You shouldn't expect some kind of masterpiece from this movie just because Ridley Scott is directing it . One could wonder what interested Scott in making this movie . The story here is good and interesting , but hardly spectacular in terms of screenplay. I guess he just wanted to do a fun movie.
"The Matchstick men" relies heavily on Nicolas Cage . The whole movie is concentrated around his character – Roy , who suffers from many phobias . He's the heart of the movie . It a lot of fun to watch how he struggles with even the simple things like opening doors . Yet the movie doesn't make constant fun of him . We care about him , because we see how painful his life really is . Everyday for him is an adventure. It's get even more complicated when a new face appears in his life.
Nicolas Cage is great . He might not be a best actor in the world , but if you use him wisely and cast him in adequate role he won't fail. During his career Cage has shown that he's really good in playing neurotic , troubled characters that don't fit in the world – "Birdy" , "Leaving Las Vegas" , "Adaptation" and now "The Matchstick men" . You could say he's overacting sometimes , but it fits his character here perfectly.
I must praise Alison Lohman . I didn't knew she was a adult woman ! When you look at that 15 year old girl you won't believe she's played by an adult . She brings a lot of innocence , charm and joy into her character . A great performance too . Sam Rockwell is also nice here , but is easily overshadowed by Cage and Lohman.
The story mainly concentrates on Cage's disease and his relationship with Lohman . Those are the two most interesting aspects of the movie. The rest is a standard enjoyable bunch of twists you could expect from a movie about con artists.
The Matchstick men" is a solid movie about con artists . If you like this kind of stuff you won't be disappointed . It doesn't really stays with you and there is no need to see it again , yet it provides a solid entertainment. I give it 7/10.
"The Matchstick men" relies heavily on Nicolas Cage . The whole movie is concentrated around his character – Roy , who suffers from many phobias . He's the heart of the movie . It a lot of fun to watch how he struggles with even the simple things like opening doors . Yet the movie doesn't make constant fun of him . We care about him , because we see how painful his life really is . Everyday for him is an adventure. It's get even more complicated when a new face appears in his life.
Nicolas Cage is great . He might not be a best actor in the world , but if you use him wisely and cast him in adequate role he won't fail. During his career Cage has shown that he's really good in playing neurotic , troubled characters that don't fit in the world – "Birdy" , "Leaving Las Vegas" , "Adaptation" and now "The Matchstick men" . You could say he's overacting sometimes , but it fits his character here perfectly.
I must praise Alison Lohman . I didn't knew she was a adult woman ! When you look at that 15 year old girl you won't believe she's played by an adult . She brings a lot of innocence , charm and joy into her character . A great performance too . Sam Rockwell is also nice here , but is easily overshadowed by Cage and Lohman.
The story mainly concentrates on Cage's disease and his relationship with Lohman . Those are the two most interesting aspects of the movie. The rest is a standard enjoyable bunch of twists you could expect from a movie about con artists.
The Matchstick men" is a solid movie about con artists . If you like this kind of stuff you won't be disappointed . It doesn't really stays with you and there is no need to see it again , yet it provides a solid entertainment. I give it 7/10.