Have you watched Netflix’s latest I Care A Lot? It stars Rosamund Pike and is an infuriating and riveting ride. It’s also the type of movie you should go in as fresh as possible for. As this article is about the ending, it contains SPOILERS UPON SPOILERS UPON SPOILERS. So, if you haven’t watched it yet, this is your warning. Please bail. Go watch the movie and then return.
It seems everyone is having a strong reaction to Rosamund Pike’s latest movie I Care A Lot, myself included. I watched it this weekend and swore out loud at several characters from the safety of my couch because they’re the absolute freaking worst. It’s the type of thing you just have to have feelings about, which is the whole point. The ending especially has proven to be quite the topic of conversation. Some love it. Some hate it. Let the record show Rosamund Pike herself loves it.
The actress recently sat down for an interview in which she talked about the divisive thriller, and during the chat, she gave her own take on the ending. More specifically, she touched on that feeling of being sort of unsure about who you’re rooting for and whether you want to see Marla get away with it. Here’s what she told USA Today…
I love the ending of this film because it gives you everything. You sort of want to see Marla win. You want to see the giddy heights of success: the wall of wards and then Grayson Guardianship tower blocks going up, and the idea of care homes all over the country with her name on them. In like a couple of years, this whole shady business is going to be washed clean and she's going to be a pillar of industry making hefty bequests to charitable organizations. She's going to be Saint Marla… People like that get away with it all the time. That is how it goes. And then of course (the movie) doesn't let her get away with it.
I’m glad the movie doesn’t let her get away with it. I like rooting for an anti-hero now and again, but I never really found myself rooting for Marla. I appreciate her stubborn determination and her ruthless will to get ahead, but her crimes, at least to me, are way too reprehensible to get away with. She had a chance to walk away and completely misunderstood the opponent she was playing against and how far she was out of her depth. There had to be consequences for her miscalculation, and despite what Pike says in the above quote, I’m not entirely sure that many viewers “sort of want to see Marla win.” My guess is the majority are rooting for Peter Dinklage’s character or possibly rooting for everyone to lose.
Reaction to I Care A Lot has been very strong so far. The film earned Rosamund Pike a Golden Globe nomination, and it has generated a lot of really strong reviews, including one from CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg who gave the film five stars. I’m not sure I’m quite so high. I had a few issues with the car in the water scene and could have used way more Chris Messina, but the fact is I was engaged and glued to my television the entire time. I felt very invested in everything going on, and that's not easy when you don't really identify with or particularly want the best for many characters.
I Care A Lot is currently streaming on Netflix. I’ve been recommending it to friends. Part of that is because I think they’ll actually enjoy the movie. Part of that is because I really want more people to talk to about the third act and whether they liked the choices the movie makes, and part of me feels an absolute need to celebrate Dianne Wiest adding another great role to her already amazing resume.
