Matchstick Men (2003)

You get what you give and (hopefully)... redemption

I've heard good things about Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men", released in 2003, but was reluctant to give it a try since it was about two con-men. It's hard, after all, to care about the outcome of a story if its main characters are swindling scumbags who make their living by ripping others off. Let 'em be wiped off the face of the planet for all I care. But everyone universally praised the film and said it had a good ending that catches the viewer off guard, so I finally decided to check it out.

Nicolas Cage's character, Roy, is crippled by obsessive-compulsion disorder, likely a physical consequence of the guilt of his criminal lifestyle, which he tries to justify ("I don't take money from people; they give it to me"). He sees a shrink and relies on meds to deal with his condition. Ultimately Roy and his partner (Sam Rockwell) happen upon a big score. At the same time his life is complicated but also blessed by the appearance of a 14 year-old daughter he never knew he had (alison Lohman).

The story is good all the way through but the last act & epilogue in particular are worth the price of admission.

I like how the movie emphasizes that love is more important than money, and more devastating to lose as well. And also that, if one truly has a worthy and noble heart, it will ultimately vomit out foolish, selfish and unnatural inclinations & actions. Redemption is always there, no matter how bad you are, but you have to want freedom enough to choose it and change.

I don't want to say anymore because the less you know the better.

The film runs two hours and was filmed in the Los Angeles/Anaheim/Venice areas.

GRADE: B