REVIEW: Bella Thorne and Jake Manley are a Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde in “Infamous”
What would you do to be famous? Would you risk your entire life, the ones you love, for an ounce of fame? Well, that is exactly where we find our modern-day Bonnie and Clyde in Joshua Caldwell’s Infamous. Starring Bella Thorne and Jake Manley, the movie follows Arielle (Thorne), who craves to be famous. Obsessed with how many followers she has on Instagram; Arielle will do just about anything to grow her small Instagram account into a worldwide hit. It is along this journey that Arielle comes across Dean (Manley). Dean has his problems, but Arielle quickly sees through the problems and madly falls in love with the troubled boy. And it is with this trouble boy that Arielle realizes how she is going to be famous. Robbing stores like Bonnie and Clyde, Arielle begins posting the videos/photos to her page, which becomes a viral sensation. Reluctant at first, Dean quickly agrees to continue to escapade with Arielle, but when things begin to take a deadly turn, these two find themselves way in over their heads.
The storyline will leave many scratching their heads at the thought that someone would go to these kinds of lengths to be famous. Others will have no problem believing that someone would go to these lengths to be famous. For me, it was the final moments of the movie that had me wondering if people would really act that way knowing everything Arielle did to be famous. Arielle is not a likeable character, especially as you watch what she will do to be famous. Dean, on the other hand, is actually a little likeable because he is the voice of reason in this movie. You end up agreeing with most of what he has to say once things begin to spiral out of control for the couple.
Thorne and Manley make a for a pretty good onscreen couple. As I noted before, there is nothing likeable about Thorne’s character. Her character has some pretty intense scenes, which Thorne navigates with ease. While, Manley’s initial appearance in the movie may have you shaking your head at him, but by the end you will be rooting for him. Amber Riley plays Elle and has a very small role in the movie. I wish her character had been around a little bit longer because I enjoyed her scenes with Thorne.
Infamous is not a movie for everyone. It is also not a movie that I would run out and see immediately. The movie is described Arielle and Dean as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, but unlike the original pair, these two really don’t do anything to outsmart the police. Many of their choices, I thought, would have gotten them caught in no time flat. But this is fictional, so anything is possible. If you are looking for a Bonnie and Clyde-esque movie to watch, I would recommend watching the 1967 movie.
Grade: C