DVD Matchstick Men (Includes CD Soundtrack)

Perfectly-crafted flim-flam tale with unexpected depth

Enter a wealthy, unscrupulous mark (Bruce McGill) whom Frank & Roy set up for the big score, and all the pieces are in place for this unique grifter tale adapted by Nicholas & Ted Griffin from Eric Garcia's book. The story has nearly as many twists and turns as Mamet's HOUSE OF GAMES and THE SPANISH PRISONER, but there is much more to it than an ingeniously entertaining plot. At times it seems like a dark comedy that tickles the intellect more than the funny bone, yet it never fails to respect each of its characters and to regard Roy's predicament seriously. The unfolding story reveals surprising emotional and spiritual depth as Roy reluctantly confronts his karma and begins a quest for redemption. By suffering the consequences of his choices--and accepting responsibility for them--Roy discovers the power of forgiveness to radically transform his life.

Nicolas Cage is at his best as Roy. He pulls off an impressive balancing act by creating a believable, sympathetic, and fully-human character from material more prone to derivative mediocrity. The supporting cast is equally good, with not one sour note among the players. Rockwell gives his best performance since GALAXY QUEST. Newcomer Lohman shows star potential in her convincing portrayal of a girl scarcely half her own age. Altman is perfect as the psychiatrist, and Bruce McGill again demonstrates why he is the heir-apparent to the late J.T. Walsh as the consummate character actor.

Director Ridley Scott, of course, is one of the few contemporary masters of cinema. The auteur behind such landmark films as THE DUELLISTS, ALIEN, and BLADE RUNNER, in recent years he has de-emphasized the breathtaking imagery that established his reputation and now employs his impeccable filmcraft in making more apparently conventional Hollywood-type movies--i.e. THELMA AND LOUISE, GLADIATOR, and BLACK HAWK DOWN. With MATCHSTICK MEN, he reinterprets the con-artist flick, a perennially popular sub-genre (THE STING, PAPER MOON). True to form, it is masterfully crafted. Cinematographer John Mathieson (GLADIATOR) and editor Dody Dorn (MEMENTO) share the credit, for every shot is impeccably framed and the brilliant editing calls so little attention to itself that even Oscar overlooked it.

In short, this is an unpretentious and deceptively unambitious movie that succeeds on every artistic level. The MPAA may not have deemed it Oscar worthy, but posterity may judge it more favorably than any of this year's Best Picture nominees. If you appreciate tight plotting, good acting, subtle wit, splendid craftsmanship, memorable characters, and a story that rings emotionally true, you will probably like this movie as much as I did. Five solid stars.

"Matchstick Men" was adapted for the screen by Nicholas and Ted Griffin from the novel of the same name by Eric Garcia. Ridley Scott, in a departure from his usual action fare, directs this idiosyncratic "dramedy". The cast is all superb. Nobody does nervous ticks like Nicholas Cage, even though I'm tired of seeing him do them. Part of the trouble with this film comes from some confusion in its tone: It might have been a brooding character study, but director Scott wanted it to be a black comedy. Good call, but the film isn't funny enough to captivate the audience on that level. It doesn't impress as a character study because all of the characters are annoying. That's played for laughs, but doesn't consistently succeed because the film is just so self-absorbed. Black comedy or character study aside -which is where you will find them- "Matchstick Men" is a Grift Movie. And the grift works. It's a good one, and this is where "Matchstick Men" is successful. This is a good-looking film; I like the cinematography and production design. The performances are impressive. But it's a little rough to sit through (The second half is better than the first, so don't give up too soon). It just doesn't come across as it should. I recommend "Matchstick Men" to fans of grift movies and fans of Nic Cage, but I don't think its successes are going to outweigh the tedium for anyone else.

The DVD: Bonus features include a making-of documentary entitled "Tricks of the Trade", an audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, screenwriter Nicholas Griffin, and screenwriter/producer Ted Griffin, and a theatrical trailer. "Tricks of the Trade" has three parts: pre-production, production, and post-production, and includes interviews with Ridley Scott, the film's casting director, writers, producers, author Eric Garcia, and Hans Zimmer, who composed the film's score. It follows the making of "Matchstick Men", step-by-step, through all stages of production, which is plodding and tedious, but it gives a realistic picture of the movie-making experience instead of concentrating on eventful highlights. I think the documentary will bore most viewers, but film students might find it educational. The audio commentary is good but a little awkward, because Ridley Scott and the Griffin brothers seem to have taped their contributions at different times. They talk about the genesis of the film and storytelling decisions that were made along the way, but not technical stuff. Ridley Scott's contributions are especially interesting. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish, and dubbing is available in French.

I'll admit to it being clever, & not leaving me with that semi desperate there's-2-hours-of-my-life-I-can-never-get-back feeling.

About the best thing that can be said about this flick is that Cage was his usual outstanding self, & he must have had a ball playing the character.