I love this movie, it is one of my all time favorite. I will admit that sometimes Nicolas Cage does not make the best acting choices, but this movie makes up for that. He is simply incredible and Sam Rockwell is not too bad either. I love them together. Alison Lohman is simply wonderful too! The plot is wonderful and has a great twist at the end.
The only compliant I had was my DVD came damaged, but Amazon sent me another copy within two days of me calling customer service to report it. It was pretty remarkable and only wants me to keep ordering from them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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For some people, money is... money is a foreign film without subtitles
Added 10/20/2009
Matchstick Men was much better than I thought it was going to be. As soon as I saw that Nicolas Cage was playing a con man with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) I thought it would get tedious in no time, but Cage handled it well. OCD was an important aspect of his character, and it also influenced the outcome. Cage won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic who is "Leaving Las Vegas" and his performance here is up near that level. He really has a knack for playing afflicted characters.
Sam Rockwell, as Frank, his partner, was pretty good; but Alison Lohman, as his daughter, Angela, was spectacular. There are tender moments between the daughter and her estranged father that are really touching, and that is hard to do. How easily it becomes cloying if handled wrong. Alison as Angela was very believable as the daughter, who has inherited her father's gift for grift.
Matchstick Men continually surprises, and that is good. Nothing is as it seems, and there are some really clever twists. Ridley Scott, who directed Blade Runner, really knows his business. There was great choices of music throughout. Frank Sinatra, The Tijuana Brass, Nino Rota, Bobby Darin, Roxy Music, Kid Rock, and more. Each song was carefully chosen and placed so it commented on the action, but didn't really draw attention to itself and away from the story, because it just seemed so right for the moment.
Bottomline is Matchstick Men is a good film from Ridley Scott, but it is not as good as Blade Runner (The Director's Cut). It has a great performance from Nicolas Cage, but not quite as good as Leaving Las Vegas. The Grifters is a better movie about con artistry, and Matchstick Men is not quite that good, but it comes very close. It beats The Flim Flam Man.
SELECTED FILMS AND ROLES OF NICOLAS CAGE
Ghost Rider (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Nicolas Cage was Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
Adaptation (Superbit Collection) (2002) Nicolas Cage was Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) Nicolas Cage was Ben Sanderson
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) Nicolas Cage was Jack Singer
Wild At Heart (1990) Nicolas Cage was Sailor Ripley
Valley Girl (1983) Nicolas Cage was Randy
SELECTED ROLES OF OTHER CAST MEMBERS
Choke (2008) Sam Rockwell was Victor Mancini
Drag Me to Hell (2009) Alison Lohman was Christine Brown
-----------------------------
Roy: For some people, money is... money is a foreign film without subtitles.
==================================
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Uninspired con-men film
Added 10/18/2009
The Bottom Line:
Matchstick Men might appeal more to people who haven't seen a lot of films about con men, but if you're familiar with the genre you'll find very little here to get excited about; though the characters are developed to the point where you care what happens to them at the end, the machinations of the screenplay are exceedingly familiar and contrived and prevent the story from earning entry into the upper echelon of the genre with Mamet's films and The Sting.
2.5/4
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Matchstick Men DVD
Added 10/17/2009
I like Nic Cage & he does a great job here as an obsessive-compulsive con man. Some twists and turns - very entertaining.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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a unque form of psychotherapy
Added 9/13/2009
A conman has a set of phobias that cause him discomfort.
He runs of of his medication and sees a new doctor
his friend knows about. Through the doctor he begins to see
his 14 year old daughter.
Things go bad after a financial con on currency exchange.
What happens in the end changes the life of the conman for the better...
I kind of like the double twist at the end in this movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I love this movie, it is one of my all time favorite. I will admit that sometimes Nicolas Cage does not make the best acting choices, but this movie makes up for that. He is simply incredible and Sam Rockwell is not too bad either. I love them together. Alison Lohman is simply wonderful too! The plot is wonderful and has a great twist at the end.
The only compliant I had was my DVD came damaged, but Amazon sent me another copy within two days of me calling customer service to report it. It was pretty remarkable and only wants me to keep ordering from them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
For some people, money is... money is a foreign film without subtitles
Added 10/20/2009
Matchstick Men was much better than I thought it was going to be. As soon as I saw that Nicolas Cage was playing a con man with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) I thought it would get tedious in no time, but Cage handled it well. OCD was an important aspect of his character, and it also influenced the outcome. Cage won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic who is "Leaving Las Vegas" and his performance here is up near that level. He really has a knack for playing afflicted characters.
Sam Rockwell, as Frank, his partner, was pretty good; but Alison Lohman, as his daughter, Angela, was spectacular. There are tender moments between the daughter and her estranged father that are really touching, and that is hard to do. How easily it becomes cloying if handled wrong. Alison as Angela was very believable as the daughter, who has inherited her father's gift for grift.
Matchstick Men continually surprises, and that is good. Nothing is as it seems, and there are some really clever twists. Ridley Scott, who directed Blade Runner, really knows his business. There was great choices of music throughout. Frank Sinatra, The Tijuana Brass, Nino Rota, Bobby Darin, Roxy Music, Kid Rock, and more. Each song was carefully chosen and placed so it commented on the action, but didn't really draw attention to itself and away from the story, because it just seemed so right for the moment.
Bottomline is Matchstick Men is a good film from Ridley Scott, but it is not as good as Blade Runner (The Director's Cut). It has a great performance from Nicolas Cage, but not quite as good as Leaving Las Vegas. The Grifters is a better movie about con artistry, and Matchstick Men is not quite that good, but it comes very close. It beats The Flim Flam Man.
SELECTED FILMS AND ROLES OF NICOLAS CAGE
Ghost Rider (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Nicolas Cage was Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
Adaptation (Superbit Collection) (2002) Nicolas Cage was Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) Nicolas Cage was Ben Sanderson
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) Nicolas Cage was Jack Singer
Wild At Heart (1990) Nicolas Cage was Sailor Ripley
Valley Girl (1983) Nicolas Cage was Randy
SELECTED ROLES OF OTHER CAST MEMBERS
Choke (2008) Sam Rockwell was Victor Mancini
Drag Me to Hell (2009) Alison Lohman was Christine Brown
-----------------------------
Roy: For some people, money is... money is a foreign film without subtitles.
==================================
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Uninspired con-men film
Added 10/18/2009
The Bottom Line:
Matchstick Men might appeal more to people who haven't seen a lot of films about con men, but if you're familiar with the genre you'll find very little here to get excited about; though the characters are developed to the point where you care what happens to them at the end, the machinations of the screenplay are exceedingly familiar and contrived and prevent the story from earning entry into the upper echelon of the genre with Mamet's films and The Sting.
2.5/4
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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