Entertainment Weekly - 09/19/2003
"...Cage's energized participation and Lohman's striking charisma are welcome additives..."
New York Times - 09/12/2003
"...Ms. Lohman shows the same pitch-perfect balance of guilelessness and coquetry she brought to WHITE OLEANDER..."
USA Today - 09/12/2003
"...MATCHSTICK MEN is a well-acted and intriguing exploration of dishonesty in its varied forms, leavened with a dry comic touch..."
Los Angeles Times - 09/12/2003
"...A natural-born filmmaker, Scott has a visual style that in its balance of pointillist detail and sweeping scale can complement whatever large-scale story he's chewed off..."
Chicago Sun-Times - 09/12/2003
"...What in another actor would be overacting is, with Cage, a kind of fearsome intensity. There's an Oscar nomination here for him..."
Rolling Stone - 10/02/2003
"...Nicolas Cage is at the top of his game....Cage and Rockwell play off each other with devilish finesse. And Lohman is on fire..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life - 11/01/2003
"...MATCHSTICK MEN finds Scott in a playful mood, and he does some of the most relaxed directing of his career..."
Premiere - 03/01/2004
"Ridley Scott's deft touch helps make the twist at the end both surprising and solid."
Product Description:
Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a con man who has had to overcome enormous problems with obsessive-compulsive disorder in order to stay on top of his game. His partner in crime, Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), helps him run a daily business conning housewives out of their money with telephone scams. Frank is frustrated with their small-fry clientele however, and urges Roy to look for bigger business ventures. Roy resists Frank's urges, and instead leads a bizarre existence in which he is completely dominated by his compulsions to clean, eat canned tuna every night, and open his front door three times before he can walk through it. His world is turned upside down, however, when he starts seeing a shrink who helps Roy to get in touch with his missing 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela soon becomes embroiled in Roy and Frank's scams, pushing Roy to take on a grandiose scheme that could give them financial security for the rest of their lives.
Directed by Ridley Scott, this fast-paced crime drama takes several twists and turns as it works its way towards a surprising conclusion. Cage is perfectly cast as the con artist beset by neuroses and family problems, and has an excellent foil in the younger, more abrasive Rockwell. Weaving a tale of trust, family, friendship and deceit, director Scott utilizes the talents of his actors to delve into complex themes, resulting in a breathtaking film in which nothing can be taken for granted.
Description by Warner Home Video:
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly
Plot Keywords:
Crime |
Criminals |
Deception |
Family (General) |
Money |
Scams And Cons |
Theatrical Release
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