Life of Crime

Life of Crime is a 2013 American black comedy crime film written and directed by Daniel Schechter, based on Elmore Leonard's novel The Switch (1978), which includes characters later revisited in his novel Rum Punch (1992), which was adapted into the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown (1997). Life of Crime was screened on the closing night 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, at the 2014 Traverse City Film Festival and released in theaters on August 29, 2014 by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Plot The movie opens with a scene where Louis is robbed of 27 dollars by a big bully. His friend Ordell helps him get more than his money back, by running over the mugger with his car. But the two of them have bigger plans that will make them super rich. They will set an extortion on Frank Dawson, a real estate man, by kidnapping his wife Mickey, and then asking for a $1 million ransom. From a friend they have compromising info on Frank's secret bank account in the Bahamas and his shady real estate affairs there. Mickey takes her son, Bo, to play tennis at the country club. Louis is also there just to take a look at her, but actually happens to talk to her briefly when they meet in a corridor. A man named Marshall Taylor, a married man who does some work for Frank, is trying to have an affair with Mickey, but she is not interested. When Ordell and Louis find out that both Frank and the son are going to be away for a week, they decide it's time to proceed with kidnapping. They arrive at the house, masked, and take Mickey by surprise in the kitchen. She drops a glass and cuts her foot. Other than that all goes according to plan, until the suitor, Marshall, arrives at the house, creating chaos for Ordell and Louis. They hit him in the head and lock him up in a closet, then finally take off with their shocked kidnapping subject. Mickey is locked up in a bedroom at Richard's, who is a Nazi admirer, and she has to wear a blindfold so she can't see the kidnapper's faces when they give her food or she has to go to the bathroom. Louis bandages her foot caring and professionally. Meanwhile Frank and Melanie, his other woman, enjoy themselves in his Bahamas apartment. Ordell calls Frank, lets him hear the voice of his wife, and tells him about the kidnapping and the $1 million demand. Frank seems less upset than expected, which is because he was already planning to marry Melanie.