Matchstick Men (2004, DVD)

Matchstick Men (2003)

Ridley Scott may be our greatest living director. A man who has made superb films of many genres - science fiction (Alien, Blade Runner) to buddy films (Thelma & Louise) to large scale epics (1492, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) to horror (Hannibal) to comedy/drama, our current subject Matchstick Men.

Matchstick Men follows the movements of Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage), a bundle of neuroses and small time criminal. Cage's forte is the short con, selling shoddy products over the telephone, bilking widows out of their savings, and generally living off the fat of the land at others' expense. Much is made of Cage's various tics, phobias, and obsessions and he does an extremely effective job with the character.

We join Cage and his understudy Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell) and watch them go through their paces, bilking a retired couple out of their life savings by impersonating federal agents from the FTC. Roy (Cage) has a panic attack during this episode but is able to make it back to the car with the pigeons bank account number and a signed release. But Sam (Rockwell) notices his weakness...

They are shown splitting up stacks of crisp greenbacks and part company. Cage, during one of his obsessive cleaning rituals spills his pills down the garbage disposal. Unable to function, he misses work and Rockwell comes to see him. Cage finally explains he can't get more pills because they were illegally obtained but Rockwell suggests he call a doctor (Bruce Altman) and get a prescription. He even gives Cage a phone number. The doctor makes Cage tell him his life story before he will give him pills but he eventually does, much to Cage's relief. During their chat Cage let it be known he left his wife 14 years before with "a bun in the oven." After a couple of sessions with the psychiatrist he asks him to call his ex-wife. The psychiatrist calls him and tells him his wife doesn't want to talk to him but his daughter Angela (Alison Lohman) does. The rest of the film is spent showing Cage's frenetic attempts to maintain his undercover lifestyle, pull off a big swindle, and relate to his 14 year old daughter, with alternately comic, frightening, and poignant moments. You really need to see Matchstick Men yourself as it's full of surprises.

Ridley Scott has again hit a home run with his work here. The film is impressively packaged with the distinctive "Ridley Scott" visual style. Cage's swimming pool, while seldom seen, is always present in the light shimmers that play across the living room ceiling. Great cinematography and editing by John Mathieson (Gladiator) and Dody Dorn (Insomnia), respectively. The score, by Hans Zimmer (Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun) consists of a few themes that perfectly establish the mood and some popular music selections.

Nicolas Cage (Raising Arizona, Guarding Tess) turns in one of the best acting jobs he's done in a while. He has always been best at comedy and here his sad-eyed countenance with its large assortment of tics, is perfect. Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile) is also perfect as the ambitious junior partner, while Alison Lohman is the best precocious kid since Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon. Bruce McGill as the big mark and Bruce Altman as the psychiatrist give sterling support in the complicated story.

The Warner Bros. DVD is presented in 2.35:1 theatrical format and comes with a full length director's commentary and a large feature called "Tricks of the Trade: Making of Matchstick Men," which gives excellent insight into the making of this wonderful film. Subtitles and Foreign Language choices are also included as extras.

I think Matchstick Men is a fitting addition to the works of Ridley Scott and one of the best con artist films there is. Other films of this genre I highly recommend include:

The Sting

Paper Moon

The Grifters

Thanks for reading. Enjoy a good film tonight!