(L-R) Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Opening In theaters On August 23rd, ‘Greedy people” sounds like a Coen Brothers Film made by people who didn’t actually see the brothers’ work, they only heard it described by someone who remembered the wrong things.
Although Jose Gordon-Levitt leads an accomplished cast, the film around them just doesn’t find the right crew and isn’t as funny or as impactful as it thinks it is.
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Do ‘Greedy People’ Get Rich?
Darkly humorous crime thrillers are a difficult genre to get right. And yes, even though we keep mentioning the Coen brothers, it’s because they mastered it with such films as ‘Fargo‘ and ‘The Big Lebowski‘, among others.
I don’t mean to say that other directors haven’t made it work, but when you have a movie that clearly wants to live up to some of the classics, you have to make sure it actually works. It’s sad to report that ‘Greedy People’ just doesn’t do it. It’s far from unwatchable, but it was marred by some serious problems.
‘Greedy People’: script and direction
(L-R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Writer Mike Vukadinovich is probably better known for television than film: he has worked on shows such as ‘Kidding‘ and Marvel’s ‘Runaways’‘. However, his work as a screenwriter for the big screen has been eclectic, including ‘Memory‘ and contribute to one of the many development drafts of the upcoming ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘.
In this case, though, he’s put a spin on a familiar concept (cash found in a small town filled with all manner of hustlers, grifters, and struggling families willing to do whatever it takes to get it) and, well, he’s come up with the ultimate generic version of said story. There are plenty of quirky characters, but many of them seem like bland copies of earlier, better examples. And as for tone, the movie is all over the place, seemingly unable to decide whether it wants to be quirky, grim, or wannabe insightful about human greed.
Sadly, director Potsy Ponciroli never quite got over the problems with the script he was given. While he gets a handful of solid performances from a cast of top-notch actors, none of them add up to anything really worth watching. And one moment in particular, which features the death of an animal played for laughs, is so unfortunate that it draws sour reactions from even the story’s most interesting character.
‘Greedy People’: Representations
The only person who really seems to be having fun here is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who completely consumes the role of corrupt cop Terry. Around him, everyone else (except possibly Tim Blake Nelson and, in a brief appearance, Traci Lords) feel like they’re in another movie.
Jose Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
In a madcap, dizzying performance, Terry the cop allows Gordon-Levitt to cut loose in a way he is rarely allowed. And he commits, bringing the foul-mouthed, demoralized lawman to life with gusto. Yet, as mentioned before, he feels set apart from almost everyone else, as if he has arrived from another stage.
Indeed, our audience surrogate who draws us into the strange world of Nantucket Island, Patel mostly opts for seriousness, which works somewhat when he plays the explosive role of Gordon-Levitt, but fits more honestly with Lily James (in a ‘Yesterday‘meeting) as his wife.
He’s not bad at all, but he’s also something of a wet sponge compared to his co-star.
Tim Blake Nelson
Nelson, a Coen stalwart, knows exactly what he’s doing in this kind of movie, turning up the eccentricity levels and committing to being a conspiratorial oddball. However, his role is relatively small and what happens to him is fairly predictable.
Supporting cast
Surrounding the main characters is the typical ensemble of townspeople and friends/family. All the actors do what they can, some with little-known roles. Lily James does her best with the role of Will’s pregnant wife, playing her with a nice mix of pragmatism, spirit and vulnerability. Traci Lords has a glorified cameo as a housewife (and the wronged other half of Nelson’s character), whose 911 call sets the film’s plot in motion.
Other notable people who deserve praise? Jim Gaffigan He’s great in a small (and very important) role as local hitman The Irishman. His mannerisms and demeanor are really suited to this type of film, and he makes the character believably odd. Uzo Aduba as the police captain, whose cheerful professionalism hides real pain.
‘Greedy People’: Final Thoughts
Greedy People is probably best described as a worthy failure. It certainly has some watchable performances, decent dialogue, and a handful of funny scenes, but overall it fails to maintain its stride or figure out exactly what it wants to be.
As the body count mounts, the tone becomes increasingly dull, and while Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in his role, even Terry is irritating. If you’re a small-town film noir completist, you might want to check it out, but otherwise it never works as well as it could.
‘Greedy People’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
What is the story of ‘Greedy People’?
Rookie cop Will (Himesh Patel) and his rebellious partner Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) turn their small island town upside down when they accidentally discover $1 million at a crime scene (of their own making).
After the duo recklessly decide to steal the money, the community’s quirky residents are drawn into the mad dash for cash, from an expectant mother (Lily James) to a masseuse (Simon Rex) to a shrimp farm owner (Tim Blake Nelson) — and everyone discovers how far they’re willing to go for the almighty dollar.
Who else stars in ‘Greedy People’?
The cast also includes Uzo Aduba, Nina AriandaJim Gaffigan, Jose Maria Yazpik and Joey Lauren Adams.
(L-R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.