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Matchstick Men [2003]
![Matchstick Men [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BR8MGJMEL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £12.99
Our Price: £2.08 (subject to change)
Great story, horrible twist
Review date: 2007-03-02 Rating: 6 out of 10
This one stars Nicholas Cage, not over acting quite as much as usual, as a con man with obsessive compulsive disorder who attempts to forge a relationship with a fourteen year old daughter he's never seen before. The daughter is played by Alison Lohman, who turns out to be a real find - all perky and sweet and not your typical obnoxious teen, and this actress is very convincing despite apparently being in her early twenties. Watching the lonely and troubled con artist form a bond with this young girl as he teaches her to trick people out of their money was a genuine joy. When these two were together, Matchstick Men succeeded admirably in pulling me into its charming and gently humourous story.
I was enjoying this one quite a bit, right up to the point when the writers yanked the rug out from under me in such an ugly and contrived manner. A wise man once said that endings should be 'surprising yet inevitable', but this one goes instead for 'obvious yet unsatisfying'. I knew it was coming (and had been keeping my fingers crossed that they wouldn't go through with it), but even so it was hard not to feel betrayed by screenwriters Ted and Nicholas Griffin, who are adapting this one from a novel by Eric Garcia.
It's a shame, because it sullies what was a pretty good film up until that point. I can only recommend this one to people who don't mind turning off the DVD about twenty minutes before it's finished.
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Reviews
Con's have never been more clean.
Review date: 2006-01-24 Rating: 8 out of 10
Matchstick Men is a great movie. And prooves who ever doubted Nicholas Cage's acting skill wrong by giving an insparational performance, as the mentally disturbed con man. With an inventive story line, and strong supporting cast, I think that this is one of most underated films in recent years.
Worth watching
Review date: 2005-04-09 Rating: 10 out of 10
A good decent film with a decent plot. Nice twist at the end as well. What more do you need.
Average...
Review date: 2005-03-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
This is half good and half bad.
Good in the sense that the acting is good, Nicholas Cage plays Roy. " Con man, flim-flam man, matchstick man take your pick" and his portrayal of a man who has a phobia for just about anything is pretty convincing, as is Sam Rockwell's performance as Frank, his cool partner who always seems to have something to hide. Alison Lohman seems like a promising new talent too. The direction from the acclaimed Ridley Scott is subtle and very profound in capturing each character, in each scene, it is well worked. The music is quirky and comic and I thought it went very well with the plot. Pretty good viewing too.
Bad in the sense that the story was in places, not believable, you felt that in some bits the film was not correct with reality, like Cage's sudden cure of his phobias after downing a couple of pills or the fact that his long lost daughter looked so much older after "one year later" was flashed on the screen. She looked as old as 21 or more, yet according to the film she actually would have been 15, and I doubt she'd have owned a house or an apartment, this does not seem convincing enough in the realms of normality. This could have been improved. It was also the kind of film that after watching you did not feel compelled to watch again, it left me feeling sad and empty, because our protagonist (unusually a con man) is destroyed at the end, and turned into a pathetic carpet salesman with a shallow seeming life, and some how still a great house? odd... is he earning that much? I felt like crying at the unrealism.
Yet even though these may be flaws (valid or not) I think this film comes off as worth watching, maybe once. But it is still drab and not very original, it is basically another version of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' but without the comic flair that Michael Caine and Steve Martin could apply to their roles. I think it will always remain in the bargain bins.
Can't decide
Review date: 2005-02-16 Rating: 6 out of 10
This was an entertaining film, but not one to rave to your friends about. The performances were great, Nicholas Cage and Sam Rockwell were very very good. The dialogue and the plot were also good. I just found it very un-engaging. The way the film looked, the texture and ambience of it, just felt so cold and clinical. I guess this is justified by the narrative, and especially Roy's character, but I find this with most of Ridley Scotts latest films. I was dying for some anarchic humour (some more Rockwell maybe?) or a cluttered frame or something to make this feel like a real life. Michael Mann's movies can feel the same sometimes, but then his films are peppered with explosive and beautiful moments that blow you away. There is nothing like this in Matchstick Men. Worth sticking on your list, but put down the bottom.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Nicolas Cage
Bruce McGill
Sam Rockwell
Bruce Altman
Alison Lohman
Creators:
Nicolas Cage (Primary Contributor)
Sam Rockwell (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321900246774
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2004-02-23
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 111 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003-09-12
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: Italian (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: Arabic (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: Italian (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)
Language: Italian (Dubbed)