Ridley Scott's body of work is among some of the most wide-ranging in the industry, from sci-fi classics to dark dramas and many things in between. In 2003's 'Matchstick Men,' we get to see a dramedy starring a near-peak Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell as conmen without a cause.
The offbeat film is more or less a commentary on what the lack of fulfillment can do to a person, with Cage giving an admirable portrayal of a broken man who thinks he finds a sense of meaning to his life when a daughter he didn't know he had (Alison Lohman) comes into his life (keyword - "thinks"). Against the backdrop of the duo's low-budget con antics, 'Matchstick' looks at the ups and downs of Cage's Roy Waller, including the impacts (both positive and negative) Lohman's Angela has on him. The acting is strong, the screenplay is well written and there are enough interesting scenes to keep you glued to the screen from start to finish. But it's the twisty ending that makes a watch worthwhile, as it plays enough mind games with you till the final scene.
Sure, it wasn't shown much love from critics and has pretty much been forgotten to time, but 'Matchstick Men' is a standout from an era that was overshadowed by other higher-profile films.
The offbeat film is more or less a commentary on what the lack of fulfillment can do to a person, with Cage giving an admirable portrayal of a broken man who thinks he finds a sense of meaning to his life when a daughter he didn't know he had (Alison Lohman) comes into his life (keyword - "thinks"). Against the backdrop of the duo's low-budget con antics, 'Matchstick' looks at the ups and downs of Cage's Roy Waller, including the impacts (both positive and negative) Lohman's Angela has on him. The acting is strong, the screenplay is well written and there are enough interesting scenes to keep you glued to the screen from start to finish. But it's the twisty ending that makes a watch worthwhile, as it plays enough mind games with you till the final scene.
Sure, it wasn't shown much love from critics and has pretty much been forgotten to time, but 'Matchstick Men' is a standout from an era that was overshadowed by other higher-profile films.