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>> MATCHSTICK MEN (2003)

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman and more ...
Director: Ridley Scott
Genre: Comedy




now this is a return to clever script writing and slight of hand that has been missing in the last few years. the movie is fun and light but the dialogue and plot really make this one, by director ridley scott, shine. nicholas cage is amazing as ever and while his role doesn't reach the depth and genius of his kaufman brothers in "adaptation", he has plenty to play with while impressing the audience. i myself always admire his talent in acting, although i can't really say i'm a big fan... but he sure knows how to act, i have to give him that. sam rockwell is hilarious and perfectly cast and i'm always a big fan of his works. and alison lohman who is playing cage's daughter is perfect. every supporting role is spot on and the movie doesn't twist around all the time just for surprises but to involve you in the mentality and process of the con. everything is handled very well here and the overall intelligence of the film is crucial to every scene. the relationships developed amongst the characters is the key and delving into cage's mind and watching his character heal is one of the most natural performances last year. too bad i didn't get to watch this movie in theater in spite of the great reviews. but it is definitely a movie you should check out - it's well worth your time, very funny, extremely clever, and never follows the path you expect throughout several points.

ridley scott's "matchstick men" tells three stories, each one intriguing enough to supply a movie. it is: (1) the story of a crisis in the life of a man crippled by neurotic obsessions; (2) the story of two con men who happen onto a big score, and (3) the story of a man who meets the teenage daughter he never knew he had, and finds himself trying to care for her. the hero of all three stories is roy (nicolas cage), who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, panic attacks, you name it. his con-man partner is frank (sam rockwell). his daughter is angela (alison lohman), and roy is so fearful that when he decides to contact her, he persuades his shrink to make the phone call.

i wish that you had seen the movie so we could discuss what a sublime job it does of doing full justice to all three of these stories, which add up to more, or perhaps less, than the sum of their parts. the screenplay for "matchstick men" is an achievement of Oscar calibre -- so absorbing that whenever it cuts away from "the plot," there is another, better plot to cut to. it's too bad that it was not recognized on this year's oscar. something that academy always lacks of, sometimes they don't quite give the award to the right movie. brothers ted and nicholas griffin adapted it from the novel by eric garcia. cage bought the movie rights before it was published, and no wonder, because the character of roy is one of the great roles of recent years; he's a nut case, a clever crook and a father who learns to love, all in one. cage effortlessly plays these three sides to his character, which by their nature would seem to be in conflict.

did i mention that all supporting actors are all perfectly cast? this is essential, since they must convince us without the movie making any effort to insist. lohman in particular is effective; i learn to my astonishment that she's 24, but here she plays a 15-year-old with all the tentative love and sudden vulnerability that the role requires, when your dad is a whacko confidence man.

i love the message it delivers at the end of the movie. it's about the definition of happiness to one person. to roy who's an expert in this con game, his happiness is all about getting as much money as he can. it goes over his conscience of ripping people off in this game of his. but in the end, he knows.. happiness is all in his heart. my suggestion, just watch the movie, and you'll just love it. i'm not conning you, really!


>> rated by :: sLesTa | [ ]

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