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 Matchstick
Men
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce
McGill, Bruce Altman, and Beth Grant
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Matchstick
Men is viciously entertaining to watch thanks to a mesmerizing
performance by Nicolas Cage as a man with more than a few personal
idiosyncrasies. Right from the start as the stylized credits ricochet
across the screen to a Bobby Darin soundtrack you know Ridley
Scott's directing and settle in for a tasty treat of a diversion!
The
story goes…Roy (Nicolas Cage) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) are
small time conmen aka matchstick men. They hustle unsuspecting
folks for their life savings and so forth.
Frank's
kind of Roy's protégé. He's a quick learner and
is already a hankerin' for a big score. Roy's just not ready.
Frankly it's all Roy can do to get out the door each day, as he's
also a card-holding member of the agoraphobic obsessive compulsive
disorder club of America. The little pay offs, which he squirrels
away, keep him contented.
But
when Roy suddenly discovers his long lost marriage produced a
daughter named Angela (Alison Lohman) - and the daughter wants
to meet him - he starts to think about that one last score; for
her sake.
Angela's
not exactly a bible-carrying-candy-striper-Mandy-Moore style teenager.
She's quick to cozy up to "dad's" less-then-legal ways
of obtaining cashola and wants in. Roy is oddly pleased his little
girl's got his keen eye for a sucker and shows her a small con.
He also advises, as any good father would, this was a once in
a lifetime deal. It's been swell but the swelling's gone down!
Meanwhile
Frank's ecstatic Roy has finally agreed to do a big job and sets
the con in motion. It's a simple money laundering scam with a
saffron infused twist that should leave the two very wealthy men.
Then
as the gig comes together Angela is accidentally thrown into the
middle of the set up and things go horribly wrong - natch.
Roy's
about to learn a lesson about bamboozling the hard way…
The
story has huge faux pas and omissions of reality but Nic "slurp-o-rama"
Cage is so good he makes any threads of disbelief that start to
knit within your mind untangle as you watch his delightfully entertaining
performance! He kind of cons you into humor nirvana.
 Nic-o-la-yum-ious
is proving he's truly genius when he's out of a serious role (Leaving
Las Vegas aside...) and into the skin of a quirky palooka.
And of course even as "Roy" with his rapid-fire twitches,
sudden snorts and percolating phobias the man wreaks havoc upon
my heart; in other words I'd still jump on him like a rabid Rhesus
monkey given the chance…
This
Alison Loman is as adorable as she is talented. She more than
holds her own beside Mr. Cage who's snorfing and blinking his
way into yet another academy award.
Sam - dollop of manly man - Rockwell is another extreme talent.
He's not given much here to exude his abilities…but usually.
Run
and see this impeccable performance by Cage and for crimeney's
sake don't start to dissect the plot or you'll get all upset.
Just enjoy.
Snack
recommendation: Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna from the
can and a cigarette or two.
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