User reviews

I enjoyed this film a lot. It's not ground breaking or stylish or full of violence. It's nice and easy with funny characters and some laugh out loud moments. A we'll put together, charming film.

Life of Crime is an aptly titled crime dramedy based on The Switch, a novel by the late Elmore Leonard whose comically dark prose has inspired other noir films like Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown and Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight. It's a slow burning pot boiler but one that simmers with sure-fisted wit, eclectic style and filled with the type of tension that stretches but never snaps.

Written for the screen and directed by Daniel Schechter, this black comedy begins with two petty criminals plotting to kidnap Mickey Dawson (Jennifer Aniston), the trophy wife of Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins) a corrupt businessman who has amassed a fortune by evading tax authorities. Having done their homework on Frank and how much money is stashed away in a tax-free Bahamas bank, Louis (John Hawkes) and Ordell (Mos Def) are the aforementioned crooks who think they have hatched the perfect plan – hold the wife ransom in exchange for the husband's ill-gotten wealth. But unknown to these misdemeanors, Frank has no intention of getting his wife back. Worst of all, Frank's got a hot little mistress (Isla Fisher as Melanie) who has a plan of her own but one that could elevate her status from a gold digger to the new Mrs. Dawson.

Set in the late 1970s Detroit, Life of Crime is potentially familiar in swagger to last year's multi-Oscar nominated American Hustle. Even so, I suspect Schechter has intended for a deeper narration – try homage to the Coen Brothers' acclaimed masterpiece, Fargo. But where those films excelled in authentic storytelling prowess, Life of Crime is a low budget film that seems to be content with a medley of delicious dialogue from improvised characters. From Melanie and Frank to fumbling crooks with terrific lines, spunky characterization works like the unwrapping of a multilayered gift where you get to see what's on the inside at the very end. Mickey is no exception either, going from a beaten-down and delusional housewife to a survivalist with vivacious insight. This is also where Aniston strides further than any of her previous roles and is definitely one of her best performances to date. Also thrown in for kicks are two of Leonard's oddball characters – a neo-Nazi gun nut played by Mark Boone Junior and Will Forte as a weirdo who has the hots for Mickey – both ambiguous characters whose inclusion adds humour but also detracts from the main plot.

For a small scale crime thriller and Schechter's third foray as a director, Life of Crime may not be a very good screen adaptation but where it struggles in its dwindling screenplay, it makes up with an ensemble cast that turns out to be the film's saving grace. Perhaps Tarantino would have done a better job, especially with a montage ending that seems to suggest that the story has only just begun. Then again, that film would have been and entirely different cat and mouse game.

A loose prequel of sorts for the criminal players of Jackie Brown, based on Elmore Leonard's novel The Switch. It's not Jackie, no two ways about it, and it's unfair to compare the two... unfair, but inevitable since they're so spiritually related. The stakes are much lower this time, with a simple kidnapping plot the main point of action and few of the deliciously tangled interwoven story lines of the Tarantino flick. In Leonard's hands that still made for a wildly entertaining read, but on the screen it feels a bit on the shallow side. This translation is missing the charm and finesse of its source material, too, and a little of that spice can really go a long way. John Hawkes manages a really convincing, greasy De Niro impression as the soft-hearted enforcer Louis, while Mos Def's take on mastermind Ordell Robbie (originally played by Samuel L. Jackson) is less indebted to his predecessor. Jennifer Aniston is good as the repressed trophy wife / tennis mom / kidnappee, but the rest of the cast just seems like they're wearing costumes and playing games. They take themselves lightly, so it's tough for me to see the situation as all that serious. It's fine, superficial at worst, but there's little wonder why it slipped under the radar without a whimper when it hit the screens a couple of years ago.

"We need to find a way o put him against the wall." Frank Dawson (Robbins) is a businessman with many enemies. When a group of men are looking for revenge on him they decide to take what is most important to him, his wife Mickey (Aniston). They kidnap her and demand a ransom from him. The only downside is that he was going to divorce her and is with his mistress when they call so he's not all that concerned. This puts strain on the kidnappers when plans have to change. This is another movie based off an Elmore Leonard book. If you have seen the other movies from his books (Jackie Brown, 3:10 To Yuma, Get Shorty and most recently Justified) you will know what to expect. The feel of all of them are pretty much alike. This one does have more of a Get Shorty feel to it in the way that it is a very dark comedy and you aren't sure who to root for. The acting is very good and the movie keeps you interested and entertained but I never really got all that into it. I did like all the twists and the events of this but there was just something missing to make me really like it. I also wasn't a big fan of Get Shorty so if you liked that movie you will probably enjoy this much more then I did. Overall, a movie that I thought was OK and worth watching but nothing that really made me think wow, this is good. I give it a B-.

"So Richard i got a little joke for you, you might like this one, you too Lewis. A Dude goes to the doctor: Doctor says: Sr. you have to stop masturbating. The patient goes: Why? And the doctor goes: Cause i'm trying to exam you."

-Ordell

I first heard of this film when it premiered last year at the Toronto Film Festival, i believe this was actually the film that ended the festival. It's been a year and Toronto 2014 is a couple of days away and only now am i finally seeing this film. I'm not going to lie, the main reason i was interested in seeing this film, is because this is a prequel to Jackie Brown. I was curious to see if the tone was going to be the same and i was interested in seeing the same characters being portrayed by the different actors. I went in without much of an expectation just hoping to have a good time.

Life of Crime is Directed by Daniel Schechter and it stars John Hawkes, Mos Def, Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins, Isla Fisher and Will Forte. "Two common criminals get more than they bargained for after kidnapping the wife of a corrupt real-estate developer who shows no interest in paying the $1 million dollar ransom for her safe return."

Life of Crime eventually ended up being released this year and it made very little noise. It didn't open in a great deal of theaters and it's one of those films that has already been forgotten. The critical buzz was not great either, the film was received with mixed opinions and there seems to have been a consensus that this was a passable film. But i have just recently re-watched Tarantino Jackie Brown, and though not favorite of his, i still got to say that's a pretty exciting ride with some characters that i would be glad to see again on the big screen, even if in the hand of another director and different actors.

Life of Crime isn't obviously as good as Jackie Brown and i think nobody was expecting that. It's a flawed picture that isn't exactly memorable or riveting but i think this is still a pretty entertaining little picture.

One of the surprises i had is that this time the film isn't focused on Ordell but it's actually more focused on Lewis. It's also interesting that Lewis character in this film is completely different from De Niro portrayed of Lewis in Tarantino's work. De Niro's Lewis feels almost like a bum, a no life and here Lewis is a bad motherf*cker, he seems to be way more dangerous than Ordell. And he has a heart too something we don't find in Jackie Brown

Ordell and Lewis though are the only characters present from Jackie Brown. The material from the two films comes from the same auteur but it is there where the two movies similarities end.

Life of Crime does share from it's own share of problems. I think one of the things that makes Tarantino's version more exciting is not only that his writing is much better than the one found here. Jackie Brown is a much more twisted story and it feels more exciting and it's also much more funny. This one is always amusing and there were some laughs here and there, the story is also twisted and we are never sure to whether the picture is going to move next but i felt an overall lack of energy. I guess it's because the lead characters just ain't as memorable here.

The characters here feel a bit lifeless when compared with characters such as Ordell and Jackie Brown in Jackie Brown. I don't blame it on the actors, i blame it on the screenplay that simply ain't as good. The performances here are fine, John Hawkes is a very underrated actor and it was good to see Jennifer Aniston playing a different role for change and by the way she plays it well. Faces like Tim Robbins also appear on screen and Isla Fisher, Will Forte and Mos Def all turn with decent performances. Just that non of them is particularly electrifying.

Life of Crime ain't a particularly dull or bad experience. It has some decent performances in it and it's in the end an entertaining amusing experience but i can't say it's much else. That's why this film as kind of been already forgotten. I would still say though that it is worth a watch.

Rating:C+

The summary of this described it as a comedy. I didn't find it funny.

"Life of Crime" from 2013 is based on an Elmore Leonard story, "The Switch," which has some of the same characters as "Jackie Brown." Sadly this is not in Jackie Brown's league. I'll give it this - it has a great soundtrack.

Jennifer Aniston stars as Mickey, married to a prize jerk, Frank (Tim Robbins), who is involved in shady real estate deals and tax evasion. Unbeknownst to her, he's channeling money to a secret bank account, and his trips include meeting up with a young girlfriend Melanie (Isla Fisher). He also plans on divorcing Mickey and marrying Melanie.

Louis (John Hawkes) and Ordell (Mos Def) have the idea of kidnapping Mickey and holding her for a million dollars ransom. They figure they know too much about his illegal activities for him to refuse.

It turns out that the only one with any brains is Melanie. When Frank gets the phone call about Mickey, Melanie takes over. She starts taking the phone calls, claiming Frank isn't around. It finally occurs to the kidnappers that Frank doesn't really want Mickey back.

There are two other men in the plot who are potentially trouble, but in different ways. There is the neo-Nazi racist with more guns than the Army (Mark Boone Junior) and a guy (Will Forte) who bonds with Mickey.

This just didn't hang together for me. It certainly isn't up to the standard of Elmore Leonard as filmed by Tarantino. I think the filmmakers were going for a Tarantino/Cohen Brothers type of movie, but they didn't pull it off.

"Life of Crime" has good ensemble acting and some funny dialogue, but its pace is off, and it has a low-budget feel to it. It also lacks the layers of films like "Fargo" or "Jackie Brown."

I've never been a fan of Jennifer Aniston's, and this didn't move her up on my list. I consider her just okay. When I think of female stars who can carry a film, she isn't one.

I like this one a lot. Very true to the original Elmore Leonard. Great acting, great writing. Jennifer Anniston is just golden this time around.

"She looks like a million bucks."

If you were to run into Life of Crime prior to having seen Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown then you probably wouldn't feel in the mood to see it considering Daniel Schechter's film is a bit of a letdown. Despite being a prequel to Jackie Brown, which was also based on Elmore Leonard's novel, this film doesn't have that same punch to it. This proves just how difficult it is to do what Tarantino does so well. Leonard always writes rich characters who at times seem quirky. He mixes black humor with action pretty well, but in Life of Crime that spark is missing. The film relies on a talented cast who make the movie a bit more entertaining, but the story simply fails to engage and at times everything seems so light and pointless. There is something phony about these characters and the plot which constantly reminds the audience that there isn't anything true or authentic about this world. For a film based on a Leonard novel, the characters don't seem to have much going for them either. These aren't the characters we fell in love with in films like Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, and Get Shorty which were all created by Leonard. If I had to compare it to another adaptation from a Leonard novel I would say this is much more similar to Armitage's The Big Bounce starring Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman. It is that disappointing no matter how much you like the cast here. Life of Crime doesn't have anything remarkable to say really, it simply is content with existing and perhaps trying to hook Jackie Brown fans along the way. The comedy doesn't work really well, while the vibe and tone of the film is way too silly to take the action seriously. Perhaps I was just familiar with the characters this time around and found the entire premise a bit too ridiculous, but the film simply didn't engage me as much as other Leonard adaptations have in the past.

Life of Crime's talented cast doesn't save this mediocre film, although they provide some enjoyment. The one who stands out is John Hawkes who plays Louis (Robert De Niro's character in Jackie Brown). It is remarkable how he can play such a scary and creepy role in one film and then all of a sudden you see how likable and sweet he can be in another. This time around, Hawkes is extremely likable and charming despite being a kidnapper. His partner in crime is Ordell (played by Mos Def in this film and Samuel L. Jackson in Jackie Brown). Def is also charming in this film and the two play off one another extremely well. As thieves they are completely incompetent, but we still want them to succeed. The weak link in this film was Jennifer Aniston who plays Mickey, the wife who is kidnapped. She simply didn't sell the character. Tim Robbins plays her husband, Frank, who is having an affair with Isla Fisher's Melanie. So you can see how the kidnappers plans are ruined when they find out that the husband has no interest in paying the ransom. That is kind of the whole joke of the film. Will Forte and Mark Boone Junior give strong supporting roles as well and there were actually a few moments involving the two that stood out for me comedic wise. The film did open pretty strongly but it didn't seem to go anywhere and several elements were completely left out. For example, Mickey and Frank's son who was introduced in the opening scenes is completely left out of the picture during the ransom. It's as if director Schechter simply didn't know where to take the story once all the characters were introduced. I was a huge fan of Jackie Brown so I was quite disappointed with this prequel.

Checked "Life of Crime" in Amsterdam and loved it, as did most of the audience... Unlike many of the reviewers here, who may have gone in expecting something different.

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Mos Def and Tim Robbins, "Life of Crime" is NOT a romantic comedy or straight crime story. Rather, it is an Elmore Leonard-derived caper tale set in the late 70s, with the soundtrack and mustaches to match. Staying true to the author's ethos, the dialog is smart, the jokes are hilarious in quite subtle ways, and the storyline gently bends until the protagonists end up in an entirely different place than they were planning to.

Actors usually love doing Leonard scripts - he prefers to let mouths do the talking, not fists - and the cast pretty much nails it here. I loved Mos Def, Isla Fisher and Robbins in particular, but it is Aniston who steals the show. All those years post-Rachel, her comedic timing is still impeccable, and she still has the capacity to get you to care for her, even when cast as a hopeless housewife.

The verdict: I thought "Life of Crime" was just as enjoyable as other recent Elmore Leonard adaptations (that had way bigger budgets and box office mojo): Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" and Soderbergh's "Out of Sight", and would recommend "Life of Crime" especially to people who loved the latter.

Based on late Elmore Leonard's novel The Switch, 'Life of Crime' is an interesting watch, that is funny & finely acted, too! But the slow-pace, makes you feel restless at times.

'Life of Crime' Synopsis: Two common criminals get more than they bargained for after kidnapping the wife of a corrupt real-estate developer who shows no interest in paying the $1 million dollar ransom for her safe return.

'Life of Crime', at 99-minutes delivers a story of crime & deception, admirably. But, as I mentioned before, the slow-pace gets to you after a point. Right after the kidnapping incident, one expects the pace to get faster, but it doesn't. Fortunately, the final act picks up momentum. But better pacing was the need of the day!

Daniel Schechter's Adapted Screenplay has merit & the dialogue, are wonderful. Schechter's Direction is neat, as well. Cinematography is standard. Editing is the weakest link of the enterprise.

'Life of Crime' would've fallen flat had its casting not been right, but over here, each & every actor is perfectly cast. John Hawkes continues to perform brilliantly. Tim Robbins is tremendously despicable, enacting a moron to perfection. Jennifer Aniston is good, but looks aged here. Isla Fisher is first-rate. Will Forte is excellent. Mos Def is superb. Mark Boone. Jr impresses, as well.

On the whole, 'Life of Crime' gets some things right, not all. Watch it if you must!

Well, I do not know what to say, I rarely write a review about a movie, but this movie was too boring, acting was great, plot is kinda familiar, directing is disappointing.

My wife and I was trying to fight falling asleep during watching it. It seemed to be a short movie that usually can be directed in 15 minutes, but they asked for a super director that can execute it in 100 minutes, so that was the final result,,, BORING!

I voted 5/10 because the acting was great, and the ending made me smile. I wont spoil it, but I was surprised.

If you want to kill 100 minutes, or need help for sleeping, watch it!

It's an interesting film that's trying to be a dark comedy but it's not as dark as I would have expected, which made the laughs long in-between.

I've seen this type of comedy in which the victim befriends the captives because their life was not as put together as hoped. This one takes a slower dramatic pace.

Their were some pretty top notch actors in the film like Tim Robbins, John Hawkes and even Mos Def. It's interesting that Jennifer Aniston took on such a small picture, but maybe they thought her appearance would put people in seats(which I guess is true).

Thought the story was good but the pace of the movie just puts me to sleep (Maybe I actually missed the really fun parts while snoring). Don't kill your time with this one.

People should really stop claiming this movie is funny, and the trailer should be pulled for false advertising. There's, like, maybe 4-5 jokes in the whole film. I'm not saying 4-5 are funny, I'm saying there are only 4-5 times where the film briefly even tries to be funny.

This is a drama, but a drama written and directed as lightly and carelessly as a comedy. So we don't care about the characters and we don't care about the stakes. But it's not funny either and the romance is just going through the motions - there's no meetcute, there's no "will they, won't they" it's just "boy meets girl, boy spends time with girl, boy and girl are a thing now". The whole film is mostly filler.

It's strange because the casting, the 70's period stuff and the production values are quite good, and the plot makes sense (there are a handful of moments where characters do inexplicable/stupid things but it isn't clear if it's meant to be funny or the scriptwriter is just that dumb) it's just not clear why you would care to watch it. Most of what you end up watching is a couple of mediocre crooks try to figure out how to make a kidnapping work and struggle. If you want to spend 90+ minutes filling in the time wondering about how you might plan a better kidnapping, by all means watch this movie. If you want to be entertained, dramatically, romantically or comedically, please, watch anything else.

My wife and I stumbled on this slight-looking movie on our streaming device (Amazon), and stayed up too late because we got so caught up in the story. Only when we reached the credits did we realize it was based on an Elmore Leonard story. With John Hawkes, Yasiin Bey, Tim Robbins, and Jennifer Anniston and other fine actors in the cast, how can you go wrong?

Although the story has its share of humor (mainly handled by Mark Boone Junior as a Nazi) and suspense (will Bey, Robbins, and the treacherous Melanie, played by Isla Fisher, succeed in killing or maiming Anniston's character?), it's not as crazy or violent as, say, "Fargo" or "The Professional" (the Gary Oldman/Natalie Portman movie). I love those two movies, but they don't set some kind of new standard of excess that every movie has to meet. Not every director is the Coen brothers; not every actor is Gary Oldman. If you're so jaded you can't appreciate "Life of Crime," stop going to see action movies!

I gave the movie a "7" because for me a movie has to be a serious drama or a comedy you can watch many times before it can earn an 8 or 9. A solid 7 is a good rating for a story whose purpose is entertainment.

Review: I found it really hard to get into this film because the storyline was weak and extremely unrealistic. The movie is based around a couple of guys who kidnap a rich man's wife in order to get a million dollars for her release. Not the most unique idea for a film! Anyway, I was expecting it to be witty, judging by the cast, but it was more silly than amusing. Mos Def and John Hawkes come up with the dumbest of plans, which was just not that well thought through. When there plan starts to go downhill, there terrible criminal minds come up with another sketchy plan to get themselves out of the mess they made. The storyline goes from one extreme to another and it doesn't help that they have a Nazi loving criminal to help them, who also has personal issues. Basically, the movie wasn't funny or interesting but I did stick with the film, just to see what these dumb criminals were going to do next. Average! 

Round-Up: Judging by the unsuccessful box office takings, I'm not alone with thinking that this film was a total waste of a good cast. Its not often that Jennifer Aniston makes "Straight To DVD" movies, but after watching this film, it's not surprising that it flopped. All of the actors try and make the most out of a terrible storyline, but there performances isn't enough to save the film. On the plus side, I did like the ending when characters decide to flip the script and kidnap someone else but it doesn't really go anywhere. I didn't get how someone could go missing for a week without anyone suspecting anything and there was some other sketchy moments that I don't want to mention because I don't want to spoil the film for people who haven't watched it. At the end of the day, it could have been much better if the storyline was thought through properly and if the actual plan made any sense.

Budget: $12million Worldwide Gross: $1.5million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/crime movies about a couple of down and outs, who plan to kidnap a rich man's wife for a million dollar ransom. 3/10

In Life of Crime, unlike many crime thrillers, the focus is on the characters rather than on achievement of maximum possible violence. All of the major characters have their stories and some of them seem to learn from their foolish and sometimes implausible actions. To me, it's refreshing to watch a crime movie in which things continually go wrong as the limitations of the characters are revealed. There's violence, a natural accompaniment to crime, but it's normal violence, not extreme and glamorous solutions to problems of psychotics. And people respond to it in ways that are sometimes smart and sometimes stupid. This is a genre movie that's far better than most.

Same premise. Just would have been better if they had just done a remake. It' s really a cheap and disrespectful way of not acknowledging the 80's classic with Danny Devito and Bette Midler.

So if you've seen RP, this it's the same premise but without any comedy charm. A dud fake remake.

I thought I wouldn't like this movie but I did. The incompetence of the criminals was very funny and the laid back attitude of all involved was great. A nice well put together film. Don't be expecting Oscars and you will like it.

I learned of Elmore Leonard when I saw "Get Shorty", based on one of his novels. I later saw "Jackie Brown" and "52 Pick-Up", also based on his novels. And now there's "Life of Crime". It's another good one. During the first few minutes I thought that it was going to have the same plot as "Fargo", but it has a different story. The characters are the types that you can care about, even the unctuous ones, and the violence helps move the plot along as opposed to being gratuitous. No, it's not a masterpiece, but it's still an enjoyable movie. I especially liked what Jennifer Aniston's character does with the cigarette.

I wonder what Elmore Leonard would have written had he lived longer.