2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review
"Matchstic Men"
Mark Karsteadt
Issue date: 9/30/03 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Matchstick Men is the same type of fish-out-of-water/finding yourself movie viewers are used to seeing except this time it has two wonderful actors and three storylines weaved so meticulously by Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator and Black Hawk Down) that viewers will not expect the conclusion to this movie. Since it is a movie about con men, I cannot reveal the twists and turns of this movie, but it is the best con movie since Ocean's Eleven.
Nicolas Cage (Adaptation, The Rock) plays Roy, a con man that has so many mental tics it's like a combination of Monk and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Roy and his partner Frank, played by Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Charlie's Angels) set out on a combination of swindles and cons. Roy is convinced by his therapist to see the daughter he has never known. Adding a 15-year-old to the con games improves the development of the movie and seeing Cage deal with his daughter, his partner, his therapist, his targets, and his tics makes this movie a true find.
Matchstick Men is the type of movie that might garnish an Oscar nomination, but it's still a fun movie with 120 minutes of enjoyment. I would recommend seeing this movie if for nothing else than Cage's wonderful performance.
Nicolas Cage (Adaptation, The Rock) plays Roy, a con man that has so many mental tics it's like a combination of Monk and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Roy and his partner Frank, played by Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Charlie's Angels) set out on a combination of swindles and cons. Roy is convinced by his therapist to see the daughter he has never known. Adding a 15-year-old to the con games improves the development of the movie and seeing Cage deal with his daughter, his partner, his therapist, his targets, and his tics makes this movie a true find.
Matchstick Men is the type of movie that might garnish an Oscar nomination, but it's still a fun movie with 120 minutes of enjoyment. I would recommend seeing this movie if for nothing else than Cage's wonderful performance.