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MATCHSTICK MEN Send This Review to a Friend
More than just a film about the art of the con, "Matchstick Men" dabbles in emotion as well, and the man whose emotions are toyed with is played by Nicolas Cage, which is an immediate plus. Showcased at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival just before its commercial release, the film is reasonably entertaining and, if you are at all savvy about the ways of con men screenplays, you'll be searching for a twist whether it is there or not.
The title is among the tags for professionals in the art of fleecing marks out of their money. Cage plays one such con artist, Roy Waller, who works with his partner Frankie, portrayed by Sam Rockwell as the less astute of the duo. The trouble with Roy is that he is wracked by fear of the outdoors and of dirt indoors. He is forever cleaning and if he doesn't have the pills upon which he relies, his face begins to twitch and he becomes short of breath. He winds up seeing a shrink in desperation when the doc who usually provides his illicit pills has moved.
Roy's wife left him after a turbulent marriage a long time ago and she was pregnant when she split. Did she ever have the child? If yes, the age would be about 15. Boy or girl? The screenplay by Nicholas Griffin and Ted Griffin, based on a novel by Eric Garcia and in the creative control of director Ridley Scott, opens the door to Roy's emotions and repressed feelings when the psychiatrist (Bruce Altman) promises to call his ex-wife for him. Soon feisty teenager Angela, played with verve and nerve by Alison Lohman, is in Roy's life and expressing a desire to get to know her dad.
Roy is flabbergasted when, after he stops lying about being an antique dealer and confesses to his criminality, Angela wants him to teach her how to con. Meanwhile, he and Frankie are on to a money-loaded mark. The details stop here, as the film spins into quite a plot ride that should be freshly discovered if you are so inclined.
Cage is riveting once again, and he surmounts the contrivances with his strong performance. Lohman, very good too, adds another dimension. Scott handles the story smartly and the film is always good-looking. When action suddenly explodes, Scott directs as if this were a project much larger than this fairly intimate tale. The film's generally jaunty soundtrack gives a boost to the mood. "Matchstick Men" isn't great but it does amount to a pleasant stretch of entertainment. A Warner Brothers release.
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