Greedy People - Review

Rating: 3 out of 5

THE spirit of the Coen brothers looms large over Greedy People, a Fargo-style comedy-thriller involving murder, corruption and betrayal.

But while engaging enough on a basic level, and featuring a decent cast, Potsy Ponciroli’s film ultimately struggles to hit the heights of the films it is trying to emulate.

Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play Will and Terry, two cops who find themselves in a world of temptation and deceit after the former accidentally kills a woman after misguidedly believing a robbery is in progress when he arrives (on his first day).

His partner is forced to help cover the crime up as he was having illicit sex with his married lover when Will committed the crime… but while smashing up the residence to make it look like a robbery, Terry finds $1 million in cash hidden in a basket.

Needless to say, they take the money for themselves and hide it away until the subsequent investigation blows over. But they don’t realise what they have stumbled into, as the money belongs to the owner of the house, local seafood entrepreneur Wallace (Tim Blake Nelson), who had left it for a hitman to kill his wife - and who still wants payment for the work he has put into the contract.

Added to the mix is grieving police chief Murphy (Uzo Aduba), still overcoming the death of her child, who suspects all is not as it seems; Will’s heavily pregnant wife Paige (Lily James), who quickly comes to distrust Terry (despite not knowing all of the facts); a rival hitman and masseur Keith (Simon Rex), who had been sleeping with the victim and may be a witness.

Based on a script by Mike Vukadinovich, Greedy People certainly boasts plenty of potential (not least because of its talented cast) and it looks great (given its plush coastal setting). There is some decent offbeat humour and it understands the requirements of the noir thriller it represents.

But while it does manage to throw in some surprise elements (mostly surrounding the timing of its deaths), there’s also a familiarity to it that deprives it of any lasting impression. You can sense where it’s heading, even if the order is sometimes jumbled.

The script also lacks the sophistication of either the Coens or many of their subsequent imitators, with several moments either coming over as crass or forced (the former particularly so with regard to the sexual elements).

The characters, too, struggle to make themselves at all likeable (it’s not often that you can say that about Gordon-Levitt), with only Aduba’s police chief emerging with any decency or integrity. But in most other cases, there’s just not enough depth.

The overall result is a film that passes the time amiably enough, but one that disappears from the memory all too quickly. Given the quality of its cast, that’s perhaps even more disappointing.