Rating of
3/4
Crime Pays - But You Also Pay the Price
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/20/13
Easy Money features a diverse cast and is based on a Swedish novel by Jens Lapidus. This really does meld the crime and drama genres into a great character study. While I was initially drawn to the film by the inclusion of Joel Innaman (who impressed me in The Killing) - the overall cast is excellent and really puts a human face on a criminal empire (and the fallout for getting involved in such).
The film really concerns three characters - an escaped convict who has to evade police and the Serbian mafia - and who is looking for revenge, an Serbian enforcer on the the hunt for him - and who has to contend with taking care of his 8-year-old daughter and JW, a smart young man who finds himself part of the underworld in order to maintain the appearance of an affluent lifestyle after meeting a wealthy young woman. We follow these three men - often as their stories collide - and it's quite the story. This is a story that demands your attention, however - and I know how some people feel about subtitles - but for those who can spare the time, it is worth your effort.
I was intrigued to find out that Dragomir Mrsic - the man who plays Mrado, the enforcer - wasn't a trained actor at all - in fact he is a former bank robber. I think he held his own amongst the "actors" and his performance is just as riveting as the trained actors. The entire movie involves these three men - JW plays both sides trying to finance his cocaine dealing business - but you know that eventually it's going to catch up with him.
Despite the nature of the film and the men - you do feel sympathetic towards each one. Mrado and his daughter provide some truly touching moments in a ruthless world. Likewise JW and his relationship with Sophie (Lisa Henni) proves that love truly does know no bounds. It's these quieter moments that raise this to another level and truly provides the drama missing from so many films in this genre.
I would recommend this for anyone looking for a crime film with depth. Depth of character and depth of plot - I'm interested to see if the upcoming sequels can equal the standard set forth by Easy Money. Even if they don't, this original is worth checking out.
