Sammy's (Danny A. Abeckaser) is a professional thief, very much like his father Harvey (Robert Davi) was before him - and in fact, his father is his employer these days. Both are waiting for the "big fish" to turn up so they can retire after one last heist, but the fish seems to be reluctant to show. One day, on the bus riding home from a heist of all places, Sammy meets Laura (Katie Cassidy), a well-to-do widow, and against all odds, the two hit it off immediately, so much so that they get married after a few months time - of course, without him telling her how he makes his money. Everything's great, until one day she's run over by a car and dies. Sammy's left grieving, and so are Laura's teen daughters from her previous marriage, Audrey (Harlow Jane) and Rachel (Jasper Polish). Now Sammy not only sees it as his duty to bring up the girls up in their mother's stead, it's also what he really wants - but while Audrey has quite taken to him, Rachel rejects him. Plus, child protection services want to take the girls away from him, as he's not blood relation, which is why he persuades Laura's ex drug addict brother Rob (Greg Finley) to live with them, which at times seems to do more harm than good. Plus, Rachel starts to behave increasingly erratic. And exactly when things at home are going downhills, Sammy and his dad seem to have a job on their hands that might allow them to retire. But that job needs lots of preparation, plus two of their team (James Madio, David James Elliott) show signs that they can't be fully trusted ...

A cross between family drama and gangster/heist movie - there are just so many ways this can go wrong ... and yet, I Love Us works like a charm, especially since it neither relies on overblown emotions nor spectacle but concentrates on storytelling with an emphasis on characters. And the lead personnel is all shown as multi-layered individuals rather than just clichés who are afforded their own arcs, and especially Sammy is drawn as deeply fallible but also relatable, and while no attempt is made to excuse his criminal side, he comes off as complex and even likeable. And a very solid ensemble make this one movie that's well worth a watch, even if neither family dramas nor gangster flicks are your cup of tea.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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