And as any viewer of 'Downton Abbey' knows, Michelle Dockery plays Lady Mary, the frosty, oldest daughter of the Granthams. Lady M. became a widow with a very young son when her husband drove too fast without a seat belt on, which of course there were none of in 1920s motor cars.
Ms. Dockery has appeared in one other production I've seen, 'Restless,' a 2012 British spy story with Michael Gambon, Charlotte Rampling, Rufus Sewell, and Haley Atwell. The series was a good as the book by William Boyd. Ms Dockery's character is that of Ms. Rampling's daughter, who is fairly strait-laced, with only some weed smoking to give her an air of a rebel.
But in 'Good Behavior' Ms. Dockery's character is waaay more than a rebel. She is one hot mess. An American parolee from North Carolina who has gotten out for good behavior after a three year stint in prison for being a grifter and a thief, Letty tries to go straight, but her high is getting high, and stealing, something she does with what seems like pure natural ability. Some people have athletic talent, Letty has theft in her bloodstream. Just watch her at the self-help checkout. A primer. Try it yourself at your own risk.
Aside from the stealing schemes, which she seems to quickly fall back into after giving waitressing a try while working for asshole managers and lecherous customers, she shows her drug addicted side by creating a crack pipe from an eviscerated light bulb. Letty might engender sympathy, but she is really a roadside pileup that we can't take our eyes off of. She is also funny as hell.
One of Letty's scams is to rob hotel rooms while their well-heeled guests are at the pool, shopping, or playing golf. She exudes so much Southern charm you might think she's auditioning for the Scarlet O'Hara part. The honey pours out of her mouth, something I'm always a bit in awe of, how British actors can do American parts, but Americans can't seem to do British parts.
One room heist finds her hiding in the closet accidentally overhearing a contract murder plot that she sets out to disrupt. Criminals do have their code. This plot device manages to get her hooked up with Javier, an eye candy Argentinian hunk with a Spanish accent as smooth as Letty's fake drawl.
Javier makes contract killing look like something you arrange online with Amazon. He's as smooth at it as Letty is at getting things out of stores without paying. Without coughing up too much of a spoiler, Letty and Javier find themselves traveling in a stolen Pirus that is soon going to run out of electricity. The dialogue this sets off is nearly as good as DeNiro and Grodin in 'Midnight Run' on the bus. Letty and Javier become dependent on each other. Naturally.
Along the way so far we get to meet Letty's mom, the town slut whose fire is by no means out as she seeks gratification with a local dimwit who went to high school with Letty. Letty's mom has custody of Letty's son, who Letty is not supposed to come within a 1,000 feet of. There is a restraining order against her.
Letty tries to go straight again, but can't understand how she can be so good at texting, but can only manage 8 words a minute typing at a desktop computer. Perhaps the thumbs are too far apart. No job offer there.
We meet some of Javier's family as he and Letty transport two of Javier's teenage nieces on a road trip to join their estranged mother, Javier's sister, for a visit.
Aside from sex, drugs and rock and roll, Letty proves to be a kindred spirit with the impressionable nieces when they engage in a singalong in the car to a rap song with very explicit lyrics. Javier's not amused, but he is smitten.
Where are Javier and Letty headed? It can't be Vegas to get married. Last seen Letty has just engineered a hotel heist of $200,000 that once belonged to other thieves who had just relieved the resort's ATMs of their cash.
Letty is a piece of work. And Michelle Dockery is piece of work playing her. Stay tuned.
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