In Debt and Into a Life of Crime

Aubrey Plaza in "Emily the Criminal"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

The opening scene of writer-director John Patton Ford’s crime drama, “Emily the Criminal” (his feature directorial debut), has the title character, played by Aubrey Plaza, in the middle of a job interview.  We know how it’s going to go, but that doesn’t prevent the scene from being any less tense.  Emily needs this job, but the interview doesn’t go as planned and all seems hopeless.  What unfolds afterwards is a swift and timely caper that unfolds with typically superb work from its star.

In Los Angeles, Emily is burdened by debt and isn’t sure she can survive on what she has.  A coworker, Javier (Bernardo Badillo), gives her the contact for a man named Youcef (Theo Rossi), who hires people to take part in his ring of credit card fraud.  Emily completes her first job, but wants more.  As the assignments become more complex and dangerous, Emily will have to figure out if this is the best way to earn a living.

Although Plaza may be better known for her comedic work, it’s impossible to ignore the performances she’s delivered in more indie fair with a dramatic edge, like “Safety Not Guaranteed,” “Ingrid Goes West,” and “Black Bear.”  The frustration that Plaza has Emily elicit is palpable, making you feel the lack of hope that Emily experiences on a day-to-day basis as she tries to make it through her financial hardship.  However, once she becomes accustomed to her new profession, Plaza brings out Emily’s inner fighter as she refuses to be pushed around and have even more taken from her, particularly in a pivotal scene about halfway through the movie, where we see the assertive person she’s become, and Plaza gets you amped up to see how tough Emily will be going forward.

Rossi turns in a great supporting performance as the charming employer who takes Emily under his wing.  He displays Youcef as someone who’s confident in his scheme and determined to succeed.  However, we’re soon given a view into the dreams that he has, and Rossi presents Youcef’s understated sense of optimism as he opens up to Emily about his aspirations.  This all creates a role that helps to establish Youcef and Emily’s relationship to be something like a 21st-century Bonnie and Clyde.

Although Ford’s screenplay could have been a little longer to help give some aspects of the story a little more attention, he still offers a narrative that has the right amount of social commentary to make it feel timely, yet not heavy-handed.  Besides the tense scenes that he writes with Emily taking part in the scams, he also dedicates some time to developing the bond that’s built between Emily and Youcef as they get to know each other and support one another as the danger of their situation builds.  It’s a script that provides a fair share of thrills and character building, allowing  you to feel what’s at stake as Emily and Youcef venture further down a questionable path.

Ford’s able to keep you absorbed in Emily’s journey as she progresses through her new job.  With the help of cinematography by Jeff Biermam, who uses tight closeups of Emily throughout as she experiences some of the biggest moments of the film, we experience some of the thrills from the framing alone as we wait to see how she’ll react to what’s happening around her.  The work there is just as strong as when Ford allows us to see the wider setting that Emily occupies, providing tension from these different angles to allow for the scenes to hit with a full impact.

This film may be about a young woman falling into illegal activity, but “Emily the Criminal” shows that she’s more than what the title suggests.

Grade: A-