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$Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 'Greedy People.' Courtesy of LionsgateShare on FacebookShare on XShare to FlipboardSend an EmailShow additional share optionsShare on LinkedInShare on PinterestShare on RedditShare on TumblrShare on Whats AppPrint the ArticlePost a Comment “Don’t kill anybody unless you have to,” a rookie cop is told on his first day on the job in Greedy People. Not long afterward, he accidentally does just that, setting off a spiral of lethal events that give the the darkly comic thriller an impressive body count. Unfortunately, the proceedings become increasingly tiresome the more the characters are killed off, with the result that despite an impressive cast, the film comes to feel like a Coen Brothers rip-off.Set on a small island town rather than the snowy Midwest, this Fargo-like tale includes a wide array of characters, nearly all of whom prove either gleefully immoral or just plain dumb. The convoluted plot is set in motion when the aforementioned cop, Will (Himesh Patel), responds to an emergency call and nearly shoots a woman (Traci Lords, giving you an idea of the film’s irreverence) simply going about her business in her kitchen. She becomes hysterical and attacks him, and in the ensuing scuffle she winds up dead. blogherads.adq.push(function () { blogherads .defineSlot( 'medrec', 'gpt-article-mid-article-uid0' ) .setTargeting( 'pos', ["mid-article1","mid-articleX","mid","mid-article"] ) .setTargeting( 'viewable', 'yes' ) .setSubAdUnitPath("ros/mid-article") .addSize([[300,250],[2,2],[300,251],[620,350],[2,4],[4,2],[320,480]]) ; }); Related Stories Movies Oldenburg Festival Unveils Competition Lineup, Tribute to Exiled Filmmakers TV The War for Laughs: Why Streamers Are Battling for Stand-Up Comics Greedy People The Bottom Line Too clever for its own good. Release date: Friday, Aug. 23Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tim Blake Nelson, Uzo Aduba, Nina Arianda, Jim Gaffigan, Simon Rex Director: Potsy PonciroliScreenwriter: Mike Vukadinovich Rated R, 1 hour 53 minutesWill’s partner Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, relishing his character’s sleaziness) convinces him to cover his tracks and blame the killing on a burglar — especially after they discover a million dollars in cash in the house, which they decide to keep. Then it turns out that the woman’s husband, rich shrimp dealer (Tim Blake Nelson), had already hired a hit man to murder his wife so he would be free to marry his lover (Nina Arianda). Naturally, he suspects that he’s been double-crossed. Eventually, seemingly everyone on the island gets ensnared in the plot, including a sleazy masseur (Simon Rex, Red Rocket) whose services include those of the sexual variety; Will’s heavily pregnant wife (Lily Collins, reuniting with her Yesterday co-star Patel), who becomes deeply suspicious of Terry after he “accidentally” runs over her beloved dog; another hired killer, “The Irishman,” (Jim Gaffigan, trying and failing to be menacing), who advertises his services on tear-off flyers promising, “The Last Handyman You’ll Ever Need”; and the no-nonsense chief of police (Uzo Aduba), who’s basically this film’s version of Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson.Screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich (the Jim Carrey Showtime series Kidding, Rememory) works hard for a black comic vibe and sometimes succeeds, as when The Irishman comments about his profession, “Even the most unpleasant job can be done ethically.” But more often than not, you can feel the strain as the film clumsily attempts to blend graphically brutal violence with deadpan humor — one example being the title only being displayed onscreen more than twenty minutes in. blogherads.adq.push(function () { blogherads .defineSlot( 'medrec', 'gpt-dsk-tab-mid-article2-uid1' ) .setTargeting( 'pos', ["mid","mid-article2","mid-articleX"] ) .setTargeting( 'viewable', 'yes' ) .setSubAdUnitPath("ros/mid-article2") .addSize([[300,250],[300,251],[620,350],[2,4],[4,2],[320,480]]) ; });Director Potsy Ponciroli demonstrated real talent with his critically acclaimed Western Old Henry, but he’s not quite able to pull this one off. The film lacks the necessary brazen stylization to allow for the escalating absurdities (by the time the story reaches its conclusion, there are few survivors, which would seem a real deterrent when it comes to the island’s tourism) and plethora of unnecessary subplots.Despite the hard-working efforts of its impressively game ensemble, Greedy People fails to fulfill its considerable ambitions. It lives up to its title by greedily attempting to have its comic cake and eat its violence, too.window._taboola = window._taboola || []; window.pmc_taboola = window.pmc_taboola || []; window.pmc_taboola.push({"mode":"thumbnails-a-3x2","container":"taboola-below-article-thumbnails","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails","target_type":"mix","pmc_defer":false}); Full credits Production: Boies/Schiller Entertainment, Hideout Pictures, LimelightDistributor: LionsgateCast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tim Blake Nelson, Uzo Aduba, Nina Arianda, Jim Gaffigan, Simon Rex Director: Potsy PonciroliScreenwriter: Mike VukadinovichProducers: David Boies, Kevin M. Brennan, Shannon Houchins, Chris Parker, Zack Schiller, Dylan SellersExecutive producers: Dane Eckerle, Phil Keefe, Sam Slater, Mike Vukadinovich, Tyler ZachariaDirector of photography: Eric KoretzProduction designer: Chad KeithEditor: Jamie KirkpatrickCostume designer: Brianna QuickCasting: Lisa Beach, Mitzi Corrigan, Sarah Katzman Rated R, 1 hour 53 minutesRead More About:Himesh PatelJim GaffiganJoseph Gordon-LevittLily JamesTim Blake NelsonUzo Aduba blogherads.adq.push(function () { blogherads .defineSlot( 'nativecontent', 'gpt-dsk-native-article-bottom-uid4' ) .setTargeting( 'pos', 'article-bottom-dsk-tab' ) .setSubAdUnitPath("native/article-bottom") .addSize([[6,6]]) ; }); THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day SubscribeSign Up More from The Hollywood Reporter Santa Barbara International Film Festival Santa Barbara Film Fest to Host Retrospective of ‘Dune’ Helmer Denis Villeneuve’s Work Zoe Saldaña ‘Emilia Pérez’ to Receive Ensemble Award at Mill Valley Film Festival (Exclusive) Venice Film Festival Venice: ‘Don’t Cry, Butterfly’ Trailer Explores a Vietnamese Woman’s Evolving Response to Adultery Justin Baldoni ‘It Ends With Us’ Franchise Might End With Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Feud Megalopolis Adam Driver Pitches Egomaniacal Utopian Future in Official ‘Megalopolis’ Trailer Scotland Why It’s Right That Edinburgh Closes Film Festival With an Ode to Scotland’s Lost Girl Bands blogherads.adq.push(function () { blogherads .defineSlot( 'flexrec', 'div-gpt-dsk-tab-ros-300x600-uid5' ) .setTargeting( 'pos', ["atf","rail-top","right-rail-top","top"] ) .setTargeting( 'viewable', 'yes' ) .setSubAdUnitPath("ros/right-rail-top") .addSize([[300,600],[300,250],[300,601]]) ; }); Shopping With THR Skims Is So ‘Brat’: Shop the Fresh Releases From Charli XCX’s Steamy New Campaign By Erin Lassner Restock Your Return-to-Work Wardrobe at Everlane’s Summer Sale By Danielle Directo-Meston From Taylor Swift’s Chunky Loafers to Selena Gomez’s Slouchy Sweater, Here Are the Best Celeb Staples to Snag During Reformation’s Summer Sale By Erin Lassner Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Returns to the U.S. This Fall — Here’s How to Save Up to $300 Off Tickets By Danielle Directo-Meston blogherads.adq.push(function () { blogherads .defineSlot( 'nativemini', 'gpt-dsk-native-rail-uid6' ) .setTargeting( 'pos', ["native","dsk-tab-native-rail"] ) .setSubAdUnitPath("native/rail") .addSize([[6,6]]) ; }); THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every dayEmail Address Subscribe TodaySign Up By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. 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Liam James21 August 2024
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‘Greedy People’ Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Coens-Lite Thriller Strains for Dark Laughs
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