Greedy People is a blackly comic and atmospheric low budget crime-drama from director Potsy Ponciroli (Old Henry) and writer Mike Vukadinovich (TV series Runaways). Set in a picturesque coastal town in Rhode Island, it very much has a similar vibe to the Coen brothers. Ponciroli juggles a great cast of eccentric and amoral characters, all of whom grow desperate and make bad decisions.
Will (Himesh Patel) is the new recruit for the small police department. He has moved to this sleepy peaceful community with his heavily pregnant wife Paige (Lily James). Will is nervous and also self-conscious of his inflamed eye. Foul mouthed and cynical veteran cop Terry Brogan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is assigned to teach Will the ropes and show him around the town. Terry is a bit of a grifter who knows where to score free coffees and donuts.
But on their first patrol Terry takes time out to have illicit sex with a local woman, leaving Will alone to respond to an emergency call. But due to a misunderstanding, Will accidentally kills Virginia (Traci Lords). She’s the wife of Wallace, the local fishing tycoon (Tim Blake Nelson). In a panic, Will urgently asks Terry for help. Fearing the backlash for his own dereliction of duty Terry helps Will cover up their presence at the scene, making it seem as though the murder was part of a burglary. The pair discover a small fortune in cash hidden in a basket and decide to keep the money. Terry and Will stash the cash in a storage unit and make a pact to keep it hidden until everything blows over. Unfortunately, Will tells Paige what happened; but he blames Terry for Virginia’s death.
Events soon begin to spiral out of control with a raft of characters soon caught up in the intrigue, including Keith (Simon Rex) a sleazy masseur and his domineering mother, the seafood tycoon and his ambitious personal assistant, all of whom have their own secrets. Murphy (Uzo Aduba) is the chief of police who tries to make sense of what is happening in her usually crime free and peaceful backwater. Further complications include a pair of hitmen known only by their nationalities – the Irishman (Jim Gaffigan) and the Colombian (Jose Maria Yazpik).
Suspicions, mistrust, paranoia, and secrets revealed all add to a growing air of tension. The film illustrates the destructive nature of greed. The body count rises. The film’s ending is a bit grim, but it brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion. Eric Koretz’s crisp cinematography gives us a strong sense of place.
Ponciroli has assembled a great cast to flesh out these characters. Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7) brings energy, bravado and dry humour to his performance, but he also imbues Terry with a hint of menace. Patel (Yesterday) is sympathetic as the put-upon Will. Aduba (TV series Orange is the New Black) brings strength to her role as the only virtuous character in the film.
Greg King
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Yesterday – movie review
- The Amazing Maurice – movie review
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – movie review
Greg King has had a life long love of films. He has been reviewing popular films for over 15 years. Since 1994, he has been the film reviewer for BEAT magazine. His reviews have also appeared in the Herald Sun newspaper, S-Press, Stage Whispers, and a number of other magazines, newspapers and web sites. Greg contributes to The Blurb on film