"Matchstick Men" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Kolbar]

Lie, Cheat, Steal, Rinse, Repeat

Release Date: September 12, 2003
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce McGill, Bruce Altman, Melora Walters

Plot Summary: Phobia-addled con artist Roy (Cage) and his protege Frank (Rockwell) are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the unexpected arrival of Roy's teenage daughter Angela (Lohman) disrupts his carefully-ordered life and jeopardizes his high-risk scam.

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Comments?

[Brainiac]

I'm not sure how I'm going to go into how I felt about the movie in a (semi-)coherent fashion, but here goes...

First of all, I really think I need to see this movie again to truly asess what I thought of it. My initial reaction at the moment is, overwhelmed, but loving it. I'll start with what I find easiest to talk about--the acting. I thought the acting was superb in this movie. Nicholas Cage once again blew me away...I thought his acting in "Matchstick Men" was easily on par with his recent role in "Adaptation." The twitching, the frantic and hectic feel of his everyday life, and his interaction with Alison Lohan was just phenomenal. His performance was both laughable yet tragic, at some points (which I'll get into later). Sam Rockwell, although not in the movie as much as I expected, was still great. He delivered his lines flawlessly, perfecting the timing on the comedic elements, as well as knowing how to set a darker tone for the rest. Alison Lohan was great. I don't think I've ever seen her in anything else, but this girl can truly act. She was at times silly and endearing, and at other times heart-wrenchingly touching. She played the perfect balance, and her interaction with Nick Cage was wonderful. The chemistry between them just really left you feeling good inside...and when he would yell at her, it tore me apart. Obviously, her performance was good enough to hook me into the movie to that extent.

On to the plot. At first, the plot seemed a bit slow, a bit jumpy, a bit...odd. Yes, it progressed, but not at any designated pace. Development of character is given ample time. By the time we even meet Angela (Alison Lohman), we already have a clear sense of who Roy (Nicholas Cage) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) are. Once again, I cannot stress how much the scenes between Lohman and Cage are complete gold. It's just wonderful how they portrayed the relationship--him, trying to deal with the fact that he now has a duaghter, and her dealing with the fact that she now has a father. SPOILERS: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUIN THE MOVIE! I DO NOT SUGGEST READING THIS, AS TEMPTING AS THIS WARNING MAY BE--SERIOUSLY! IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Spoiler:

The ending of the movie was quite the surprise. Not really his daughter?! My initial reaction was: Why did they need THAT plot twist? She was conning HIM? I felt like it invalidated the entire relationship that the audience had grown to care for so much. And it seemed too far-fetched! ...Or did it? It all makes sense--the set-ups, the manipulation...And then it hit me. It was perfect. We were conned. Just like the characters in the movie, the audience, too, was manipulated into thinking one thing. But it wasn't completely invalidated or pointless either. First of all, in the end, Cage and Lohman are still on good terms--she helped him not only drop the con act, but also let him start fresh. If she were truly his daughter, she would still represent the part of his life that was NOT so good...by adding the "twist" of her not actually being his daughter, it made the change more real and believable. He had nothing to lose. All his con money was gone. He had no real daughter. And the experience--although very sad that he was duped, it also could be seen as a way for him to "pay" for his past "sins." How else could he reconcile? Perhaps THAT was the cause of his quirks and psychological problems--the fact that he was a good man at heart, but dealt with bad business. So not only did he physically have a clean slate, but he was also left with an emotional clean slate of sorts, as well. By being conned by Lohman (and boy was it personal), it helped him re-define who he was and would be. And things turned out happy after all, which was re-assuring, despite the fact that she wasn't truly his daughter. So in the end, I didn't feel upset by the fact that we were led on...that was the point! And it was a point to help turn Cage's static comedic side into a dynamic dramatic character! THIS is why I think the film was excellent.

If you have not seen the movie yet, go see it now! And if you read the spoilers anyway, at least go into the movie with what I had to say in mind...I'd like to hear what other people thought...

-Brainiac

[JLApe]

Regarding the spoiler:

Spoiler:

Angela didn't conned him. Frank conned him. She was part of his game to play his daughter. If you noticed, there were a few letters addressed to Roy that were read in Frank's voice. And when she met Roy later, she told him that Frank stiffed her of her share of the money.

I thought the movie was getting dull, but I was blown away by the twist. My wife enjoyed this movie more than Once Upon A Time in Mexico. We both gave it 9/10. Great acting by Cage, Rockwell and Lohman. Great surprise twist too.

[Brainiac]

Regarding the "Regarding the Spoiler" :

Spoiler:

Although it WAS Frank who conned him, Angela was still part of the con. She supposedly was going to get a share of the money, and even though Frank stiffed her, it doesn't mean that what she did wasn't a con.

[TheEvilClown]

Spoiler:

Yeah that was a very shocking ending. My Jaw dropped when I heard that she was not his daughter. Not only that by the Psyc and the Dectives were all in on it to that kind of surprised me at first but when I went back to look at it. It was Frank that suggested Nic to get a Psyc. so then I thought that was what could of broght in the surprise right there.

[MAXIMUS]

I loved this movie but the only thing i didnt like was how the character of Frank wasnt in it as much as he should of been.

Everything was great I feel another best actor award going to Cage.This was one of the best movies I have seen all year and I have seen alot.

[Eddie G.]

Spoiler:

Okay now I read the book but did not see the movie, now in the book Roy is left heart broken and destroyed and prepares to become a con man again. I almost cried when this happened, I had fallen in love with these characters and now that was gone, frankly I would of perfered if she was his daughter but hey... It seems this movie ended on better terms, when the book ended I was hoping that he would still have some connection with his "daughter" does he become a father to this girl? From some of the spoilers I read it sounds like it.

________
BODY SCIENCE

[ClockStomper]

While the movie hasn't 100% won me over (I need to watch it more and soak it in before I can decide), Cage needs an Oscar, stat. Brilliant performance.

I think the problem is the unavoidable comparrisons to Adaptation. I'd really like for the movie to stand out on it's own in my mind, but it can't.