis kidnap Mickey and they demand her wealthy husband Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins) to give them a lot of money but he refuses to pay the ransom. Frank is in the Bahamas with a young mistress named Melanie Ralston (Isla Fisher).

Mickey soon develops feelings for Louis and they come up with a plan to turn the tables on Frank. These double crosses and plot twists can only come from the mind of Leonard. If the names Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie sound familiar, they were originally played by Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson in Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown". So "Life of Crime" is a prequel to "Jackie Brown". Writer/Director Daniel Schechter is no Quentin Tarantino or Steven Soderbergh but he has made a very slick crime comedy. "Life of Crime" is nothing groundbreaking but the actors are a lot of fun to watch.