Amazon.com

HBO caused a stir when it aired If These Walls Could Talk, a portrait of three women from three generations (all who occupied the same house at various times) who had unwanted pregnancies. HBO utilizes the same gimmick in the sequel, this time telling the story of women who love women.

The three stories of If These Walls Could Talk 2 are uneven. Far and away the most powerful and moving story is the first, taking place in 1961, starring Vanessa Redgrave as a woman "widowed" when her partner of 50 years suddenly dies. Redgrave is phenomenal, and her piece alone makes this sequel worth watching. The 1972 portion stars Michelle Williams, who finds dealing with the sexual politics of the gay community increasingly more complex when she falls in love with a boyish woman (played by Chloë Sevigny). The most modern piece, taking place in 2000, portrays a contemporary lesbian couple (Sharon Stone and Ellen DeGeneres) determined to have a baby. The light nature of the story detracts from the more serious issues of the earlier segments. Despite the mixed fare, HBO once again proves itself on the cutting edge of moviemaking, with this rather daring film that will both provoke and entertain. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (72)

A look at relationships over time
There are 3 stories to this movie, with the setting being the same house for all three stories.

The first story is set in the 1950's and shows the sorrow of having to keep a lesbian relationship secret. Vanessa Redgrave's utter destruction over the death of her partner and her being unable to show the full extent of her loss. From the hospital to the gold digging relatives, no one offers her true comfort for what she has rightfully lost and she must grieve alone.

For me, the second story was the best. Set in the 1970's, it tells the story of a feminist who falls in love with a masculine dressed woman. The passion is overwhelming. There is a nude scene that really shows pure sexual passion. Michelle Williams potrayal of the feminist is a moving and wonderful thing to watch.

The final story is about 2 women trying to conceive a baby. While I'm not sure about the chemistry between Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone, I do think Sharon Stone gives a tender portrayal of a loving woman. I found the watching of the children in the park to be a little creepy and unnecessary.

Even if you aren't a lesbian, just the acting and the emotions of relating to other women is worth the rental or purchase price.

Incerdibly Touching
I thought "If These Walls Could Talk 2" was great, with the great performances. Thank god for HBO, I've seen it many times on it, and it's sort of a guilty pleasure. I can't help but watch it everytime it comes on. I thought every story was very moving, with the perfect cast to pull it all off. I thought the first segment was very touching, but I couldn't really relate to it, so it was hard to really get into it. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third segments. The second segment with Michelle Williams, Nia Long, and Chloe Sevigny were fantastic. It struck a chord in me, I realized how biased the world can be towards one another. I liked the irony of one lesbian being incredibly ignorant to another, because they weren't "lesbian" enough. It revealed to me how cynical we all can be. I disagree with a lot of the reviews about the third segment, I thought it was great! It was humorous and heart-felt. It is by far, Ellen DeGeneres's best performance. Sharon Stone was so comical, which the enitre movie needed. Ellen and Sharon had great chemistry, in my opinion. The seemed very believable, from the passion towards one-another, to the commitment of trying to conceive. They were a truly loving and commited couple, which I respected very much. I recommend this movie to anyone, lesbian, gay, bi, or straight, it's a terrific movie.

I fell...
in love with Chloe Sevigney (segment 2) after I saw her in this film. She's absolutely amazing. Okay, this isn't a review but I really had to add this to amazon.

If This Bathroom Could Get a Word In
I've got the pitch for IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 3:

Pro-choice lesbians who are politically-active athiests! Cher and Sharon Stone survive a Sam Peckinpah-styled shootout when crazed religious fanatics open fire on them for helping poor confused young girls into the local abortion clinic. When Chloe Sevigny, their adopted daughter, dies in the attack, Cher and Sharon decide to instead turn their attention to removing all crosses and nativity scenes from America.
Just as the religious fanatics take aim at them at the last nativity scene, Ellen Degeneres appears as angel to stop the violence and magically transform all Americans into loving, tolerant gays and lesbians. The abortion debate essentially disappears since children must now be shipped into the States as the populations growth drops to zero.
Unfortunately, none of them now believe in God or angels, so they open fire on the angel and the entire world is destroyed in a ripping special effects climax.
You can't tell me that wouldn't be more entertaining or informative than anything in the first two WALLS films.

I had the same problem with the first WALLS film that I had with this one: drama sidestepped to make a political statement. Most of the America isn't gay or lesbian, so the film could've been more interesting by seeing reactions to the characters' lesbianism in families and work and so forth.
Instead, we see that lesbian relationships can be just as cutesy and bland as the most lame straight love stories.
The horrible injustice of the first segment could've been cleared up through a simple will.
The second was the most interesting.
The third was like watching a Hallmark card commercial at one frame per half-hour.

HBO has all the tools to make a daring, provocative film. Maybe someday they will.

honest, sweet, and relatable
i thought this was a really good movie. The third part with ellen and sharon was my favorite and the part that i identified with the most. i love the part right before the love scene when ellen asks sharon why they are watching TV. i love how sharon turns the TV off. it is so cute. i have always liked 'Thank You' by Dido but this movie made me like it even more. i didn't relate as much to the second part but thought that all the actresses did a great job. the first part was sad and i'm glad that they put that in the movie. one of my favorite movies! ... Read more

Description

Jimmy. Dave. Sean.Friends who grew up in working-class Boston, they drifted apart afer a terrible tragedy.Year later, brutal events reconnect them. ... Read more

Reviews (304)

NOT Eastwood's best...
...that title remains with Unforgiven.

Mystic river is a good movie, not a great one. It has a great story and great characters - with a good screenplay by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's book. The directing is solid, while not really bringing anything special to the film, yet pacing it prefectly in building the tension around the murder.

What is outstanding about this film is the acting. Sean Penn gives yet another inspired performance as a working class father from Boston who just lost his oldest daughter to a horrific murder. Although the scenes that most people seem to remember (and that are shown in the trailer) show his *exaggerated* response to his daughter's death, the rest of the performance is more subdued and restrained.

Tim Robbins' performance is also of note, as Penn's disturbed boyhood friend who shows up covered in blood the same night of the murder, making his frightened wife (Marcia Gay Harden) start to doubt his story and to believe that he is in fact the murderer.

The rest of the cast give solid performances in somewhat limited characters, Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne as the cops asigned to the case, and Laura Linney as Penn's second wife.

However, there are a few things about the film that rubbed me the wrong way; the whole sub-plot about Bacon's wife calling him on his cell phone and not speaking? What was that suppossed to bring to the movie? Or Linney's (apparently) sudden transformation into Lady MacBeth, telling Penn's character that he should do whatever needed to be done? Or the final parade scene?

In short, while not a great film (certainly not Eastwood's best), it's a good one worth catching, and not as bad as some other reviewers will have you believe (certainly not Mistake River!).

Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are outstanding!
In Mystic River, director Clint Eastwood has taken the themes of pain and loss, added superb actors, and a literate script to make a memorable movie.

Jimmy, Sean, and Dave were childhood buddies growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Boston. One day, Dave was lured away and sexually abused by two men. Years later, the boys are now adults; Jimmy (Penn) is an ex-con with a loving family, Sean (Bacon) is a cop with marital woes, and Dave (Robbins), forever damaged by his childhood trauma, is barely clinging to reality. When Jimmy's daughter is murdered, Sean investigates, Jimmy vows vigilante justice, and Dave is a prime suspect.

The lead actors are outstanding here. Penn is utterly convincing as the former thug and heartbroken father. Robbins displays his acting chops in the performance of a lifetime, showing a fragile man dealing with such pain that he can no longer function rationally. The two men certainly deserved their Oscars.

This is a movie that will pull at your heartstrings while keeping you guessing who the killer is. There are, thankfully, no graphic scenes of child abuse or the girl's death, yet you will be on the edge of your seat much of the time. This is an outstanding film.

Stale As Month-Old Potato Chips
I was quite surprised at how bad this movie was. Perhaps it was just me, but I was looking forward to a Unforgiven-type directoral masterpiece from Mr. Eastwood and the stars Robbins and Penn. Given the hype this movie recieved (and the oscar nods to its 2 main stars and director Eastwood) I was really ready to sink my viewing teeth into something substantial.

Unfortunately, this movie was as stale as a bag of month-old potato chips. I never really came to symphathize at all with Sean Penn's character, even though his daughter was murdered. I mean, seriously, how can you symphathize with a criminal (Penn's character) who barely was involved in his kid's life to begin with?

Perhaps if the movie had shown a more deeper relationship between Penn and the kid then I could have cared more about the outcome. As it was all my sympathy went to Tim Robbins character, sexually molested as a child and then basically forgotten by his so-called "buddies". In my opinion Tim Robbins is the only reason to watch this movie. He walks around with an aire of utter hopelessness (reminiscent of the character he played in Jacob's Ladder), and yet he tries so hard to get passed the mental anguish of his past and make it through each day as an adult that by the end you are cheering for him.

Which brings me to the other reason why this movie stinks - the ending.

Like in a good novel, the reader/viewer doesn't want to be cheated in the end. I don't want to give away the ending, but be warned - it stinks.

All in all there really wasn't any substance to most of the characters, and I found myself toward the end wondering why I should even finish watching it. I like to be absorbed by characters played with heart and substance. Watching these jokers (except for Robbins) was like watching carboard cutouts being moved around on a stage.

Mystic River..The Ending Bites
First off..someone please tell Clint Eastwood to back away from the camera slowly and never ever direct another film. As far as everyone who raves about this film..you have lost all cred. I supposed your enthralled by shiny objects too. The ending was ridiculous....my daughter is killed..lets go to a parade?????? The fact that this drivel was considered genius in two mediums is baffling...more proof that everything is watered down beyond hope...whoever says this is a classic- I have some old home movies..you wanna shell out money to see those too???

Pretentious Puddle?
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In great dramas, people aren't perfect, but their mistakes make sense. In melodramas, their mistakes don't; they occur only because the screenwriter wants them to.

Mystic River is a horrid melodrama, Hollywood's worst in years.

Pick any three-minute segment, jump in the shoes of any major character, and you'll find at least two instances where common sense would completely unravel the plot. There would be:

phone calls to doctors
routine checks on how the investigation is going

alerts to detectives
ridiculous assumptions thrown out the window
obvious suspects brought in for questioning
DNA and blood evidence rapidly analyzed and suspects eliminated
direct confrontations and/or backchannel neighborhood chats to double-check facts
and, oh, maybe a teeny bit of thinking before irreversible acts are committed.

None of this happens, of course, because the screenwriter creates a world without accepting its rules. The major characters are supposed to have lived in the same rough neighborhood and known each other all or most of their lives. But the lifelong aggressors uniformly jump to conclusions, as though they've never served time or seen other hoodlums get burned by assumptions. And the lifelong victims never seem to have their radar up around shady characters.

So we're asked to believe in a tough, jaded world where all statements are taken at face value, where no one seems to have ever seen a crime movie or played a single hand of poker, and where seasoned homicide cops don't seem to have heard of fingerprints, basic procedure, or internal affairs investigations. It's totally implausible.

In a decent drama, Dave never gets in the Savage brothers' car. Not with his history, not knowing the Savage brothers, not given the circumstances. But he gets in, because that's the only way the screenwriter gets Dave to the next scene. Ugh.

As a counterpoint, check out any Farrelly brothers movie. Yeah, they're comedies, but they follow the rules of drama: the characters are put in situations they take seriously, and make decisions that, given who they are, make lots of sense. The funny comes from sensibly navigating absurd situations. Unlike the funny in Mystic River, which inadvertently jumps out from umpty-jillion RIDICULOUS plot twists.

Me Myself and Irene is a better cop drama than this overhyped clunker. Kingpin is a vastly better study of victims and villains. And no, I'm not kidding. Skip MR. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're a lifetime member of the Jennifer Connelly fan club, you'll be in the passionate minority of people (100% male) who won't care that this 1991 comedy is wallowing in its own oily puddle of lameness. The gorgeous Ms. Connelly is conspicuously put on display in this typically lightweight fluff from writer-producer John Hughes. Frank Whaley does his best to liven up the male-fantasy plot about a semi-nerdy teen who gets a night-watchman job in a variety store, only to find himself locked in overnight with the local knockout (Connelly), who's as rich as she is beautiful. She's also really unhappy with her home life and her bully boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney), so it's Frank's big opportunity to make his move as a sympathetic Romeo. Shallow and contrived, the movie does have its standard moments of John Hughes delicacy, and a cameo by the late John Candy scores bonus points for comedy. Still, it's clear that the movie exists primarily to satisfy adolescent lust--and with Connelly as the object of desire, this otherwise tiresome comedy is a triumph of wish-fulfillment casting. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

A movie for all of us who were "outcasts" in High School!!!
I loved this movie!!!! Frank Whaley is an underated actor who gives a very energetic perfomance, and Jennifer Connoly, well...'nuff said. I guess I'm a little biased in this review because I was one of those labeled in high school "Outcast", and I identify with the main character. It's about damn time one of us got the most girl popular girl in high school!!! Sorry that's the pain from High School talking. And which one of wouldn't imitate Jim Dodge's antic's if we were locked in Target for one night!?!?!?!?!

The amazon.com reviewer needs to get his facts straight!
This is a great movie...I think I have a review here or the VHS version...anyhow, I wanted to point out, the movie is not really about Whaley's character lusting after Jennifer. It's more focused on the comedy of it all. Also..Dermot Mulroney does NOT play Connely's boyfriend, he plays the robber/murderer who breaks into Target to rob the place, and runs into Whaley and Connely! You can't write a bad review basically trashing the movie, if you clearly haven't even seen it!

I like it for what it could have been.....
I absolutely love this film- it's strangely endearing. and the best part is, it is most endearing for what it COULD have been. i think that's why i like watching it so much. the film was made during john hughes' fall from grace (his deal with the devil had to run out sometime) and the early 90's weren't as kind or interested in his fantastic dissections of 80's class conflicts and teenagers know best philosophy. career ops does run a tad thin but there was a great deal of potential. i think whaley's performance was really underrated. if the film had kept some of the scenes shown in the teaser trailer in 1991, he would have been even more likable. the problem is, hughes wants whaley to be a cross between Duckie in 'pretty in pink', ferris bueller and even the anthony michael hall char. in 'weird science'. this amalgamation doesn't do Whaley justice in what was probably a sincere attempt to create an original character of his own. His Jim Dodge is actually really interesting- a cool guy that doesn't trust his own coolness, a lower middle class son who doesn't know how to do well in his parent's eyes and an imaginative, articulate guy who can't quite escape midwest america. if the film would have been less about slapstick (please please please shoot whoever decided bringing in the mulroney brothers for their unecessary subplot that just ruins the film) and more about the dynamic between whaley and connelly, it could have been fantastic. connelly, meanwhile, is also let down by someone- the editor. she is fantastic- beautiful, articulate, classy, and graceful, but appears to be acting in a totally different movie than whaley. the scenes both about and with her father border on the uneasy. i have a feeling that in the original script she was really abused by the bullying dad, perhaps both physically and sexually. i could see it as a possibility with that character. we get a hint of this but then the movie shies away from it completely and we never quite get if its a joke or not (although the scene of connelly in profile with the father outside her door always made me nervous.) i really do like she and whaley together but both hughes and the editors don't seem to know what kind of movie they wanted to make- a slapdash comedy in a newly popular chain store, or a character study of a 'much cooler than his town gives him credit for' guy and the genuinely kind and rich girl who befriends him under strange circumstances. for this matter, we also (b/c of the editing) are never quite sure where connelly's afections lie- in liking jim dodge, or in getting the hell out of town. i just have a soft spot for this film and what it could have been if everyone involved in the production had agreed on what they wanted to make. the ending is atrocious and corny but the rest has promise. this is a great film for aspring filmakers and especially WRITERS to watch both for its good points but mostly for its wrong turns. A great deal can be learned from it.

Yes, It Definitely Has Jennifer Connelly In It
I watched this movie for the first time in many years the other day and had to come to this board to see the comments. Just as I thought, a lot of guys oogling Jennifer Connelly. And with very good reason. This movie was the worst in the John Hughes collection, but I can't tell you why because I didn't care a thing about the plot or the lead male character or the robbers or even John Candy, of whom I was a very big fan. I just know that Jennifer Connelly is an absolute doll in this movie, whether it be on roller skates or on a mechanical dime-store horse (especially a mechanical dime-store horse). In fact I think she comes across sexier here than she does in The Hot Spot, where she shows even more of her assets.

Alas, today Jennifer Connelly has gone the way of Calista Flockhart and lost the babyfat and become a serious actress, even carting home an Oscar, but her role in Career Opportunities will be the one remembered by fans years from now.

Ugh!
Little did I know as I watched this movie that Jennifer Connelly would be a huge star or that a Target would acutally open in my neighborhood in the years to come. But even that doesn't mitigate the bad taste I still have in my mouth from this movie.Try not to watch it if you're in a career slump or in between jobs or depressed! I was all of the above at the time, and watching this was the worst punishment I could have inflicted upon myself.This was surely the last hurrah of 20something-bashing, you know, the kind of uneducated diatribes in which this demographic was perceived as lazy, unambitious, boring, and jaded. In reality the 20somethings were in a slump in the early 90's because of a recession and a poor job market, not because of any lack of ambition on their part. But you wouldn't know it to watch this movie. It does great injustice to GenX. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Not a classic, but good anyway
I think this is a good first coming-out story. Who cares if it's a bit 'after school special'. I still think it's a good take on the subject. I think it's great tool for parents and teens to adress the issue of coming out. Because as tollerant as the world seems, many families aren't open and accepting of the reality of thier child/sister/brother/cousin/nephew/neice/whatever being gay. No, it's not a classic film or a Classic in Lesbian entertainment. It's not even the best Lesbian love story ever, though it does do a fair treament to the emotional termoil of first love, first 'time', and first heartbreak. But it mixes all this within the struggle of a family and fairly treats the issue of coming out with the family. The first female relationship Jane has is little more than a subplot and I thought that made this film different in a good way. Usually it's the family that's reduced to a background plot while one rehashes the same ol plots seen in Hetero and Homosexual movies based on the 'romance' element.

Great coming out story, decent movie, gets my recomendation for anyone looking for films dealing with this subject.

A Must Buy Movie!
This movie is extraordinary wonderful. If you like dramas this is a perfect movie. Telling everyone i know to go out and BUY this movie. Its really worth it. A great story! Inspired by actual events! This movie discribes more then just one persons life. This type of event happens to hundreds of young teenagers who dont know how to confess there Sexuality to there parents. If you are having this problems. This movie may just help. Make them watch it. It may just help them understand what kinds of things your going though. It was a definant help for me! ...

Worth seeing.
Sometimes, just rare little times, it happens, that a movie really touches you. This definitly is one.
It dealt with 15 year teenage girl Jane, fell deeply in love for the first time. With another girl, taylor, the new girl in her class, she also had sex with for the first time.
Giving her pretty hard times realizing the fact, that she's gay. As well as her parents, "friends", teachers... And, that's nothing about it.
Although these stories are as different and unique, as humans theirselves, many things, that Jane has to struggle thru, came familiar to me and I wished, more people would really consider about.
It's not a teaching movie. Trust me. It has great beauty, dramatic and very intense moments. And funny ones too. My favorite: After her coming out Janes father took her for soccer game, she was never interested in her whole life, to show understanding and get to know his "new" lesbian daughter better. After she is refusing, he said: "I suppose even golf is out of discussion?!" ('Damn! Not A thing good about it!')
The characters are well played, especially Jane's, I like most. And the actress is very cute. Just the way she's holding her had, when she looks in love. And that voice! Melting.
So do what you want. But if you do not watch, you'll never know what you miss out.

zzzzzzz I slept through this one
This played like an after school special. It was contrived and predictable and the screenwriting was so awful I think who ever wrote this needs to take english 101 or talk to people and see how they really communicate. The subject could have been done so much better especially in light of the great acting talent in the film....unfortunetly material was lacking and the director must have been at lunch...perhaps worth seeing for the coming out aspects and to see Stockard Channing and the actress playing the school teacher...see it for that, but as a movie it only gets 1 star

After School Special
The subject of the movie is good, as is the message of tolerance but the delivery is painstakingly awful. The movie is trite and poorly acted. This just seems like a bad after school special which simply drags on for an hour and a half. Stockard Channing I enjoy highly in other films like "Six Degrees of Separation" but in this film she just seems to be making the best of the script which is a daunting task. There are better films that bring forth the same message and better capture the essence of the "out casting". I would recommend "Show Me Love" a Swedish film that does a far better job of telling a not too dissimilar story. ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Exceeded all my expectations
I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. I love Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell, but also realized the subject matter could easily become stale and uninteresting.

I settled in and at the end of the movie I was overwhelmed. This movie succeeds on so many levels. It works as a great comedy, as a wonderful morality play, and as a drama about very bad people doing very bad things.

Nicolas Cage is a con artist with a series of neuroses that keep him constantly on medication in order to function. His partner, Sam Rockwell, is a wise-cracking guy who is instantly lovable as Cage's bad-guy sidekick. The movie focuses on Cage and his attempts to reconcile himself with a past wife and child he left when his wife was only 2 months pregnant. He decides to get in touch with his ex-wife to see if he's a father. He finds he has a 14 year old daughter, who steps into his life to try and build a relationship with him.

The role of his daughter is played beautifully by Alison Lohman. She's funny, charming, and lovable as a girl who has been searching for someone that didn't just look at her as unwanted baggage. Cage and Lohman have very good chemistry as father and daughter. Their relationship is one of the most charming parts of the movie.

To go into the story too much would give it away. And, believe me, to give this movie away before you see it would be a crime. So suffice it to say that it'll surprise you, make you laugh, and make you think all at the same time.

The last scene, in my opinion, makes the whole movie twice as good on its own. It left me with a smile on my face all the way to my car.

Take my advice. Watch this movie, but don't let anyone tell you what happens in the story. Find out for yourself. You'll be MUCH happier that you did. And you'll want to sit through the whole thing a 2nd time (I know I plan to).

Twitchy
For Nicolas Cage fans, MATCHSTICK MEN is a treat diluted only by the knowledge that Cage wasn't even nominated for an Oscar-worthy performance.

Cage is Roy, teamed with partner Frank (Sam Rockwell); both are con artists, or "Matchstick Men". As the film opens, we watch as the two cash in on a scam that enables them to plunder the bank account of an elderly couple.

Roy is also an obsessive-compulsive with phobias for dirt and the outdoors. Without his medication, Roy gets twitchy. One day, he accidentally knocks his pill supply down the kitchen sink. Bad timing, since his psychiatrist drug supplier is out of town. On Frank's advice, Roy visits a new shrink, Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman), to whom he admits a previous marriage abandoned some fourteen years previous when his wife was pregnant. Through Klein's intercession, Roy is put in touch with his teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), who's always been curious about Old Dad. Indeed, against her Mom's wishes, she appears on Roy's doorstep to spend a long weekend. Roy is alternatively smitten with paternal affection and acute anxiety over the dirt Angela tracks onto his carpet. Klein believes the girl's presence is good therapy.

MATCHSTICK MEN is about scammers and cons, so, by the time the credits roll, you shouldn't be too surprised at the general storyline, which is one oft seen before. What elevates the film is the intensity of Cage's extraordinary performance as the mentally tortured lead. We've watched Nicolas do this previously in LEAVING LAS VEGAS and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. Cage is apparently not one for whom a role is simply a facade easily sluiced away at the end of the day's shoot. Cage always makes me believe the screen character is himself through to the core, something which either makes the actor one of the most talented in the Biz or a schizo seriously in need of professional help.

The other remarkable performance in this film is that of Lohman. Playing the 14-year old Angela, one is apt to forget, or not believe, that the actress is actually in her mid-twenties. She had me fooled.

MATCHSTICK MEN is perhaps one you'll want to see a second time to locate the key sequence where you yourself were fooled. This is first-rate entertainment.

Smells like gum
I'm going to say this movie did not keep my interest. It was too slow paced, but the movie did have some interesting scenes, but then return to slow Ville again. I did not consider this movie a comedy, even though there were some scenes that were humorous. I considered the movie more of a drama. I thought Sam Rockwell's character was not as developed as it could have been. You knew he was a con artist, you knew he "acted" concerned for Roy's character, but that's all. Nicholas Cage plays Roy, an obsessive compulsive con artist who teams up with his Partner Fran (Sam Rockwell) to con people out of their money. They mostly go after old people who are so naïve they pretty much GIVE their money without asking any questions. Roy can't stand being outdoors and can't stand unorganized dirty rooms as he makes people take off their shoes before entering his house. He has problems keeping the pills that help him deal with his disorders. When he does not take those pills, his ticks, and behavior gets even worse. There is a scene in the movie after he discovers he does not have his pills he cleans his apartment for what seems like hours on end from top to bottom. He cleans every square inch, and even uses a toothbrush to clean small areas that some people would not even bother cleansing. Roy discovers he has a 14 year old daughter named Angela from a relationship he ended years before. When he ended this relationship she the woman was pregnant with his child. Angela wants to get to know her father. They begin to form a relationship that starts off awkward, but eventually turns affectionate. Angela begs her father to teach her how to con, and he agrees. Yet after he shows her the ropes he makes her return the money. Okay nice turn, but again hypocritical being he never returned money to any of the elderly people he conned.

One con goes horribly wrong, and their lives are threatened by a con they tried to bilk. An interesting twist at the end turns everything around and things which appear to be true, suddenly are not true after all. Before the movie ends the con gets conned, and he tries to rebuild his life. The movie had potential, but it just loses in parts before it builds up again. Nicholas having germphobia and agoraphobia was an interesting touch. I thought watching him be compulsive would be annoying, but it was very intriguing. Sheila Kelley's character, the grocery check-out clerk, had such a limited role she might as well not have been there. I thought Alison Lohman played her role well. She had me convinced she was a young 14 year old teenager with her youthful appearance. The movie is not bad, I just did not like the slow pace of the movie.

Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men, a movie by Ridley Scott, is a good example of how the casting of good 'physical' actors combined with a director's masterly affection for his work can make good of what is an un-inspiring screen play. The film is worth seeing as a patent example of Mr Scott's masterly craftmanship, but will not last the test of time as a model of dramatic innovation. The moral and emotional ressurection of the lead character would have been more enjoyable to witness had some insight into the circumstances of his earlier decline been offered. The dynamics of his friendship with his cohort, played beautifully by Mr Rockwell, was regrettably left unexplored.

Did not live up to my expectations
A film by Ridley Scott

With the track record of Ridley Scott in mind (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down), any time the man makes a new movie I am automatically interested in it. He has a history of creativity and excellence in filmmaking and any new movie that he directs is worth giving a chance. It was with high expectations that I went into "Matchstick Men", a story of a con-artist.

Roy (Nicolas Cage) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) are partners in the art of conning people out of their money. As Roy explains in the film, he doesn't steal people's money, they give it to him. They are mainly working small phone scams for smaller payouts (though Roy seems to be well off considering the size of his house), but Frank is looking to get a big score, which Roy agrees to work. Simple enough, but Roy also has some serious issues. He is compulsive (he must turn the locks or open and close doors three times before actually opening the door all the way), somewhat manic, and he has trouble dealing with the outdoors. Neatness/cleanliness is another issue. Roy is a man with tics.

Into this imperfect, but somewhat structured life comes a big change: Roy's daughter Angela (Alison Lohman). When Roy accidentally knocks his supply of medication down the drain, Roy has to start searching for a psychologist who will prescribe some more on short notice. The doctor he does find also suggests that Roy gets in contact with his daughter, whom he has never met. Angela is a breath of fresh air into Roy's otherwise empty life, but it is also causing some conflict into the big con that Roy and Frank are working on.

My expectations may have been too high, because I wasn't overly impressed with "Matchstick Men". For the first half to two thirds of the movie, I just could not engage with the characters. Part of the problem probably lies in the fact that I do not care for Nicolas Cage as an actor. It just seems like he is trying too hard to create a character through personality tics (with the notable exceptions of Leaving Las Vegas, and The Family Man). His characters are just not likeable, or interesting enough for me to engage with, but I understand that this is just a personal perception.

The shining star of the movie is Alison Lohman (also in White Oleander) who was nearly 10 years older than the age she was playing in the movie. She can act and look so young and vulnerable despite being in her mid 20's. The rest of the acting was well done (though I still don't care for Cage), but it didn't all come together like I would have expected. The idea of the "con" runs throughout the entire movie and there are several twists along the way, but this is a fairly lightweight movie up until about three quarters of the way through the movie when it completely changes in tone (and oddly enough becomes a better movie). I hoped for so much more from "Matchstick Men", but I didn't think it lived up to the promise of what it could have been with the talent involved.

-Joe Sherry ... Read more

Description

Wishmaster:Magically powerful.Supernaturally evil.The ancient entity known in human legend as Djinn can grant a person's wildest dreams.And in the process, it unleashes your darkest nightmares.The moral of this explosively terrifying, special-effects-powered, horror-fantasy spectacular:Be careful what you wish for! Wishmaster 2:When the legendary monster, the Djinn, is re-released, he begins he reign of terror, plunging the earth into horror and chaos.As the Djinn reaches his goal of a thousand captured souls, it is up to Morgana to stand between the world as we know it and a terrifying future beyond our darkest fears. Wishmaster 3:Horror goes to extremes with Wishmaster 3:Beyond the Gates of Hell, the goriest installment of the hit franchise yet.When Diana, a beautiful coed, discovers an ancient gem inside a mystical Persian case, she unwittingly releases the mercilessly evil "Djinn."The gut-slinging demon uses fiendish trickery to take the form of a professor in order to slice, dice and burn his way through the university staff and its students.If he can overpower Diana, his "waker," and grant her three sick and twisted wishes, the very gates of Hell will open up and engulf the world in eternal damnation.With help from the man she loves, she must impale the bloodthirsty demon with a sword from Heaven to save herself and the entire world. ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Exceeded all my expectations
I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. I love Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell, but also realized the subject matter could easily become stale and uninteresting.

I settled in and at the end of the movie I was overwhelmed. This movie succeeds on so many levels. It works as a great comedy, as a wonderful morality play, and as a drama about very bad people doing very bad things.

Nicolas Cage is a con artist with a series of neuroses that keep him constantly on medication in order to function. His partner, Sam Rockwell, is a wise-cracking guy who is instantly lovable as Cage's bad-guy sidekick. The movie focuses on Cage and his attempts to reconcile himself with a past wife and child he left when his wife was only 2 months pregnant. He decides to get in touch with his ex-wife to see if he's a father. He finds he has a 14 year old daughter, who steps into his life to try and build a relationship with him.

The role of his daughter is played beautifully by Alison Lohman. She's funny, charming, and lovable as a girl who has been searching for someone that didn't just look at her as unwanted baggage. Cage and Lohman have very good chemistry as father and daughter. Their relationship is one of the most charming parts of the movie.

To go into the story too much would give it away. And, believe me, to give this movie away before you see it would be a crime. So suffice it to say that it'll surprise you, make you laugh, and make you think all at the same time.

The last scene, in my opinion, makes the whole movie twice as good on its own. It left me with a smile on my face all the way to my car.

Take my advice. Watch this movie, but don't let anyone tell you what happens in the story. Find out for yourself. You'll be MUCH happier that you did. And you'll want to sit through the whole thing a 2nd time (I know I plan to).

Twitchy
For Nicolas Cage fans, MATCHSTICK MEN is a treat diluted only by the knowledge that Cage wasn't even nominated for an Oscar-worthy performance.

Cage is Roy, teamed with partner Frank (Sam Rockwell); both are con artists, or "Matchstick Men". As the film opens, we watch as the two cash in on a scam that enables them to plunder the bank account of an elderly couple.

Roy is also an obsessive-compulsive with phobias for dirt and the outdoors. Without his medication, Roy gets twitchy. One day, he accidentally knocks his pill supply down the kitchen sink. Bad timing, since his psychiatrist drug supplier is out of town. On Frank's advice, Roy visits a new shrink, Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman), to whom he admits a previous marriage abandoned some fourteen years previous when his wife was pregnant. Through Klein's intercession, Roy is put in touch with his teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), who's always been curious about Old Dad. Indeed, against her Mom's wishes, she appears on Roy's doorstep to spend a long weekend. Roy is alternatively smitten with paternal affection and acute anxiety over the dirt Angela tracks onto his carpet. Klein believes the girl's presence is good therapy.

MATCHSTICK MEN is about scammers and cons, so, by the time the credits roll, you shouldn't be too surprised at the general storyline, which is one oft seen before. What elevates the film is the intensity of Cage's extraordinary performance as the mentally tortured lead. We've watched Nicolas do this previously in LEAVING LAS VEGAS and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. Cage is apparently not one for whom a role is simply a facade easily sluiced away at the end of the day's shoot. Cage always makes me believe the screen character is himself through to the core, something which either makes the actor one of the most talented in the Biz or a schizo seriously in need of professional help.

The other remarkable performance in this film is that of Lohman. Playing the 14-year old Angela, one is apt to forget, or not believe, that the actress is actually in her mid-twenties. She had me fooled.

MATCHSTICK MEN is perhaps one you'll want to see a second time to locate the key sequence where you yourself were fooled. This is first-rate entertainment.

Smells like gum
I'm going to say this movie did not keep my interest. It was too slow paced, but the movie did have some interesting scenes, but then return to slow Ville again. I did not consider this movie a comedy, even though there were some scenes that were humorous. I considered the movie more of a drama. I thought Sam Rockwell's character was not as developed as it could have been. You knew he was a con artist, you knew he "acted" concerned for Roy's character, but that's all. Nicholas Cage plays Roy, an obsessive compulsive con artist who teams up with his Partner Fran (Sam Rockwell) to con people out of their money. They mostly go after old people who are so naïve they pretty much GIVE their money without asking any questions. Roy can't stand being outdoors and can't stand unorganized dirty rooms as he makes people take off their shoes before entering his house. He has problems keeping the pills that help him deal with his disorders. When he does not take those pills, his ticks, and behavior gets even worse. There is a scene in the movie after he discovers he does not have his pills he cleans his apartment for what seems like hours on end from top to bottom. He cleans every square inch, and even uses a toothbrush to clean small areas that some people would not even bother cleansing. Roy discovers he has a 14 year old daughter named Angela from a relationship he ended years before. When he ended this relationship she the woman was pregnant with his child. Angela wants to get to know her father. They begin to form a relationship that starts off awkward, but eventually turns affectionate. Angela begs her father to teach her how to con, and he agrees. Yet after he shows her the ropes he makes her return the money. Okay nice turn, but again hypocritical being he never returned money to any of the elderly people he conned.

One con goes horribly wrong, and their lives are threatened by a con they tried to bilk. An interesting twist at the end turns everything around and things which appear to be true, suddenly are not true after all. Before the movie ends the con gets conned, and he tries to rebuild his life. The movie had potential, but it just loses in parts before it builds up again. Nicholas having germphobia and agoraphobia was an interesting touch. I thought watching him be compulsive would be annoying, but it was very intriguing. Sheila Kelley's character, the grocery check-out clerk, had such a limited role she might as well not have been there. I thought Alison Lohman played her role well. She had me convinced she was a young 14 year old teenager with her youthful appearance. The movie is not bad, I just did not like the slow pace of the movie.

Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men, a movie by Ridley Scott, is a good example of how the casting of good 'physical' actors combined with a director's masterly affection for his work can make good of what is an un-inspiring screen play. The film is worth seeing as a patent example of Mr Scott's masterly craftmanship, but will not last the test of time as a model of dramatic innovation. The moral and emotional ressurection of the lead character would have been more enjoyable to witness had some insight into the circumstances of his earlier decline been offered. The dynamics of his friendship with his cohort, played beautifully by Mr Rockwell, was regrettably left unexplored.

Did not live up to my expectations
A film by Ridley Scott

With the track record of Ridley Scott in mind (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down), any time the man makes a new movie I am automatically interested in it. He has a history of creativity and excellence in filmmaking and any new movie that he directs is worth giving a chance. It was with high expectations that I went into "Matchstick Men", a story of a con-artist.

Roy (Nicolas Cage) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) are partners in the art of conning people out of their money. As Roy explains in the film, he doesn't steal people's money, they give it to him. They are mainly working small phone scams for smaller payouts (though Roy seems to be well off considering the size of his house), but Frank is looking to get a big score, which Roy agrees to work. Simple enough, but Roy also has some serious issues. He is compulsive (he must turn the locks or open and close doors three times before actually opening the door all the way), somewhat manic, and he has trouble dealing with the outdoors. Neatness/cleanliness is another issue. Roy is a man with tics.

Into this imperfect, but somewhat structured life comes a big change: Roy's daughter Angela (Alison Lohman). When Roy accidentally knocks his supply of medication down the drain, Roy has to start searching for a psychologist who will prescribe some more on short notice. The doctor he does find also suggests that Roy gets in contact with his daughter, whom he has never met. Angela is a breath of fresh air into Roy's otherwise empty life, but it is also causing some conflict into the big con that Roy and Frank are working on.

My expectations may have been too high, because I wasn't overly impressed with "Matchstick Men". For the first half to two thirds of the movie, I just could not engage with the characters. Part of the problem probably lies in the fact that I do not care for Nicolas Cage as an actor. It just seems like he is trying too hard to create a character through personality tics (with the notable exceptions of Leaving Las Vegas, and The Family Man). His characters are just not likeable, or interesting enough for me to engage with, but I understand that this is just a personal perception.

The shining star of the movie is Alison Lohman (also in White Oleander) who was nearly 10 years older than the age she was playing in the movie. She can act and look so young and vulnerable despite being in her mid 20's. The rest of the acting was well done (though I still don't care for Cage), but it didn't all come together like I would have expected. The idea of the "con" runs throughout the entire movie and there are several twists along the way, but this is a fairly lightweight movie up until about three quarters of the way through the movie when it completely changes in tone (and oddly enough becomes a better movie). I hoped for so much more from "Matchstick Men", but I didn't think it lived up to the promise of what it could have been with the talent involved.

-Joe Sherry ... Read more

Description

Jimmy. Dave. Sean.Friends who grew up in working-class Boston, they drifted apart afer a terrible tragedy.Year later, brutal events reconnect them. ... Read more

Reviews (304)

NOT Eastwood's best...
...that title remains with Unforgiven.

Mystic river is a good movie, not a great one. It has a great story and great characters - with a good screenplay by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's book. The directing is solid, while not really bringing anything special to the film, yet pacing it prefectly in building the tension around the murder.

What is outstanding about this film is the acting. Sean Penn gives yet another inspired performance as a working class father from Boston who just lost his oldest daughter to a horrific murder. Although the scenes that most people seem to remember (and that are shown in the trailer) show his *exaggerated* response to his daughter's death, the rest of the performance is more subdued and restrained.

Tim Robbins' performance is also of note, as Penn's disturbed boyhood friend who shows up covered in blood the same night of the murder, making his frightened wife (Marcia Gay Harden) start to doubt his story and to believe that he is in fact the murderer.

The rest of the cast give solid performances in somewhat limited characters, Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne as the cops asigned to the case, and Laura Linney as Penn's second wife.

However, there are a few things about the film that rubbed me the wrong way; the whole sub-plot about Bacon's wife calling him on his cell phone and not speaking? What was that suppossed to bring to the movie? Or Linney's (apparently) sudden transformation into Lady MacBeth, telling Penn's character that he should do whatever needed to be done? Or the final parade scene?

In short, while not a great film (certainly not Eastwood's best), it's a good one worth catching, and not as bad as some other reviewers will have you believe (certainly not Mistake River!).

Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are outstanding!
In Mystic River, director Clint Eastwood has taken the themes of pain and loss, added superb actors, and a literate script to make a memorable movie.

Jimmy, Sean, and Dave were childhood buddies growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Boston. One day, Dave was lured away and sexually abused by two men. Years later, the boys are now adults; Jimmy (Penn) is an ex-con with a loving family, Sean (Bacon) is a cop with marital woes, and Dave (Robbins), forever damaged by his childhood trauma, is barely clinging to reality. When Jimmy's daughter is murdered, Sean investigates, Jimmy vows vigilante justice, and Dave is a prime suspect.

The lead actors are outstanding here. Penn is utterly convincing as the former thug and heartbroken father. Robbins displays his acting chops in the performance of a lifetime, showing a fragile man dealing with such pain that he can no longer function rationally. The two men certainly deserved their Oscars.

This is a movie that will pull at your heartstrings while keeping you guessing who the killer is. There are, thankfully, no graphic scenes of child abuse or the girl's death, yet you will be on the edge of your seat much of the time. This is an outstanding film.

Stale As Month-Old Potato Chips
I was quite surprised at how bad this movie was. Perhaps it was just me, but I was looking forward to a Unforgiven-type directoral masterpiece from Mr. Eastwood and the stars Robbins and Penn. Given the hype this movie recieved (and the oscar nods to its 2 main stars and director Eastwood) I was really ready to sink my viewing teeth into something substantial.

Unfortunately, this movie was as stale as a bag of month-old potato chips. I never really came to symphathize at all with Sean Penn's character, even though his daughter was murdered. I mean, seriously, how can you symphathize with a criminal (Penn's character) who barely was involved in his kid's life to begin with?

Perhaps if the movie had shown a more deeper relationship between Penn and the kid then I could have cared more about the outcome. As it was all my sympathy went to Tim Robbins character, sexually molested as a child and then basically forgotten by his so-called "buddies". In my opinion Tim Robbins is the only reason to watch this movie. He walks around with an aire of utter hopelessness (reminiscent of the character he played in Jacob's Ladder), and yet he tries so hard to get passed the mental anguish of his past and make it through each day as an adult that by the end you are cheering for him.

Which brings me to the other reason why this movie stinks - the ending.

Like in a good novel, the reader/viewer doesn't want to be cheated in the end. I don't want to give away the ending, but be warned - it stinks.

All in all there really wasn't any substance to most of the characters, and I found myself toward the end wondering why I should even finish watching it. I like to be absorbed by characters played with heart and substance. Watching these jokers (except for Robbins) was like watching carboard cutouts being moved around on a stage.

Mystic River..The Ending Bites
First off..someone please tell Clint Eastwood to back away from the camera slowly and never ever direct another film. As far as everyone who raves about this film..you have lost all cred. I supposed your enthralled by shiny objects too. The ending was ridiculous....my daughter is killed..lets go to a parade?????? The fact that this drivel was considered genius in two mediums is baffling...more proof that everything is watered down beyond hope...whoever says this is a classic- I have some old home movies..you wanna shell out money to see those too???

Pretentious Puddle?
.
In great dramas, people aren't perfect, but their mistakes make sense. In melodramas, their mistakes don't; they occur only because the screenwriter wants them to.

Mystic River is a horrid melodrama, Hollywood's worst in years.

Pick any three-minute segment, jump in the shoes of any major character, and you'll find at least two instances where common sense would completely unravel the plot. There would be:

phone calls to doctors
routine checks on how the investigation is going

alerts to detectives
ridiculous assumptions thrown out the window
obvious suspects brought in for questioning
DNA and blood evidence rapidly analyzed and suspects eliminated
direct confrontations and/or backchannel neighborhood chats to double-check facts
and, oh, maybe a teeny bit of thinking before irreversible acts are committed.

None of this happens, of course, because the screenwriter creates a world without accepting its rules. The major characters are supposed to have lived in the same rough neighborhood and known each other all or most of their lives. But the lifelong aggressors uniformly jump to conclusions, as though they've never served time or seen other hoodlums get burned by assumptions. And the lifelong victims never seem to have their radar up around shady characters.

So we're asked to believe in a tough, jaded world where all statements are taken at face value, where no one seems to have ever seen a crime movie or played a single hand of poker, and where seasoned homicide cops don't seem to have heard of fingerprints, basic procedure, or internal affairs investigations. It's totally implausible.

In a decent drama, Dave never gets in the Savage brothers' car. Not with his history, not knowing the Savage brothers, not given the circumstances. But he gets in, because that's the only way the screenwriter gets Dave to the next scene. Ugh.

As a counterpoint, check out any Farrelly brothers movie. Yeah, they're comedies, but they follow the rules of drama: the characters are put in situations they take seriously, and make decisions that, given who they are, make lots of sense. The funny comes from sensibly navigating absurd situations. Unlike the funny in Mystic River, which inadvertently jumps out from umpty-jillion RIDICULOUS plot twists.

Me Myself and Irene is a better cop drama than this overhyped clunker. Kingpin is a vastly better study of victims and villains. And no, I'm not kidding. Skip MR. ... Read more

Description

Magically powerful.Supernaturally evil.The ancient entity known in human legend as Djinn can grant a person's wildest dreams.And in the process, it unleashes your darkest nightmares.The moral of this explosively terrifying, special-effects-powered, horror-fantasy spectacular:Be careful what you wish for! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the novel by bestselling author Robin Cook, this 1996 made-for-television feature is a competent yet thoroughly unremarkable medical thriller that should appeal mainly to non-discerning followers of the author's work. Melrose Place's Doug Savant is a young researcher at a hospital who learns that the facility has developed a cure for cancer. However, it appears that the only patients who are benefiting from the experiment are wealthy elderly men. In his search to discover the truth behind this miraculous new treatment, Savant puts his career and his life at risk.

Viewers familiar with other adaptations of Cook's novels (which include the vastly superior theatrical release Coma as well as TV movies like Virus and Acceptable Risk) will find the goings-on a comfortably familiar way to kill 90 minutes, while non-fans may dismiss this as a forgettable potboiler. Savant and costar Nia Peeples are serviceable as the leads, while their more experienced supporting cast (headed by Michael Ironside) does what it can to keep the plot moving. Artisan's DVD presentation is free of extras. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (1)

First - rate thriller.
An exciting film of Robin Cook's novel which works due to the tremendous performances of the two leads, Doug Savant and Nia Peeples. ... Read more

Description

A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Exceeded all my expectations
I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. I love Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell, but also realized the subject matter could easily become stale and uninteresting.

I settled in and at the end of the movie I was overwhelmed. This movie succeeds on so many levels. It works as a great comedy, as a wonderful morality play, and as a drama about very bad people doing very bad things.

Nicolas Cage is a con artist with a series of neuroses that keep him constantly on medication in order to function. His partner, Sam Rockwell, is a wise-cracking guy who is instantly lovable as Cage's bad-guy sidekick. The movie focuses on Cage and his attempts to reconcile himself with a past wife and child he left when his wife was only 2 months pregnant. He decides to get in touch with his ex-wife to see if he's a father. He finds he has a 14 year old daughter, who steps into his life to try and build a relationship with him.

The role of his daughter is played beautifully by Alison Lohman. She's funny, charming, and lovable as a girl who has been searching for someone that didn't just look at her as unwanted baggage. Cage and Lohman have very good chemistry as father and daughter. Their relationship is one of the most charming parts of the movie.

To go into the story too much would give it away. And, believe me, to give this movie away before you see it would be a crime. So suffice it to say that it'll surprise you, make you laugh, and make you think all at the same time.

The last scene, in my opinion, makes the whole movie twice as good on its own. It left me with a smile on my face all the way to my car.

Take my advice. Watch this movie, but don't let anyone tell you what happens in the story. Find out for yourself. You'll be MUCH happier that you did. And you'll want to sit through the whole thing a 2nd time (I know I plan to).

Twitchy
For Nicolas Cage fans, MATCHSTICK MEN is a treat diluted only by the knowledge that Cage wasn't even nominated for an Oscar-worthy performance.

Cage is Roy, teamed with partner Frank (Sam Rockwell); both are con artists, or "Matchstick Men". As the film opens, we watch as the two cash in on a scam that enables them to plunder the bank account of an elderly couple.

Roy is also an obsessive-compulsive with phobias for dirt and the outdoors. Without his medication, Roy gets twitchy. One day, he accidentally knocks his pill supply down the kitchen sink. Bad timing, since his psychiatrist drug supplier is out of town. On Frank's advice, Roy visits a new shrink, Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman), to whom he admits a previous marriage abandoned some fourteen years previous when his wife was pregnant. Through Klein's intercession, Roy is put in touch with his teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), who's always been curious about Old Dad. Indeed, against her Mom's wishes, she appears on Roy's doorstep to spend a long weekend. Roy is alternatively smitten with paternal affection and acute anxiety over the dirt Angela tracks onto his carpet. Klein believes the girl's presence is good therapy.

MATCHSTICK MEN is about scammers and cons, so, by the time the credits roll, you shouldn't be too surprised at the general storyline, which is one oft seen before. What elevates the film is the intensity of Cage's extraordinary performance as the mentally tortured lead. We've watched Nicolas do this previously in LEAVING LAS VEGAS and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. Cage is apparently not one for whom a role is simply a facade easily sluiced away at the end of the day's shoot. Cage always makes me believe the screen character is himself through to the core, something which either makes the actor one of the most talented in the Biz or a schizo seriously in need of professional help.

The other remarkable performance in this film is that of Lohman. Playing the 14-year old Angela, one is apt to forget, or not believe, that the actress is actually in her mid-twenties. She had me fooled.

MATCHSTICK MEN is perhaps one you'll want to see a second time to locate the key sequence where you yourself were fooled. This is first-rate entertainment.

Smells like gum
I'm going to say this movie did not keep my interest. It was too slow paced, but the movie did have some interesting scenes, but then return to slow Ville again. I did not consider this movie a comedy, even though there were some scenes that were humorous. I considered the movie more of a drama. I thought Sam Rockwell's character was not as developed as it could have been. You knew he was a con artist, you knew he "acted" concerned for Roy's character, but that's all. Nicholas Cage plays Roy, an obsessive compulsive con artist who teams up with his Partner Fran (Sam Rockwell) to con people out of their money. They mostly go after old people who are so naïve they pretty much GIVE their money without asking any questions. Roy can't stand being outdoors and can't stand unorganized dirty rooms as he makes people take off their shoes before entering his house. He has problems keeping the pills that help him deal with his disorders. When he does not take those pills, his ticks, and behavior gets even worse. There is a scene in the movie after he discovers he does not have his pills he cleans his apartment for what seems like hours on end from top to bottom. He cleans every square inch, and even uses a toothbrush to clean small areas that some people would not even bother cleansing. Roy discovers he has a 14 year old daughter named Angela from a relationship he ended years before. When he ended this relationship she the woman was pregnant with his child. Angela wants to get to know her father. They begin to form a relationship that starts off awkward, but eventually turns affectionate. Angela begs her father to teach her how to con, and he agrees. Yet after he shows her the ropes he makes her return the money. Okay nice turn, but again hypocritical being he never returned money to any of the elderly people he conned.

One con goes horribly wrong, and their lives are threatened by a con they tried to bilk. An interesting twist at the end turns everything around and things which appear to be true, suddenly are not true after all. Before the movie ends the con gets conned, and he tries to rebuild his life. The movie had potential, but it just loses in parts before it builds up again. Nicholas having germphobia and agoraphobia was an interesting touch. I thought watching him be compulsive would be annoying, but it was very intriguing. Sheila Kelley's character, the grocery check-out clerk, had such a limited role she might as well not have been there. I thought Alison Lohman played her role well. She had me convinced she was a young 14 year old teenager with her youthful appearance. The movie is not bad, I just did not like the slow pace of the movie.

Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men, a movie by Ridley Scott, is a good example of how the casting of good 'physical' actors combined with a director's masterly affection for his work can make good of what is an un-inspiring screen play. The film is worth seeing as a patent example of Mr Scott's masterly craftmanship, but will not last the test of time as a model of dramatic innovation. The moral and emotional ressurection of the lead character would have been more enjoyable to witness had some insight into the circumstances of his earlier decline been offered. The dynamics of his friendship with his cohort, played beautifully by Mr Rockwell, was regrettably left unexplored.

Did not live up to my expectations
A film by Ridley Scott

With the track record of Ridley Scott in mind (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down), any time the man makes a new movie I am automatically interested in it. He has a history of creativity and excellence in filmmaking and any new movie that he directs is worth giving a chance. It was with high expectations that I went into "Matchstick Men", a story of a con-artist.

Roy (Nicolas Cage) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) are partners in the art of conning people out of their money. As Roy explains in the film, he doesn't steal people's money, they give it to him. They are mainly working small phone scams for smaller payouts (though Roy seems to be well off considering the size of his house), but Frank is looking to get a big score, which Roy agrees to work. Simple enough, but Roy also has some serious issues. He is compulsive (he must turn the locks or open and close doors three times before actually opening the door all the way), somewhat manic, and he has trouble dealing with the outdoors. Neatness/cleanliness is another issue. Roy is a man with tics.

Into this imperfect, but somewhat structured life comes a big change: Roy's daughter Angela (Alison Lohman). When Roy accidentally knocks his supply of medication down the drain, Roy has to start searching for a psychologist who will prescribe some more on short notice. The doctor he does find also suggests that Roy gets in contact with his daughter, whom he has never met. Angela is a breath of fresh air into Roy's otherwise empty life, but it is also causing some conflict into the big con that Roy and Frank are working on.

My expectations may have been too high, because I wasn't overly impressed with "Matchstick Men". For the first half to two thirds of the movie, I just could not engage with the characters. Part of the problem probably lies in the fact that I do not care for Nicolas Cage as an actor. It just seems like he is trying too hard to create a character through personality tics (with the notable exceptions of Leaving Las Vegas, and The Family Man). His characters are just not likeable, or interesting enough for me to engage with, but I understand that this is just a personal perception.

The shining star of the movie is Alison Lohman (also in White Oleander) who was nearly 10 years older than the age she was playing in the movie. She can act and look so young and vulnerable despite being in her mid 20's. The rest of the acting was well done (though I still don't care for Cage), but it didn't all come together like I would have expected. The idea of the "con" runs throughout the entire movie and there are several twists along the way, but this is a fairly lightweight movie up until about three quarters of the way through the movie when it completely changes in tone (and oddly enough becomes a better movie). I hoped for so much more from "Matchstick Men", but I didn't think it lived up to the promise of what it could have been with the talent involved.

-Joe Sherry ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for kids, not too scary, has a good message
This is a great story showing how a family and community can come together and help a child in need. And this, unlike most Halloween fare, really illustrates the good natured spirit of Halloween the way it's suppose to be for kids. Thank you.

A sweet and haunting coming-of-age Halloween story
This is a wonderful Halloween tale centered around a teenage boy who's very distraught by his parents' divorce. As he reluctantly goes trick-or-treating with his friends, he comes upon the magic spirit of Halloween in the form of a Pumpkin and a scary but kind neighborhood hermit who offers understanding and guidance to our young hero. I highly recommend it - it is one of my children (8 & 12) favorite videos and very uplifting. ... Read more