Confidence

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, Andy Garcia, Luis Guzman, Donal Logue, Brian Van Holt and Franky G
Directed by: James Foley
Edward Burns Interview Here
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Bluntly Speaking? Not since the motley crew of The Usual Suspects has a film about hustlers and conmen delivered such a smart stylized mental roller coaster. Screenwriter Doug Young's script is riddled with delightful twists and turns impeccably stitched together and driven by an "A - List" of talent that'll keep you guessing and admiring 'round every intriguing bend!

Story goes... Jake Vig (Edward Burns) and his quirky team of con men are on their latest grift. They find themselves in the fine city of angels with a huge snag-a-snafu. Seems the guy they just defaced and liquidated of a high amount of funds was really the cheatin' scumbag accountant for one the creepiest villains in the underworld since Keysor Soze, named simply The King (Dustin Hoffman).

Jake's not shaken, well, too much. He figures this guy they call "The King" is an over-rated power hungry delegating palooka like any other…he'll stroll in make a quick deal and all will be copasetic.

Ah, but what he doesn't figure is this King guy is a tad mad - like a hatter really. The King decides, for giggles, to make Jake a kind of deal he can't refuse involving a nearly impossible scam. Jake remains confident though he's clearly sweating in his BVDs.

Jake goes back to his crew and the plotting and planning begins. But they need a broad; a chickbabe that can con; a deceitful dame - bait. Jake has just the she-devil in mind. A beautiful pickpocket he bumped into near a trendy LA club.

With "Lily" (Rachel Weisz) mixed in the stew of subterfuge the real adventure begins. Their job? An intricate deception involving crooked cops, offshore banks, capitol start up funds and a whole lot of conning.

Dustin Hoffman creates yet another of those indelible characters that breath such life you expect to see them in a phone book. Hoffman plays this menacing psychopath "The King" so diabolical you'll have shivers down your spine. Bravo!

Ed Burns is always great. He kind of he specializes (I think) in rapid fire dialog that sounds like you might just over hear at a local bar late in the evening. Eddie also happens to be edibly adorable in a toast-him-in-the-hearth-fires-of-my-lusty-heart-then-spread-him-with-a-heavy handed-dollop-of-full-fat-butter-and-northeastern-blueberry-jam-then-slowly-devour-every-last studly-morsel way! He's a beautiful landscape is all I'm saying. Purr.

Paul Giamatti is one of my favorite all-time evers. Here amongst his peers he steals scenes like the clever little bunny he is. He plays "Gordo" the sarcastic "we're all doomed" piece of the team.

Rachel Weisz who is as talented as she is beautiful works Lily and the sultry con lady angle like a fine Venetian glass blower works their craft; perfection is shaped and displayed - exquisite.

Andy Garcia, as Agent Butan, is barely recognizable as a tacky vision of wrinkled sears sucker upon a grizzly junk-yard dog façade. Agent Butan is a sort of seedy Dudley Doright relentlessly pursuing Jake; hell bent on being there when Jake makes that one big-time con man's big score…

The performances are perfection personified. And why shouldn't they be? You've got delightful pedigrees like Dustin Hoffman, Ed Burns, Paul Giamatti, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Donal Logue, Luis Guzman, Brain Van Holt, Morris Chestnut, all strung into this intriguing intelligent film as directed by James "Glengarry, Glen Ross" Foley. If you love diabolical bad men, handsome grifters, beautiful bad girls and those quirky henchmen always lurking around, propelling clever dialog about, then I tell you this is a thespian addict's equivalent to scoring pure uncut…

Snack Recommendation: Empanadas and a coke