Matchstick Men (Widescreen Edition) (Snap Case)

Matchstick Men (Widescreen Edition) (Snap Case)
by Charles de Lauzirika, Ridley Scott

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Category: DVD
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DVD Cover Information

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Anamorphic; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

Movie Reviews of Matchstick Men (Widescreen Edition) (Snap Case)

Movie Review: An excellent film. An even better DVD.
Summary: 5 Stars

Something is wildly attractive when a film combines the acting talents of Cage and Rockwell, and the visionary director Ridley Scott (who seems to find the best work in Hans Zimmer and his DOP of recent choice, John Mathieson). It is a small story on scale compared to Scott's other work. Far smaller, yet for me one that packs a far greater punch.

In a nutshell the film is about a conman, one who is afflicted with an OCD that puts his partner on edge. To his surprise, his daughter of 14 years old, whom he never knew existed, crashes into his life. What follows is a combination of great comedy and drama that really refreshes your mind when lined up against recent Hollywood fare (and should have been recognised in a number of categories of recent award ceremonies).

Take my word for it when I say this film is a technical triumph. The cinematography, editing, sound, costumes and sets work beautifully to create a comedy that impresses you with its visceral beauty and often leaves you cold with some harsh realities. The music, by Hans Zimmer, augments the visuals, much alike John Williams' score in Catch Me If You Can, by providing a lurid energy that supports the eccentricities of the two lead actors. Then in Alison Lohman the audience is enraptured by a sweet young actress, reminding you of the initial promise of Natalie Portman. And finally, the main man himself, Ridley Scott. To ignore his profound understanding of visuals and mise en scene would be to deny this film of one of its greatest virtues. It really is a sight to behold at times, begging to be frozen at times just so you can see how light bounces of objects, the colour varies and the actors move around the sets. His films will always have that quality (even GI Jane) but finally here he allows the actors to simply perform a quirky, heartfelt and wonderfully zippy script. The film is not without its flaws, but a film of this nature rarely is. I enjoyed the final scenes, whereas some people found it to be a disappointing resolution. Regardless, it still entertains on a high level.

And now the DVD. Having been accustomed to these shiny discs since they made their way to England in the late 90s I have been able to form an idea of what the best DVD is. It isn't about the quantity; the numerous deleted scenes (honestly, half the time they are completely unnecessary), trailers, music videos, bloopers, EPKs. The 'Making Of' featurettes are almost always dry, either too short or too long, lacking insight and are usually press promos that you wonder why they even bothered in the first place. It's about two things; quality, and a blimming commentary track. Now a commentary track does not have to include the director (however, clearly the most important person when it comes to talking about the craft and meaning of a film). But when a film is subject to months of preparation, shooting and post, then clearly people will have a great deal to divulge. Commentaries seem to reveal the most about a film, and thankfully here we have the director, a writer and writer/producer talking over the film. Commentaries of course vary in quality, and here we have a very good one. Rarely reaching the self-congratulatory tones often trod on, the filmmakers speak about the film as mature adults should; with a balanced reverence (or pride) and objectivity that allows them to evolve as artists.

Then you have what is arguably, as the amazon reviewer states, one of the best DVD features yet made. From prep to post, 'Tricks of the Trade' is a long, detailed, off-the-wall look into the making of this film. With seemingly full co-operation with everyone on board, this documentary pretty much covers all the main factors of filmmaking (scouting locations, casting, choosing crew, safety on set, writing, adapting from original texts, acting, costumes, set design, editing, testing on audiences, writing music, and naturally, when things go wrong). Just the nature of the doc gives you a wonderful insight into the industry. The ill-conceived notion that making big budget films is a breeze, where people are over paid turning up in their limos is challenged here. Everyone works extremely hard, being as professional as can be to work to a schedule and produce work of an incomparable standard (or, you don't get hired next time). An interesting part of this films creation is during post where Hans Zimmer has to completely re-write his original score as it completely changed the film's intended tone. One criticism is the film ignores the sound editing process, which is a shame as the sound in this film greatly enhances the storyline and the characters. Ultimately 'Tricks of the Trade' shows that the director is a genius. A Ridley Scott set seems to be one of the best to work on in Hollywood at the moment, and this film and documentary shows you why.

The picture and sound transfers are excellent. Wonderful sound mix (extremely atmospheric, classic sound track, crisp dialogue) and the visuals are true to the cinematographer's achievement.

So all in all a great package. A film that has already become underrated, Scott's best work in the past ten years is in my opinion destined to become a film fan's best kept secret. Enjoy.

Summary of Matchstick Men (Widescreen Edition) (Snap Case)