The appeal of Matchstick Men is derived primarily from the appeal and solid work of its leads, Cage, Lohman and Sam Rockwell who is Cage's partner in crime. Akin to his role in 'Adaptation', Cage plays an idiosyncratic person who exhibits symptoms and tics similar to one with Tourette's Syndrome. He does this without succumbing to the temptation to overact, instead effectively melding it into his character.
Lohman, who was twenty-two at the time of shooting, remarkably blends her real-life maturity with the proper carriage of her 14-year old character, never giving an indication of the age gap.
Rockwell epitomizes an intelligent con man in his supporting role, oozing sliminess while maintaining a professional air. This trio creates a very likable set of characters that carry the film.
A braid of professionalism weaves through the technical aspects of the entire film as well, also contributing to its appeal. From the top down, every facet of production is well done, even though the picture is not typical fare for many of its participants. Usually behind the lens of big-budget movies like 'Black Hawk Down', Ridley Scott adjusts well to this smaller picture, utilizing his preference for few takes to get the most out of everyone involved. The editing of Dody Dorn (Memento)is noteworthy for its tone-matching flexibility.
The first ninety minutes proceed leisurely, gently telling the story of a father and daughter. As the last half hour hits the gas, it throws you back in your seat, disrupting the established pace and eliminating the majority of the humor that had marked the film. Much of the first ninety minutes could be classified as comedy, while the final scenes fall into the drama/thriller category.
When a film really doesn't need to be hyped, unfortunately it can get lost in the shuffle of those films that are released the same week but marketed more aggressively. Some of those other films may be far less worthy of viewer attention. That seems to have been the case with Matchstick Men. This film didn't do that well in theaters, it was virtually ignored by all the film awards and sneaked onto the video store shelves without being noticed. It's ended up on HBO where it finally got the viewership it deserves.
A solid four of five stars for Matchstick Men.
Trivia: If I am not mistaken the hindi movie Bluffmaster starring Abhishek Bachchan was a ripoff of this movie.
@Shafat,
ReplyDeletewaiting for more from your pen