DIRTY MONEY // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE ESTATE"
THE ESTATE is a dark comedy slash revenge thriller slash campy satire following a couple of horrible people trying to get money from another horrible person. All three of these people are also family. Who said the familly dynamic is dead?! Eliza Coupe and Chris Baker (who also wrote the film) stars as Lux and George, the wicked stepmother and wicked son who want desperately to leech off of their husband/father Marcello's wealth (played by Eric Roberts) but he's all but cut them off, telling them they can stay at one of his houses but they have to fend for themselves. They're angry, they're horny and they're broke. One night while out scouting for some fresh boys to take home, they meet Joe (Greg Finley) at a local dive bar. Joe's very blue collar and not at all who they usually go for, but he's also hot and so Lux takes him back home.
The next morning, Joe discovers that they're actually broke and sponging off of Marcello the billionaire. One conversation leads to another (as these things often do) and Joe suggests that he kill Marcello and they can split the fortune three ways. Of course, this plan is immediately gobbled up by the two self-absorbed and money hungry family members and all three spring into action. Their plan, however, isn't flawless and killing someone to inherit their fortune sure is a lot harder than they would have thought. There's also the added troubling bonus of a three way love triangle forming, and that never ends well, does it? James Kapner's design and direction is sharp and extremely colorful. The film looks fantastic and moves at just the right pace. The script, by Baker, is full on camp, with some very funny lines and a very game Eliza Coupe hamming it up at just the right speed. Baker himself chews scenery well (as does Daddy Warbucks himself Eric Roberts as the smarmy Patriarch) and Greg Finley add just the right amount of danger. So why does it still end up lacking?
Mainly, it's because that although the script knows what kind of film it is and embraces the camp, it doesn't actually have the teeth to sink into a true satire of "eat the rich." Everyone here is a horrible person, which makes this kind of comedy fun, but they aren't ever truly nasty enough or even funny enough. Some of the lines border on offensive instead of satirical while others just sort of float away right after someone speaks them. The best and most pointed line in the film is, "We’re white and we’re rich. We can kill one guy." I wish more of the film was as juicy as that one sentence. Not saying that THE ESTATE isn't entertaining and fun because it is. It just needs to be juicier and more fun and more dangerous. With so much bloodshed throughout, this one really doesn't have the fangs for truly satirizing.
GRADE: B-
WRITTEN BY Chris Baker DIRECTED BY James Kapner STARRING Eliza Coupe, Chris Baker, Greg Finley, Lala Kent, Heather Matarazzo, Eric Roberts NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATRES AND ON VOD