This is the story of Marla Grayson. Professional guardian. She sees people as predators and prey, those who take and those getting took. Calls herself a lioness, but what she really is... A sociopath.
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00:00Welcome back to Movie Recaps. Today I will show you an American thriller film from 2020, titled, I Care A Lot. Spoilers ahead. Watch out and take care.
00:09This is the story of Marla Grayson, professional guardian. She always has the sharpest outfit and the warmest smile. Thinks there is no such thing as good people.
00:17She sees people as predators and prey, those who take and those getting took. Calls herself a lioness, but what she really is? A sociopath.
00:25A man walks into an eldercare facility, the son of one of the residents. The personnel know who he is. He's visibly distressed, wanting to get inside, demanding to see his mother.
00:34He's not allowed to do that and gets taken down by the orderlies. Later, he's in court arguing against Marla Grayson, saying that she's taking advantage of his mother, putting her in a nursing home, auctioning of her house, and using the money from that to pay herself.
00:47The judge stops him and tells him that it was himself who put his mother in Marla's charge, while Marla nods in agreement. She asks the judge for a word and makes an incredible speech about the importance of her profession, about how much she cares and how, as an outsider to the family, she's the one that can give her elderly wards what they really need.
01:02Naturally, her speech convinces the judge, who rules in her favor. Marla walks out of the courtroom a winner, where she is met by her partner Fran. The man of the old woman that remained under her care runs after her, threatens her and spits on her. She takes him down with just a few words.
01:16Later, Marla and Fran walk into her office, where she takes care of business, revolving more around money than on actual eldercare. She takes a call with the manager of a nursing home, Sam Rice, while looking at a whiteboard with pictures of her elderly wards. He informs her that one of her wards has died.
01:32She's angry because she will have to give his estate over to his family, but realizes that now that his room is empty she'll be able to fill it with another old person. She rips the picture of her dead ward from her whiteboard. Buys the manager off, to hold the room in his facility for her, until she gets another client.
01:47Marla and Fran go to see a doctor that works with them and specializes in care for old people. The doctor informs them that she might have a potential client for them who has some small signs of dementia, that can be played up in court. Most importantly, she calls the client a cherry, a real cherry, meaning that the client has no kids, no family, no living relatives. They negotiate a price and the doctor gives them the client's files. Fran researches the client, whose name is Jennifer Peterson. She stakes out her house, sees where the old lady spends her days, checks her accounts and property.
02:16Fran informs Marla that they are potentially looking at a golden goose. They decide to take her on as a client. The doctor testifies in an emergency trial that Jennifer Peterson is unfit to take care of herself and is at high risk if she is left alone. Since Peterson doesn't have any relatives, the judge asks Marla, who is conveniently at the courthouse as well, to take her under her care. Marla graciously accepts. Jennifer Peterson lives in an amazing home. Marla rings her doorbell and explains that she works with her doctor. She shows Jennifer the court order that places Marla as her legal guardian.
02:46Jennifer thinks it's a mistake, since she never really went to court, and that she doesn't need help. But then Marla informs her that she doesn't really have a choice, that she should come willingly to the nursing home. When Jennifer starts protesting, she convinces her to come to the nursing home temporarily until she can report it to the court and request a hearing. Jennifer half-heartedly agrees, while Fran helps her to get packed. Before they leave Marla takes the keys to her house, under the pretense that she needs it to take care of her property until she sorts out the supposed misunderstanding.
03:13While on their way to the eldercare facility, Marla calls the manager there and tells him that she should give Jennifer the full works. When they arrive there, Jennifer is still in shock about what's going on, looking sheepishly at the personnel, all of whom are smiling and waving and showing her around the facility. Marla shows her to her room.
03:29Welcome home, she says. She sits Jennifer down, explaining how she will be taken care of there and manages to take her cell phone from her. Marla, Fran and the personnel exit the room, leaving Jennifer confused and alone. With Jennifer safely in the nursing home, Marla and Fran are free to continue with their scam. They start evaluating and rummaging trough her house, her belongings, turning everything upside down. Marla finds a secret key, taped to the underside of a drawer. They box all of Jennifer's belongings up and sell it at an auction.
03:57Later that day, they celebrate together and it's revealed that they are also romantic partners. Meanwhile, back at the facility, Jennifer asks for her cell phone and when she is denied using it she gets rattled, so the orderlies have to sedate her. The next day, Marla is at a bank, having figured out where Jennifer's secret key is from. She opens a safety deposit box with it and finds different things inside, including a bible with a cutout center, where she finds a hidden satchel full of diamonds. In the meantime, Fran is looking over the renovation of Jennifer's home.
04:25Outside, a taxi pulls up and a cabbie walks out to the house. Fran answers the door and he tells her that the taxi for Mrs. Peterson has arrived. When she tells them that she is no longer there, the cabbie is visibly distressed about that. A serious-looking man is buying macaroons. He enters a black jeep that takes him someplace shady, where he meets with the cabbie. He tells the man that Jennifer is not at her house. The man is confused, saying she's never missed an appointment, she's clearly important to him. He gets angry with the cabbie, tells him he messed up, since Jennifer is his mother.
04:54He holds the cabbie at gunpoint and tells him to find her. Meanwhile, Marla tells Fran about the diamonds and that they're not insured. She thinks no one will miss them, so she takes them. The cabbie goes back to see Jennifer's son and tells him that he has found his mother. He explains what actually happened to his mother and that Marla has control over her and all of her assets.
05:12The son tells the cabbie, whose primary job clearly isn't driving a cab, to call Dean and get his mother out legally and fast. Dean Erickson is waiting in Marla's office when she comes in. He tells her that he is a lawyer representing Jennifer Peterson. Marla mockingly looks at him as he explains that Jennifer doesn't need nor want her care, that he has spoken with her and that he has seen her two weeks ago. Marla calls his bluff, saying that Jennifer's health deteriorated right about that time. The lawyer doesn't believe her. He calls her out on her hustle and tells her that he actually admires her for it.
05:40But, he insists that Jennifer Peterson is off limits. Why? She asks. He threatens her, implying that she might end up dead. Marla doesn't budge. Moreover, she seems unaffected, asking who hired him and telling him she won't release Jennifer from her care. He changes tactics and offers her money. She raises the price in the millions and he refuses to go that high. So she refuses too.
06:02Before he leaves, the lawyer warns her that she will regret her decision and might end up losing everything. Fran and Marla can't figure out who sent the lawyer. Marla isn't scared of him, unlike Fran. Instead of finding out by themselves, Marla decides to go and ask Jennifer about him. When she gets to the facility, she is informed that Jennifer is on a lot of sedatives. When she sits down to talk to her, she sees that Jennifer is a little loopy and forgetful. But as she presses her for information, the old woman turns to her and says he is coming.
06:29Marla presses for information still, asking who Jennifer really is and tells her that she knows about the diamonds. Jennifer tells her that this was the worst mistake she ever made and asks for her cell phone. After not getting what she was after, Marla threatens Jennifer and tells her that she now controls her life. Marla then goes to the manager and tells him to change her routine and her diet, meaning to restrict her movement and her medication, basically torturing the old woman.
06:51Jennifer's son goes to the bank to check on the safety deposit box. He doesn't find the diamonds there. The lawyer and Marla are in court. He argues against the court order from the previous trial, saying that there was no emergency at all and that his client should have been present there. Convinced he has the right piece of evidence, he presents the court with an affidavit by an ex-employee of the doctor that had been helping Marla. Calls her testimony there scandalous, thinks he had managed to uncover Marla's scam.
07:15Unfortunately, Marla reminds the judge of the witness and her animosity toward the doctor, so the judge rules out the witness as not credible. Dean asks why Jennifer, his client isn't present again and says he had been denied access to her. Marla succeeds to cut his arguments down again and convinces the judge that Dean is the scammer and it wouldn't be for Jennifer's best interest if he goes and sees her. The judge denies the request to resolve Marla's guardianship.
07:37After the trial, the lawyer explains the situation to Jennifer's son, who is very angry. Immediately, his jeeps pull over in front of the care facility, where his mother is kept. The cabbie and two of the son's men walk into the facility and ask the manager for a tour of the place. Meanwhile, Fran tells Marla that Jennifer Peterson is actually not Jennifer Peterson. It's a stolen identity, dating decades. Back at the facility, the manager is giving the cabbie and the two men a tour of the place, who are pretending they want to bring their father there.
08:05The cabbie tries to convince the manager to let him see Jennifer and when he shows reluctance, he tases him. In the meantime, Marla and Fran talk about the Jennifer's identity, realizing that his was set up perfectly. Marla gets a call from the facility, informing her about what is happening there. The cabbie and the two men find Jennifer, but the security from the facility catches up to them and starts shooting. While the two men and the security guard are down, the cabbie and Jennifer try to leave the facility. Jennifer's son is outside, waiting and sees Marla pull up to the facility.
08:33The cabbie threatens the orderlies with a gun to let him and Jennifer go, but as soon as the door opens Fran and Marla grab him. Jennifer starts running toward her son's jeep, but the orderlies get to her before she could make it to him. The police arrive and arrest the cabbie, Jennifer's son leaves without her. The cabbie is at a police station, not telling the detective anything, but she finds him in their system, since he'd been in jail before. The detective tells Marla and Fran that he is Alexei Ignatieff, part of the Russian Mafia. He was thought to be dead, along with his father and their boss, Roman Lunyov.
09:03She tells them that they were drug smugglers and asks why they were after Jennifer. Marla makes up a story and the detective believes her. Jennifer's son makes a call and in the next moment someone goes to visit the doctor that was working with Marla. Later, Marla finds out from the news that the doctor is dead. She tells Fran about that and the two talk about leaving, because Fran is afraid of what might happen to the two of them. Marla isn't afraid though, she is incredibly persistent and convinces her girlfriend that they should stay.
09:29She then makes a call to her office and gets a list with all the unsold houses that belong to her clients. She goes to see Jennifer again and asks her about Alexei and the Russian Mafia. Jennifer threatens her, telling her that her son will let her live if she lets her go. Marla doesn't back down though. She answers Jennifer's there at with one of her own.
09:45I'm never letting you go, I own you. Jennifer tries to strangle her. The next day, Marla is showing a tape of Jennifer trying to strangle her to the court. She says that her mental health has seriously deteriorated and needs to be moved into a psychiatric facility. The judge agrees and Jennifer is moved to the asylum.
10:01That night, Marla and Fran move into a different house. Marla goes to get the diamonds evaluated. She gets told that they are great. Meanwhile, Fran needs to go back to their old house and get their passports, just in case they might need them. As Marla walks up to her car, someone darts her with a tranquilizer and kidnaps her. Back at their old house, two men break in and attack Fran. Marla has been taken to Jennifer's son. He tortures her, but she doesn't back down. He says she reminds him of someone he'd killed before. Marla still doesn't flinch and asks him who he is.
10:31The son tells her that she should be afraid, but she isn't, so she keeps taunting him. He then shows her a picture of her mother and threatens her to. But, Marla doesn't care. In fact, she tells him that she knows that he is Roman Lunyov and that he doesn't have to kill her, just buy her off. Marla asks for $10 million. Roman laughs it off and tells her that she is stupid and brave. She insists to be bought off, but Roman tells his people to get rid of her. They tranquilize her again and start pouring alcohol down her nose. They put her in a car, trying to make it look like a car accident.
11:01But Marla, who is insanely tough, almost unbeatable, wakes up in the car as it's being hurled toward a lake. A car falls in, she struggles to get out, breaks a window and swims out of the car to the surface of the lake and then the shore. Unbeatable, she only lost a tooth in the accident. Marla walks to a nearby gas station where she buys milk, clothes and something to eat. Puts her tooth in the milk and asks for a cab. She calls Fran, but she doesn't pick up. A cab finally gets her to her old house. Marla goes inside and finds that it smells of gas.
11:29Fran is unconscious on the floor. She manages to pull her out and wake her up. As they pull away from the house and their car, it blows up. Back at the new house, she apologizes to Fran. The next day she goes to a dentist who puts her tooth back in. When she comes back, her and Fran discuss what they should do next, run or stay and fight. Fran agrees that they should stay and helps her find the owner of the Jeep, whose license plate Marla managed to write down when she was being held. They find where the plate is registered and drive to the house.
11:55Marla sneaks in and realizes the Jeep belongs to one of Roman's men and not Roman himself. He gets into the Jeep and drives off, Marla and Fran follow him, hoping he will lead them to Roman. They drive for a long time and finally they get to an office building. Roman's office building. Marla puts on a disguise and walks in, convincing the security guard to let her use the restroom. She sneaks into the parking lot and waits for Roman there. When he arrives she sedates him and tases one of his guards. She drives up in the Jeep, with Roman in the back, sedated.
12:25Fran decides to get rid of him. So they drive into a forest, drug him again and take all his clothes off, leaving him naked in the middle of the road that goes trough the forest. The next day, a man jogging on the road, finds Roman's body and calls for an ambulance. He's alive.
12:39Roman wakes up in an emergency room, with a tube stuck in his throat and Marla sitting next to his bed, smiling. She played him again. Since he is registered as a John Doe, unknown person, in the hospital and couldn't take care of himself, he was appointed a legal guardian. Marla smiles, I got you John Doe, I can do whatever I want with you. Later, they are sitting next to each other in another part of the hospital. She asks for 10 million again. Roman asks her if she's not afraid, since he could kill her. She says, that she could clearly kill him too.
13:07First, Roman agrees to the 10 million, but gives her an alternative. He asks her to be his partner. Even though he hates her, he's incredibly impressed by her. Proposes that they create a country-wide guardianship corporation together, with his money and her skills. He thinks they could take control of the whole market together, with her, CEO and founder of the corporation. Tells her it's a win-win scenario. He even says they can split the diamonds. Marla wants to know how they can trust each other after everything and he replies that if they make each other rich, the trust will follow.
13:36Are you in? He asks. Next, Jennifer gets released from the psychiatric facility and Roman is waiting for her. They hug. Later, Marla and Roman split the diamonds. She is signing all kinds of documents. Marla holds talks and gives interviews as the CEO and founder of the Grace and Guardianships Corporation. The whiteboard she has now fills up an entire wall. She's on the front cover of magazines, from Entrepreneur to Forbes. An interviewer asks her who she is. Her reply, me, I'm just someone who cares. A lioness.
14:05A lioness, willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones she cares about. Marla and Fran celebrate their hard work, courage and determination. They go to the new offices, happy that they got everything they wanted. But there is a man waiting for them there, calling after her. It's the same man whose mother Marla scammed in the beginning. He pulls out a gun and shoots her dead.
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