Matchstick Men
2003 Directed by Ridley Scott
Synopsis
lie cheat steal rinse repeat
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.
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When a friend recommend Matchstick Men to me, citing it as "One of the greatest films ever made" I was sceptical. Any movie starring Nicholas Cage is an instantly alarm bell. When I learnt Ridley Scott was the director I was intrigued but still very sceptical. I have found Scott’s non sci-fi work pretty poor to be honest, from the disappointing Hannibal to the downright awful Robin Hood.
So I didn't have high hopes for Matchstick Men, to put it simply I was blown away by this film. Who knew that Cage was capable of this performance? His character is so multi-faceted that it takes multiple viewing to really understand him. It helps that the character arc is so well…
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Do people still think Nicolas Cage is the worst actor alive?
Personally, I'm hoping that we as a society can stop directing hate towards Cage's acting skills and instead send it to his choice in roles. There's no reason for the man who starred in Adaptation to be the face of the Ghost Rider franchise. I'm getting off-topic. Let's talk about Matchstick Men.
If someone were to do a Top 5 list for Cage, Matchstick Men would definitely be in it. He plays Roy, a con man (oh excuse me, "con artist") suffering from a multitude of phobias. He's successful at what he does, amassing over a million dollars. Cage's performance is great. He knows just when to include that…
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Not completely sure what to write here - this is difficult. I've left this open for half an hour now. Matchstick Men is fantastic. Everything about it is fantastic. Go into it blind and enjoy.
Nicholas Cage is at his best as a neurotic con artist and Sam Rockwell is funny as ever as his partner. The supporting cast is great and the direction is at Ridley Scott's usual talent level, which is awesome. The story is highly intriguing also, unpredictable and it keeps you glued to the screen.
Matchstick Men is a very successful film in every right it tries to be, as a drama, as a comedy and as a heist movie, it exceeds in all of those departments.
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Damn, this rewatch was definitely worth the wait. The ending blew me away - that means it's too long ago I watched it the last time. Nic Cage, again, YOU. ARE. THE MAN. So fucking brilliant. What a performance. And the script, the plot, the whole fucking deal; fucking amazing. Shit. I feel like I've just been conned myself.
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I don't know exactly why I never watched MATCHSTICK MEN before today. I'm a Ridley Scott fan, but when this film came out I remember thinking it didn't look like his normal fare so I skipped it. I just now decided to watch it because I saw it on a list of heist films by my friend Don. I'm glad you put this movie on there otherwise I might never have watched it. I was going to give it 3 1/2 stars, but the last 20 minutes made me bump it up to 4 stars. Nic Cage is great. This performance is up there with LEAVING LAS VEGAS. Ridley Scott perfectly puts the viewer in Cage's point of view with the shooting style, shot selection and editing choices. A good heist film with heart. Thanks Don.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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A small film, especially coming from Ridley Scott, but a good one. The story and characters are entertaining, and although the ending is vaguely unsatisfying, plenty worked beforehand.
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Not completely sure what to write here - this is difficult. I've left this open for half an hour now. Matchstick Men is fantastic. Everything about it is fantastic. Go into it blind and enjoy.
Nicholas Cage is at his best as a neurotic con artist and Sam Rockwell is funny as ever as his partner. The supporting cast is great and the direction is at Ridley Scott's usual talent level, which is awesome. The story is highly intriguing also, unpredictable and it keeps you glued to the screen.
Matchstick Men is a very successful film in every right it tries to be, as a drama, as a comedy and as a heist movie, it exceeds in all of those departments.
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The film is alternately comic and charming, with occasional moments that are depressing or exciting. It hits a lot of bases in a few hours. And like a con job itself, it’s not entirely what it might seem at first glance; people expecting a straightforward drama or a straightforward con movie aren’t going to find either. And yet it succeeds to a degree at being both. Read full review.
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Okay, this is Ridley Scott's best film without a doubt. The direction and editing is nothing short of stellar. The film skips along at a great pace, you're never bored, and the acting. Oh man, the acting.
Matchstick Men has shown me that Nicolas Cage is a great actor. He really is. When given the right movie, Cage is electric on screen. It's almost quite sad when you see he's doing such crap these days. Sam Rockwell is also fast becoming one of my favourite actors working at the moment, and this has made me want to watch Moon even more than I already did.
If I say any more, I'll spoil the surprise of seeing the movie, so do yourself a great favour and see this movie as soon as you can.
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Fun movie. Maybe a touch predictable, but I liked it.
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A nicely done caper by Ridley Scott. Some of the cons are a little too thick to believe, but the flaws are negated by the comedy, great dribbles of drama, and one helluva conclusion -- which will leave you thinking about the movie for a while; undeniably enjoyable overall. Nicolas Cage was, surprisingly, extremely good here, but unfortunately plays the only interesting character in the entire film, except for maybe Lohman's... great chemistry among the cast nonetheless. Fine music also. Worth the watch? Yeah, I'd say so.
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Nicholas Cage is a con artist whose successful cons can't compensate for the fact that his numerous phobias leave him no way to have any personal life. Sam Rockwell is his partner and they are in the middle of pulling off a potentially lucrative scam when Cage discovers he has a teenage daughter who arrives unexpectedly to live with him. What then unfolds is a story of learning to parent interspersed with pulling off the con. The two stories become entangled which leads to increasing tension. You don't get much more of an anti-hero than Nicholas Cage's character in this role. As for style, granted it is that of the 60's more than today but that is more than compensated…
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Not at all what I expected. Loved it.
Cage is absolutely fantastic.
"Ever been dragged to the sidewalk and beaten until you PISSED! BLOOD?!?"