THE STORY – A pair of troubled lovers in rural Pennsylvania orchestrate a bank heist that infamously became known as the “pizza bomber” incident in 2003.
THE CAST – Patricia Arquette, David Harbour, Michael Chernus, Garret Dillahunt, Ryan Eggold, Gregory Alan Williams, Tom McCarthy, Owen Teague, Danielle Macdonald, Thomas Michael Allen
THE TEAM – Courtney Cox (Director), Courtenay Miles (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes
For her second directorial attempt, Courtney Cox dramatizes an infamous 2003 bank robbery incident that later became known as the “pizza bomber” heist, and also the subject of a 2018 Netflix docuseries with a similar name. In her “Evil Genius,” which just had its World Premiere at TIFF, Cox dramatically improves from her directorial debut by sticking closely to the formula of the absurdist, dark comedy real-crime genre she openly emulates. The style may not be original, but the story is compelling enough and, thanks to a fearless and powerful performance by Patricia Arquette as the mastermind of the conspiracy, Cox delivers one of the most surprising films of the festival.
This is the setup to “Evil Genius,” and Rothstein and Marjorie soon take us way back to 1973, both under interrogation by the local police and FBI. Thirty years prior, the duo had met as star-crossed lovers, the only in their small town who spoke French and had an edge for the interesting and dangerous. Courtenay Miles’ otherwise effective script mostly skips through what exactly got this good-looking couple from young and in love to old, broken, and haggard. Perhaps it was small-town inevitability, or Marjorie’s disillusionment with Bill’s failed ambitions and aspirations. Whatever the reason, back in 2003, the two are separated but still toxically in each other’s lives. When Marjorie’s mother dies and supposedly leaves her $1 million that her father takes from her, Marjorie hatches a scheme to rob a local bank that ends in a trial of tears, blood, and bodies.
What follows will be familiar to most audiences, regardless of their familiarity with the incident that inspired this film, now fading into memory. Cox set out to satirize the absurdity of our times by showcasing an improbable and ultimately tragic sequence of events with relentless dark humor. The two-plus decades that have elapsed since this bank robbery, filled with increasingly unbelievable tales like Pizza Gate and worse criminal actions, may have desensitized audiences, but Cox’s frantic camera movement and grotesque close-ups will make the audience care at least one more time. Cox also meticulously studied and studiously replicated the styles of films that inspired her. Some, like “Dog Day Afternoon,” are mentioned explicitly by title, while others, like “Fargo,” are referenced through symbolism and props (think: meat grinder). Still others are thematically or stylistically referenced, from “Bonnie and Clyde” to “I, Tonya,” to any other Coen Brothers movie. But being derivative or existing within a genre serves “Evil Genius” well, because the story it tells lends itself to perhaps only that manner of telling it. That Cox may not deviate much or even at all from the formula may be “Evil Genius’s” weakest link, but it probably was also a wise choice by the sophomore director.
But all the accolades belong to the outstanding cast—which includes Danielle Macdonald in a supporting role—led by the indomitable Arquette. With a heavy set of prosthetics that evoke Aileen Wuornos in Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning role from around the time of the events of this film, Arquette delivers a guttural performance that is well within her genius as an actress. Diehl-Armstrong is troubled, smart, manipulative, cunning, and evil. She decries the moniker that is the title of the film—an evil genius—as part of her complex web of deception and deviousness. She has as many scruples as Hannibal Lecter and none of the sympathy of Sonny Wortzik. She lies as easily as she curses, spinning tales big and small, all to get what she wants. One of the purported motifs of the film is Rothstein’s lifelong infatuation with her, but this subplot is given short shrift compared to Diehl-Armstrong’s seductively grotesque personality. The makeup helps her, sure, but Arquette’s evil gaze is reminiscent of the horror movies in which she started her career. Her tears of desperation, too, are believable. As good as “Evil Genius” is with its black comedy, true crime caper, you really just want her back on the screen as much as possible. Cox’s fade-to-black final scene accentuates the character’s serpentine Machiavellian nature.
By the time “Evil Genius” reaches the expected end-credit epilogue explanations, Cox has done enough to prove that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that, when done with discipline and confidence, it can produce a good movie. She and her screenwriter understand the lurid, ridiculous, and tragic dimensions of their story, so they ride that uneasy combination for all its worth. More importantly, they give Arquette the kind of monstrous, magnetic role that actors devour and audiences fall for. If Cox’s film belongs safely within the contours of other American crime comedies, Arquette makes sure this particular nightmare has a memorable face of its own.
