EMILY THE CRIMINAL
US, 2022, 97 minutes, Colour.
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Gina Gershon.
Directed by John Patton Ford.
This is a rather small budget film, a portrait of an arresting character, played with confidence and aplomb by Aubrey Plaza who has shown a great versatility in her choice of roles, farcical comedies, serious dramas, and a role in the award-winning The White Lotus.
Here she plays a young woman, talented as an artist, falling on hard times, working in a diner with home deliveries. She has a friend from high school who leads the high life, international travel, working in an advertising agency, Emily hoping to get an interview at the agency (and when she does, she is demandingly assertive and walks out).
Agreeing to take an extra shift at the diner, her co-worker gives her an address that will gain her some quick money. It turns out to be an organisation that has dummy shoppers, printing all kinds of credit cards, getting the members of the organisation to do the shopping, bring home the goods, get $200. They let people know that there are further stings to be made. Emily decides to go for this, becomes friendly with the leader, Youcef, Theo Rossi, and participates in some of the stings, one of which is split second, causing her to escape and a car chase.
Complications when Youcef’s partner robs him before Youcef can rob the partner – but, Emily asserting herself, pushing Youcef, getting the money – escaping to Mexico and setting up this kind of business herself.
Arresting in its amoral way.
- The film living up to its title? The focus on Emily as a person, character, her criminal trajectory?
- The LA settings, apartments, warehouses, shopping centres, authentic? The musical score?
- Aubrey Plaza as Emily, tough, hard and, yet soft spots? Her background? High school? Art and sketching? Talent? Family responsibilities? Working in the kitchen, the deliveries? Her high school friend, her job, the advertising agency, the possibility of an interview? Javier and his son, asking her to fill in, giving her the number, her going to the meeting, the proposal about the dummy shopping, the card supplied, the possibility of opting out, her staying in, success? The invitation to return? Taking it up? The interactions with Youcef? Her becoming more fully involved, the range of elaborate schemes, the variety of cards, the buying of the car, the interview, checking her credentials, the time limit to get out, the story about the car, her being stopped, driving off, the pursuit?
- The background of her friend, the travels, minding her dog? Meeting at the bar, the drinking? The eventual interview, being an apprentice, not being paid, her outburst at the interview, walking out?
- Youcef, his partners, the team work, the making of the cards, the machine, his explaining it to Emily, are using the machine, making the cards? Youcef and his ambitions, the visits to his mother and her admiration?
- Youcef and his partners, the doublecross, his planning to rob them, their robbing him, Emily and her morale boosting for Youcef, the plan, her taking charge, his being wounded, her getting the money, leaving?
- Emily, on our own, her determination, taking the money, moving to Mexico, a new life, setting up her own dummy shopper business?
