Confidence
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.94 You Save: $9.04 (91%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Confidence
Movie Review: Watered down and unconvincing story of L.A. Grifters
Summary: 3 Stars
This watered-down "thriller" is the spawn of an unholy union: _Reservoir Dogs_ and _Usual Suspects_. Possessing neither the chilling terror of Dogs nor the mind-twisting plot of Suspects, _Confidence_ follows a formulaic approach in describing the aftermath of a grift gone bad.Edward Burns is the leader of a motley group of con-men who have made their way to LA, having perfected a team approach to grifting. Their con takes place in a low-brow bar and when the "mark" witnesses a murder in the establishment - and the cops head in - the money is left behind in the confusion. Of course, the murder never really took place and the witnesses in the bar are in on the scam - as are the pair of crooked cops who show up. Problem is, this mark had money that belonged to the "King" - and when one of Burns' gang gets viciously slain, Burns is forced to have a sit-down with the King to try to make amends.
The King, head of a nonsensical, "independent" criminal enterprise, is played unconvincingly by Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman - as a Dennis Hopper-type prone to violence - simply doesn't fit the bill, given that any 16-year-old high-school football player could wipe the floor with him. Disappointingly, Burns never changes his persona during the entire movie - whether making time with a female pickpocket (Rachel Weisz) that conveniently shows up in his life - being threatened by a large firearm pointed at his nose - or in his day-to-day planning of the scam that will pay back the King and give the group their final, retirement score.
I could go on, but why bother? You can probably guess how it all turns out. The sad truth about this flick is that the talented actors are abused by a story that is simplistic, silly and completely unbelievable. If you've got nothing better to do on a rainy evening, certainly give it a watch. But expect to be underwhelmed, given the ability of a cast that has a lot more to offer than what you'll see here.
Movie Review: Emotionally flat
Summary: 3 Stars
Watching CONFIDENCE was like visiting a fortune-teller just for the fun of it. While not getting emotionally involved, I paid good money just to observe and rate the quality of the performance. And that's OK.Jake Vig (Edward Burns) leads a gang of Los Angeles con artists that mistakenly burns a local crime lord, Mr. King (Dustin Hoffman), to the tune of $150,000. King retaliates by having one of the team executed. Realizing their peril, Jake prudently decides to cut a deal. Thus, King is willing to forgive and forget if Vig and his colleagues will fleece one of his rivals out of $5 million.
To my mind, a film's potential success has at least four determinants: the acting, the plot, the environment (created by the cinematography, soundtrack, FX, etc.), and the degree of bonding between the audience and the characters. CONFIDENCE succeeds in all but the last.
Perhaps the best incentive to see CONFIDENCE is Hoffman's portrayal of the ickiest, creepiest and most venomous character he's ever played. It may be worth a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the next Oscarfest. Burns, as well as the multitude of others in supporting roles, are adequate to advance the (admittedly clever) storyline, but none were endearing, at least to this viewer. Even the moll of the piece, Lily (Rachel Weisz), is too unrelentingly flinty to be attractive.The only character of any interest besides King is Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia), the scruffy Federal agent and Vig's ostensible nemesis, who appears to be the wild card in the evolving scam.
The director made creative use of flashbacks and visual asides to keep my in-seat interest level high.
I left the screening glad that I'd seen it, but am also going to purge it from short term memory immediately after typing the period that ends this review. CONFIDENCE is, ultimately, an emotionally sterile experience.
Movie Review: Fun but not all it could have been
Summary: 3 Stars
The problem with Confidence begins with Edward Burns' delivery. Okay, he's cool, like Chili Palmer in Get Shorty. Okay, as Dustin Hoffman's character says, he's a pretty boy. But the film opens with Burns on his knees, as an angry black man holds a pistol to his head and encourages him to tell his story--how weak a conceit is this? And Burns procedes to do so in such a cool--one might even say disinterested--way that we can't ever believe his life is really in danger. The whole business is revealed immediately by Burns' lack of emotion as a con, and all that remains to be hashed out are the details. Admittedly, there is some fun in those very details--in particular Dustin Hoffman is absolutely terrific in his role, and he's got one of the funniest lines ever about the performance of two sisters in his nightclub--I won't give it away. The movie is worth seeing for his part alone, and it's more than the cameo other reviewers claim. But it seems to me that the director expected to keep our interest through the twists of the plot; but anyone who's seen The Sting, Paper Moon, The Confidence Man, or Matchstick Men isn't going to be much surprised. Furthermore, I don't buy the con working the way it was portrayed; walking into a bank and trying to cash a check for five million dollars on the spot would pretty much blow a hole in the entire thing. Either less emphasis on the plot or more--which might end up losing most of the audience--would make a better movie; and more of Dustin Hoffman certainly would have improved it. As it is, enjoy Confidence, but you probably won't be taken in by it.Movie Review: Too cleaver for its own good
Summary: 3 Stars
It has style all right but the film lacks substance, and a likeable leading man. Ed Burns can be those things if he had a good script to work with but he character comes a cross as very unlikable though out most of the movie, and his voice overs lacks the intelligence of a man who knows what he is doing. Its not Burns fault at all but he comes across more like a street kid who grew up than a man who has his finger on the pulse of the con that he is trying to pull. Paul Giamati is fine but does the same stick he always does, and Andy Garcia lacks the charisma to pull off his role well. The real acting of this movie comes from Rachel Weisz, who is better than the material that is giving to her, and she proves that in spades by the way she makes you watch her every move. She was much more believable con artist than the card board cut outs that Ed Burns and his men were, and she would have made a much better lead in this film as well if the director and the screenwriter wanted to make a better movie. The other actor who gave a great performance was Dustin Hoffman, who does go over the top in certain scenes with his performance but never the less was a menacing force to be reckoned with. The script is a problem with cliches at every corner, and the ending is so predicable that you would be a fool not to be able to predict it. My Hats off to Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman for giving great performances but the movie as a whole is not worth your time.
The 3 stars is for them.
Movie Review: Mid-level thriller
Summary: 3 Stars
"Confidence" is slick, engrossing thriller which would have been better if the character development had been stronger. The people in the movie are interesting to watch, but, for the most part, we don't much care about them. This is a stylistically superb, but detached, film. Comparison to David Mamet's superior `House of Games" or to Stephen Frears' superb "The Grifters" is inevitable. Edward Burns plays Jake Vig, leader of a small group of con men. Their game is to stage fake murders, the object of which is to scare away a `mark' who, in his haste, leaves behind a whole lot of cash. One afternoon, things go astray when the victim turns out to be the accountant for a notorious gangster called King [Dustin Hoffman]. King nabs the group and demands his money back. Jake makes a deal in which his guys will take one of King's rivals for five million dollars. King sends in one of his men to keep an eye on things, while Jake recruits a beautiful woman [Rachel Weisz] to help in the con. The question is whether or not the clever Jake can outwit the infamous King in a tense cat-and-mouse game.
All the actors try hard, but are limited by their roles. The best performance is Hoffman's, who plays a sleaze ball with great relish.
The cinematography is excellent and lends a colorful, moody feel to the movie. The editing is fast paced. If the script had been sharper, this would have been a classic film noir.