Criminal Emily Late Review!

Published: September 13, 2022, 10:24 PM CST by HouseOfMacleod

Hello movie buffs and welcome to the House of Macleod movie review corner. Today we take a look at Emily the Criminal by John Patton Ford.

Starring Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Gina Gershon from a screenplay also written by Ford, Emily the Criminal is one of those little gems you're happy to see you be seated. Although this movie was released a month ago (August 12th) and I'm a little late in delivering this review, I just caught it today so why not give it a call "Last review with the House of Macleod?"

Fast forward, the film tells the dark little story of a woman named Emily expertly played by Plaza. Strangled by a $70,000 student debt and a felony conviction, she has a huge problem getting into the job market and manages to make ends meet by delivering food to high-end businesses. Finding that the interest she pays back alone is eating away at her payments, she thinks she will never find a way out of the circle of despair or debt and live her dreams of being an artist and traveling to South America. South. I loved the social commentary that surrounds Emily's issues. This not only made the character more believable, but it gave the film, in general, a slight edge that was not only relatable but realistic. Why do we turn to crime? What are the reasons for doing the things we do? Some of us live week to week, paycheck to paycheck, our dreams being just that, dreams. It's a horrible way to live your life, starting out with good intentions only to get crushed by a system fueled by money and a government that only sees you as a dollar sign. A debt, when you wanted to be a doctor. Emily sees it and the weight crushes her. When a coworker offers her a way to make a quick two hundred dollars, she hesitates at first, but in today's economy, a dollar is a dollar, so she texts the number he gives her and goes to the place where they tell him the next morning. When she gets there, she quickly discovers that she is there to do credit card fraud for an Armenian fraud ring. The highlight of this movie for me was Aubrey Plaza. Although I generally love her as an actress, it's really the first thing I've seen her in that had a more serious tone and she plays Emily with a very I'm crazy attitude. In fact, she does something that I love with the character. I forgot for a second that I was watching Aubrey Plaza. Getting me off the famous face and investing in the character is the sign of a top actress and that's exactly what Plaza brings to this role. She's not a hero, nor is she a villain. She plays the part with the idea that her character is an ordinary human being, with ordinary human being issues and she is shown a possible way out. There is no massive dilemma, there is no conscience or inner struggle. She is a woman who knows what she wants and quickly realizes that she has the balls to get it as soon as the means are presented to her. That's what I loved about this movie. It is reality. The underlying sense of dread that runs through it. Not just the social commentary or character portrayal, but also the cinematography and locations used. Emily could be your friend, your cousin, your downstairs neighbor and the sets and scenes reflect that. Like I said at the start, this is a little gem of a movie and if you're lucky enough to catch it, do it. Your movie dollars will not be wasted. Currently, you can watch the film in select theaters and at home in the United States via video on demand on Direct TV, but the release date has yet to be announced.

Official House of Macleod score 9/10 - Won but not cheated.