Emily the Criminal
Emily is like a young, female James Bond who is creatively violating the law, not enforcing it.
Aubrey Plaza plays Emily Benetto, a young woman wallowing under $70,000 of student loans unable to find a good job because of her criminal history. She reluctantly takes a job in a criminal organization to make some quick money. Finding that she is quite good at using fake credit cards to purchase expensive business items to be peddled by her crooked employer, she quickly slips deeper into the criminal underworld.
I liked this film for a number of reasons. To begin with, Ms. Plaza is sensational playing an intelligent woman caught in the employment industries vice grip. She verbally refuses to wallow in self-pity as she seeks decent employment. In the process, she is forced to put her painting skills on hold.
Additionally, Theo Rossi gives a memorable performance as Youcef, an immigrant from Lebanon, who is leading a small criminal enterprise. Emily finds herself attracted to him as he reveals his big dreams.
As I watched Emily embrace violence in order to make enough money to pay off her debt, I was reminded of President Biden’s decision to eliminate $10,000 of student loans for those making less than $125,000 a year. The Pundits criticizing Biden’s move should see this film.
More to the point, with millions of Americans left staggering under student loan debt, how many of them can be saved from the dark side that swallowed Emily. Regardless of your position on helping average people find some light at the end of life’s tunnel, that alone is an unforgettable reason to buy a ticket to watch this intriguing movie before it leaves the theater.
