DVD Movie Rating for: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

Rating for Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie Plot of: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

Meet Roy and Frank, a couple of pros at the small-time con. As in con artists. Grifters. Matchstick men. Take your pick.

What Roy, a veteran of the grift, and Frank, his ambitious protégé, are swindling—er, make that selling—these days are “water filtration systems,” bargain-basement water filters bought by unsuspecting people who pay ten times their value in order to win bogus prizes like cars, jewelry and overseas vacations…which they never collect. These scams net the flim-flam men a few hundred here, another thousand there, which eventually adds up to a lucrative partnership.

Roy’s private life, however, is not so successful. An obsessive-compulsive agoraphobe (and chain-smoker) with no personal relationships to call his own, Roy is barely hanging on to his wits, and when his idiosyncrasies begin to threaten his criminal productivity he’s forced to seek the help of a psychoanalyst just to keep him in working order.

While Roy is looking for a quick fix (i.e., pills), his therapy begets more than he bargained for: the revelation that he has a teenage daughter—a child whose existence he suspected but never dared confirm. What’s more troubling, 14-year-old Angela wants to meet the father she never knew.

At first, Angela’s appearance disrupts her neurotic father’s carefully ordered routine. Soon, however, with his own unique spin on parenthood, Roy begins to enjoy a relationship he never dreamed of having with his daughter. But while he develops paternal feelings for the 14-year-old, she’s developing a fascination with Daddy’s questionable career. Finally, at Angela’s insistence and against his better judgment, the overprotective con artist begins teaching her some tricks of the trade and, much to his ambivalent mix of surprise, pride and dismay, she displays a remarkable gift for the grift.

“People are fascinated with con men like they’re fascinated with mobsters—at least the fictional kind,” says novelist Eric Garcia, whose manuscript for Matchstick Men was being considered for the screen even before Random House could schedule its first printing. “There’s something mythical about them that draws us to them and makes us want to watch them operate. Maybe it’s the idea that they’re using their wits to make a living while everyone else is accomplishing the same thing through toil and effort.”

DVD Production Details of: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell
Director: Ridley Scott

Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio(s): 2.35:1
Audio Encoding: Dolby Digital 5.1
Rated: PG-13 \
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: February 8, 2005

DVD Extra Bonus Features

vailable subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Commentary by director/producer Ridley Scott, writer Nicolas Griffin and writer/producer Ted Griffin
"Tricks of the Trade" a three-part, intimate day-to-day account of the filmmaking process with director Ridley Scot

Cast of the movie: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

• Nicolas Cage .... Roy Waller
• Sam Rockwell .... Frank Mercer
• Alison Lohman .... Angela
• Bruce Altman .... Dr. Klein
• Bruce McGill .... Chuck Frechette
• Jenny O'Hara .... Mrs. Schaffer
• Steve Eastin .... Mr. Schaffer
• Beth Grant .... Laundry Lady
• Sheila Kelley .... Kathy
• Fran Kranz .... Slacker Boyfriend
• Tim Kelleher .... Bishop
• Nigel Gibbs .... Holt
• Bill Saito .... Pharmacist #1
• Tim Maculan .... Pharmacist #2
• Stoney Westmoreland .... Man in Line
• Lynn Ann Leveridge .... Bank Clerk
• Giannina Facio .... Bank Teller
• Sonya Eddy .... Parking Garage Cashier
• Michael Clossin .... Long Winded Parking Booth Driver
• Kim Cassidy .... Stripper
• Paul Hubbard .... Store Clerk
• Monnae Michaell .... Carpet Store Manager
• Dennis Anderson .... Cashier
• Marco Kyris .... Pizza Boy
• Jerry Hauck .... Taxi Cab Driver
• Jim Zulevic .... Bartender
• Ramsey Malouky .... Hospital Intern
• Andi Sherrill .... Pharmacy Cashier
• Kate Steele .... Strip Club Waitress
• Adam Clark .... Strip Club Bouncer
• Daniel Villarreal .... Car Wash Employee
• Marco Assante .... Valet Parker
• Larry Vigus .... Pharmacy Customer (uncredited)
• Melora Walters .... Heather, Roy's Ex-Wife (uncredited)

Photo Gallery of the movie: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

Reviews of the movie: Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman_

Nicolas Cage, fresh off his performance as the oddball Kauffman twins in Adaptation, plays Roy Waller, an obsessive/compulsive sufferer who happens to be one of the best operating grifters. Along with his partner, Frank (Sam Rockwell), there's virtually no scam he can't pull off - as long as his psychological problems remain under control. When properly medicated, Roy exhibits a few quirks - such as shutting doors three times and demanding that people take off their shoes before entering his house. But, when his pink pills run out, he becomes a mess of nervous energy, prone to facial tics and profane outbursts. Enter Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman), a psychiatrist who believes there's more to solving Roy's problems than medicating him. Soon, Dr. Klein has put Roy in touch with a 14-year old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), he never knew he had. And, just as Roy is beginning to form a bond with his teenage offspring, Frank approaches Roy about pulling off a big con on an easy mark. For the first time in his life, Roy sees a possible conflict between his personal life and his professional one, and his means of bridging it is to bring Angela in on the scam. She becomes his partner, and loves every minute of it.

Matchstick Men is really two movies brilliantly spliced into one, each enriching the other. The first focuses on Cage's character - his psychological problems, his misgivings about his profession, and, most importantly, his relationship with Angela. The suddenness with which she arrives in his life opens up a world of possibilities he had never previously considered, and, at the same time, makes him aware of how unprepared he is for any major life-changing decision. The second focuses on Frank and Roy's cons, which, while not monumentally unique, are interesting enough to keep us involved in the game.

In addition to being moderately suspenseful (a necessity for any movie about grifters and their crimes), Matchstick Men also has a sly, biting sense of humor that occasionally results in laugh-aloud moments. And it's emotionally satisfying, with the association between Roy and Angela becoming central to the storyline. It's fascinating to watch these two characters interact. There's a sense of discovery in this relationship, as each of these two realizes that the other fills needs they were unaware of having. Angela gets to live out the fantasy of finding out what it's like to have a real father, and Roy is given the opportunity to experience the wonders of what he missed when his wife walked out on him 14 years ago.

For Ridley Scott, the director of such high-intensity films as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator, this represents a departure. Ridley Scott has done character-related pieces before (the aforementioned Thelma & Louise being an example, as well as White Squall), but never have they been this light. For a filmmaker who has not previously ventured into comedy, Ridley Scott shows a deft hand. But, with someone of his experience, would it have been reasonable to expect anything less?

With Roy, Nicolas Cage adds another quirky character to his resume. He is convincing without being over-the-top or irritating. As Angela, Alison Lohman is instantly likeable, and proves that her eye-opening performance in White Oleander was no fluke. Sam Rockwell's portrayal of Frank has just the right mix of cynicism and sincerity. The dialogue - especially that between Roy and Frank - crackles with wit and intelligence (a rarity in films these days).

Unable to see the movie at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival due to scheduling conflicts, I waited to see Matchstick Men during its opening weekend in general release. That meant shelling out some of my own hard-earned money. Happily, I can report that the experience was worth every cent of the $7.00 it cost. Matchstick Men is the first winner of the fall movie season - a welcome antidote to the summer's mindless incoherence.