Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) has what it takes to become the court-appointed guardian to a galaxy of unwitting seniors. From her hairstyle — a cascading pageboy with bamboo cutting board earflaps — to the determined heels against marble click-clack in her approach, every move is calculated to intimidate, to beat her mostly male competition at their own game. She comes by her arrogance honestly. No matter how questionable her motives, she knows how to play the system and gets what she wants without breaking any laws. There’s no knocking success — that is, until Marla runs up against a sharp granny whose baby boy is a made man in the Russian mafia. Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) is what’s known in the business as a “cherry” — a homeowner, never married, with no children or relatives. In no time, Jennifer is installed in a lavish care facility, with Marla stripping her house in a manner befitting a seasoned burglar. Eiza González co-stars as Fran, Marla’s partner both in and out of the courtroom. Writer-director J Blakeson draws no unwarranted attention to their relationship. It’s a given that both are strong, smart, viable women capable of balancing their personal lives and professional careers. But greed has a way of changing things, and it was only a matter of time before the smoothie hit the plate glass window. Checking the records, it turns out Jennifer does indeed have a son, Roman Lunyov (a slow-burning Peter Dinklage, savoring each sinful aside), the aforementioned mobster who loves his mother almost as much as the millions in diamonds, once stashed in her safe deposit box, that are now in Marla’s possession. Just before the fun-filled roller coaster ride deposited me back at the gate, I scribbled, “Could have stood one more twist” across the bottom of the notepad. That was written three minutes before the film ended, enough time for the filmmakers to make me regret my final wish. (2020) — Scott Marks