Greedy People

by Mike McGranaghan

In the wake of Pulp Fiction’s success, a lot of filmmakers tried to emulate Quentin Tarantino’s style. None even came close. Perhaps less obvious is that a lot of filmmakers have also tried to emulate the style of Joel and Ethan Coen. Director Potsy Ponciroli and writer Mike Vukadinovich are the latest to assume that quirky characters and plots that double back on themselves are all it takes to create cinematic magic. It isn’t that simple. The Coens possess a singularly skewed worldview that gets you thinking about their subject matter in a fresh way. Greedy People lacks that worldview, going the tired old “everyone in this movie is a horrible human being” route instead.

Will Shelley (Himesh Patel) is the newest cop in a small island town. He’s paired up with loudmouth partner Terry Brogan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). During Will’s first day on the job, he causes a terrible accident that leaves local woman Virginia Chetlo (Traci Lords) dead and a million dollars up for grabs. Terry recommends taking the money and hiding it, then making the scene look like a robbery gone wrong. This leads to a series of complications that involve Will’s pregnant wife Paige (Lily James), the deceased woman’s husband (Tim Blake Nelson), a goofball masseuse (Simon Rex), a contract killer (Jim Gaffigan), and the town’s police chief (Uzo Aduba).

Early scenes of Greedy People are the best. There’s a fun vibe between the reserved Will and the unexpurgated Terry. Patel and Gordon-Levitt make that vibe lift off, especially when the panicked cops try to figure out how to avoid implicating themselves in Virginia’s death. Similarly, there’s some interest in the relationship Will has with Paige. He confides in her, but only to a point. Worrying her too much could impact the pregnancy, so he downplays his own involvement. Fans of Yesterday should also enjoy seeing Patel and James reunited onscreen, even though their chemistry this time around is muted.

After the first hour, the movie quickly goes downhill. We start seeing events from different characters’ points of view, which makes the plot feel disorganized. Sticking with the two cops would have led to a more satisfying result. Their dilemma is engaging; the affair between the husband and his secretary, for example, is not. The story takes on a mean-spirited tone, as well. With one exception, every single character is an avaricious weasel. This leads to an excess of violence as they begin to turn on each other. What starts as a lighthearted, if slightly edgy comedy morphs into a dark drama filled with nastiness.

The cast is certainly appealing, and the actors give their all to the material. The material, however, is flawed. Greedy People can’t quite decide what kind of film it wants to be. For every moment of silly humor – like the masseuse demonstrating his exotic dancing skills for the cops – there’s another that’s gloomy and unpleasant. The Coens know how to keep their tone off-kilter enough so that the comedy and the drama blend seamlessly. Ponciroli and Vukadinovich can’t hit that balance, leading to a movie with jarring tonal inconsistencies.

Greedy People wants to be Fargo but ends up closer to Thelma & Louise because it drives itself off a cliff at the end.

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