Chris Messina’s Suits In ‘I Care A Lot’ Are So Important

There is a lot to love about Netflix’s I Care A Lot, a new, darkly comedic thriller that began streaming on Friday. First and foremost, there is Rosamund Pike in all of her sociopathic glory. As a way-too-ambitious businesswoman named Marla Grayson, she struts around in devastating red dresses, rocking the bisexual bob haircut, and basically being the literal embodiment of the “be gay, do crime” meme. Then there is Eiza González as Marla’s slighty-less-sociopathic girlfriend and business partner, Peter Dinklage as the top-ranking Russian crime lord who loves his momma, and Dianne Wiest as the little old lady who’s more capable than you think.

But as delightful as all of those characters and actors are, I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to discuss Chris Messina. More specifically, I’m here to discuss Chris Messina’s suits in I Care A Lot.

Messina doesn’t have a big role in this film. In fact, he only has a few scenes, playing a character named Dean Ericson, a slick lawyer who works for the Russian mafia. But those few scenes are absolute delights. Dean is tasked with convincing Pike’s character, Marla, into releasing Wiest’s character, Jennifer. You see, Marla thought Jennifer was a helpless little old lady with a lot of money and no family—aka the perfect target for Marla’s deplorably but technically legal profession as a court-appointed guardian, who gets put in charge of an elderly person’s assets when they are deemed unfit to care for themselves. But as it turns out, Jennifer is actually the mother of notorious mob boss Roman Lunyov (Dinklage), and he would very much like his mom back.

Dean shows up in Marla’s office one day with greased-back hair, an impeccable three-piece suit, a gold chain on his tie, and a mega-watt leer that screams “expensive danger.” He looks like he’s stepped out of the Hollywood version of the 1920s crime scene. He calmly explains that a mistake has been made, and with a smile, sweetly asks that Jennifer be released from Marla’s care. When it becomes clear that Marla isn’t going to make this easy, he tones down the pleasantries and moves on to veiled threats.

“She has very powerful friends that could make life extremely pleasant and uncomfortable,” he says, his smile now taking on a distinctly sharper edge. When that fails, he tries a briefcase of money, and when that fails, he drops the act altogether.

“In the days to come, you’ll replay this conversation in your head over and over,” he says, his voice now ice cold. “And you’re gonna wish you played it differently.”

It’s a pitch-perfect performance from Messina, who is clearly having a blast. The 46-year-old actor—who many know as the grumpy but ultimately kind-hearted doctor from the romantic comedy The Mindy Project—recently dipped his toe into villainy with 2020’s Birds of Prey. As Victor Zsasz, another mob henchman, Messina was absolutely unhinged with his box-bleach hair and his crazed demeanor. Messina’s I Care A Lot character is far more grounded, and comes with the added bonus of some truly spectacular suits.

Shout-out to costume designer Deborah Newhall for hitting it out of the park, not just with Messina’s suits, but with the entire cast of colorful characters. But my personal favorite costume of the film? The white pinstripe that Dean wears to court, where he loses a legal battle with Marla Grayson, thanks to the incompetent judge (Isiah Whitlock Jr.).

It’s so perfectly old-school gangster, and Messina looks utterly at home in it, whether he’s stuffing his hands in his pockets or dodging a glass bottle that Peter Dinklage throws at his head. (And the fact that Messina attempts to deflect that blow with a pillow is a brilliant bit of physical comedy.)

It’s a character that leaves you wanting more, but, unfortunately, those three scenes are pretty much the extent of Messina’s screentime in I Care A Lot. But I, for one, couldn’t be more thrilled that Messina has entered the “slimy villain” stage of his career. I hope he keeps it going. At the very least, I hope he keeps wearing those excellent suits.

Watch I Care A Lot on Netflix