I Care A Lot operates in daylight, and it’s both beautiful and clever.
Things clearly get dark in I Care A Lot, but part of what makes the film feel particularly cold and harsh is how bright it is. Marla’s nefarious operation is not one that functions under the cover of night, but instead in fluorescent-illuminated courtrooms and nursing homes, and J Blakeson’s style shoves this fact in the audiences’ face with sharp lighting, vivid colors, and big windows. As the threat from Jennifer Peterson’s associates escalates, the aesthetic compensates, and there are sequences (again, no spoilers) that make impressive use of consuming darkness. The color is always so powerful, though, and it’s infuriating and awesome.
