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DVD Matchstick Men (Full Screen Edition)
Marking a welcome return to the breezy style of Thelma & Louise, Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men reminds us that the director of Gladiator is equally adept with quirky comedies and offbeat characters. Smoothly adapted from the novel by Eric Garcia and set amidst the sunlit, 1950s-style architecture of L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, this gently dramatic comedy centers on Roy (Nicolas Cage), a divorcée whose career as a con artist is complicated by: (1) his ongoing struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, which manifests itself through various quirks and rituals; (2) a wily partner (Sam Rockwell) whose criminal ambitions are greater than Roy suspects; and (3) the arrival of 14-year-old Angela (Alison Lohman), claiming to be the daughter he's never known. Turns out she's got a knack for dad's profession, and that turns Matchstick Men into a multilayered comedy with unexpected twists and surprising revelations. To say more would spoil the fun; suffice it to say that Hans Zimmer's playful score and a Sinatra-laced soundtrack are perfect complements to Cage's engaging eccentricities. --Jeff Shannon
Review(s): DVD Matchstick Men (Full Screen Edition)
Nicolas Cage is "Matchless"
Once again, Nicolas Cage demonstrates that he is not only one of the most versatile actors working today, but one of the best in Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men". Cage gives a master class in acting with his portrayal of Roy, a small-time L.A. con man with no life outside his 'work', and some Issues with a capital 'I'. Roy suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which manifests itself in a fetish for cleanliness and various repetitive actions and physical twitches and tics. Roy feels safest indoors, and when he's at home, gives free reign to all his idiosyncratic behaviors. On the job, he's managed to master his condition well enough to build a very successful 'business', complete with his own junior partner (Sam Rockwell). Roy's micro-managed life is thrown a curveball in the form of a 14-year-old girl named Angela (a dazzling turn by Alison Lohman of 'White Oleander', convincing as a young teen even though she was 22 at the time) . . .the daughter Roy has never met, since he split with her mom before Angela was born. The burgeoning relationship between Roy and Angela forces Roy to confront the the moral dilemmas posed by his profession that are the true cause of his illness. There's a lot of entertaining caper business along the way, but this father-daughter relationship is the heart of the film. Cage embodies Roy with a decency and humanity that makes him likeable despite the bad things he does for a living. In lesser hands, Roy's mannerisms might have overshadowed the character and pushed him into parody, but Cage applies them with restraint & consistency so that we get the feeling that inside and out, he IS Roy, as a man with this condition might actually exist. When he pulls out all the stops to show Roy in the throes of a major meltdown, it's humorous, and yet shows the pathos of OCD in a way that wouldn't be possible if he were over the top all the time.
Shot on location around Los Angeles, the movie has a breezy, upbeat feel that is purposely at odds with the darker events happening to Roy at the center. The irony of a character who is afraid to go outside, staying inside behind closed blinds, when outside L.A. is glaringly bright and spacious highlights the loneliness of Roy's inner world. The retro soundtrack, infused with Sinatra and other Rat-Pack classics is also 'instrumental' in creating a sunny mood at odds with Roy's darker reality. It's not really correct to classify this movie as a comedy; though there are humorous moments throughout, this is a complex, multilayered film that transcends mere comedy. In this way, it is similar in tone and style to Stephen Spielberg's 'Catch Me if You Can'. Almost as enjoyable as the film is the feature making-of documentary that follows director Ridley Scott & his stellar cast and crew through the year-long process of bringing 'Matchstick Men' to the screen. A solid addition to any DVD collection.
Reaction to a Con
Oh my God! I'm writing this review just moments after having experienced what is one of the greatest films I've seen in years. You know that feeling of absolute amazement, that energetic surge you get when you're so jazzed up you can't believe what you just saw?! This movie is that impressive. In every way Matchstick Men is an out-and-out masterpiece that will leave you stunned and incredulous. It truly is the sum of some very talented parts.
When I think of my favorite films of all time -Fight Club, Vanilla Sky, Unbreakable, The Butterfly Effect, etc.- the one quality that always stands out is the element of surprise. So if you dare to face the unpredictable, Matchstick Men delivers!
twisted
This movie gets your attention from beginnig to end. The ending would make your mouth drop. It is a twisted movie that you would never expect such a thing to happen in the movie.
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