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CRIMINAL Send This Review to a Friend
Beware of remakes. Those who did not see the Argentine film “Nine Queens” on which “Criminal” is based may enjoy the new version better than fans of the original. ‘Criminal,” directed by Gregory Jacobs is bereft of the charm and lightness that the Argentine movie about conning possessed. The story-line is followed but the result is flat and not particularly appealing.
The social significance has also disappeared. The original had a delightful ultimate point of view expressed by the ending, as the manipulations of those doing the conning was topped on a much higher level.
The game is still there. The audience must try to keep one step ahead of the con artists and judge what to believe and what not to trust in the action, now set in Los Angeles.
But John C. Reilly is more unpleasant than amusing as a key player, although Diego Luna has understated charm as his accomplice. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays another key character, has acted better and looked better elsewhere.
The screenplay by Jacobs and Sam Lowry dutifully follows the basic situation, but there’s not as much fun in the adaptation as there was in the more sophisticated original. A Warner Independent Pictures release.
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