Directed by
John Patton Ford
Despite a stellar performance by Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal falls short to an underdeveloped story and script, leading to a an average film that had potential to be great.
In the directorial and writing debut from John Patton Ford, Emily the Criminal centers on Emily, a character where you learn everything you need to know about her character in the very first scene. Emily, played by Aubrey Plaza, is being interviewed for a job. Everything seems to be going well, and Emily is a very personable and likable person. Then she is asked to explain a potential blemish on her record that will be found when they do a background check. She tells a story of a misdemeanor DUI on the way home from a concert with some friends. It is then revealed that her background check indeed had come through, and they know about her felony assault conviction. They were testing her honesty and integrity. Feeling tricked and betrayed, Emily chooses to storm out in a tirade instead of try and make good. It is a brilliantly acted scene by Plaza.
Now for the actual plot ... Emily is given a phone number by a friend saying she should text for some easy money. When she texts, she is given details to a meeting where she meets Youcef (Theo Rossi), who offers her $200 for an hour of work. All she has to do is commit credit card fraud. Everything is set up, she just needs to buy something with the fraudulent card and her fraudulent ID. When this works, a relationship begins to develop between Youcef and Emily as she needs to decide if she is going to continue to pursue a legitimate life or follow Youcef into a life of increasingly less innocent crimes.
The best thing this movie has going for it is Aubrey Plaza, who consistently shows over and over again that she is a dynamic actress capable of brilliant performances of so many varieties. This is a role that she brings so much depth to, not just in her line delivery, but especially in the quiet moments. Theo Rossi also provides a strong character in Youcef, a man with legitimate dreams that has to revert to a life of crime to make them come true.
Unfortunately, these great performances are hindered by a weak script that leaves holes in what had the potential of being a strong story. All the elements of a great story are there, but there are holes in the plot and too many conventional beats. As the film transitions from the second act to the third act, the relationship between Emily and Youcef takes a turn that is inevitable yet not executed in a great way. The plot seems to take giant leaps, leaving so much plot and character development on the cutting room floor. This movie could have used an extra 15-20 minutes to fully round out this full downward spiral of Emily, who goes from innocent fraud to Bonnie and Clyde.
Emily the Criminal is worth seeing for Aubrey Plaza, but if you are expecting a great movie to go along with the great performance, you will be left wanting more.
Rating: 2 stars
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