Rate It
|
||||||||||||||||
Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
All Flixster |
(55903) |
20153 |
45798 |
Female |
(31845) |
11480 |
26089 |
Male |
(24058) |
8673 |
19709 |
More Like This
If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...
Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!
Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.
If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.
| Children of Men (23%) |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (67%) |
|
|
| Bandits (67%) |
|
|
| Catch Me If You Can (57%) |
|
|
| Paper Moon (88%) |
|
|
Plot: 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.
Meet Other Fans
-
ONLINE NOW -
ONLINE NOW -
ONLINE NOW -
-
-
-
-
Recent Reviews
-
MCT:September 1, 2008Loved it. Nick Cage proves in this movie that he can take on different roles and portray different characters.
Loved the plot, and of course the little girl's acting was really good too. -
MCT:August 24, 2008Matchstick Men is an impressive and entertaining film. This doesn't seem like the type of film Ridley Scott usually makes, but with his name attatched as director, my expectations were high.
Nicolas Cage performs very well as the obsessive compulsive con artist, I thought as an actor he seems to be getting worse and just taking the easy blockbuster work, but this is one of those gems that prove his talent has not been lost. Sam Rockwell is brilliant as Cage's protege-partner, he makes sure Cage doesn't scene steal when he's around. Newcomer Alison Lohman also pulls off a convincing performance as Cage's daughter.
Matchstick Men is an underrated film that equally balances comedy with drama and climaxes with a superb and clever twist. Highly recommended. -
MCT:August 22, 2008I love it, love it, love it! It's one of my dad's favorites, but I'd never had any interest in it. My parents have tried so many times to get me to sit down and watch it with them, but I figured it was going to bore me to the point of screaming and clawing my eyes out. Oh how wrong I was! What has to be the biggest twist, dare I say, since the Sixth Sense, the plot was understandable, the outlook on Roy's (Cage) life got to you and then *POSSIBLE SPOILER* they tear it all out from under you! Though you practically let them have it because the twist is that it was there in plain site the whole time! A fantastic, fantastic film I am reccomending this to everyone I practically know! The acting was superb, the directing was on the fine side, and the storyline is one of my all time favorites! I can't even express my deep appreciation for this film.
-
MCT:August 19, 2008
When an obsessive compulsive con artist discovers he has a teenage daughter he first bonds with her and then starts to teach her some tricks of the trade. A bit of a departure for Ridley Scott, this is more of a people film than the kind of historical epics he has become associated with. An easy going marriage of comedy, heist movie and family drama, Scott handles the shifts in tone with subtlety and never resorts to visual gimmickry. Rockwell and Lohman are solid support and really Cage is the weak link performance wise, as his take on obsessive compulsiveness can hardly be described as subtle although he is decent enough. A little predictable, but it has a couple of nice twists and has the kind of laid back charm that is old fashioned in a good way. Ocean's Eleven on valium.
-
MCT:August 6, 2008ugh i really thought it would turn around in the end but i was totally wrong... even the twist was bad
-
MCT:August 5, 2008
A con man discovers he has a daughter and takes her under his wing, but the twist makes everything you just sat through and invested in a waste of time and leaves you feeling cheated. It is also heavily signposted if you are looking at the right things, like the genre or the billing order. Unfortunately, on a second viewing, safe from feeling cheated this time, knowing the twist doesn't add anything, it just makes the plot tedious. A scarily humourless film. A shame.
-
MCT:July 28, 2008
"Roy," a con artist, has a lot of problems, most of which is psychological. He is very close to being locked up in a padded room.
While between jobs, he discovers he has a daughter (Alison Lohman) he never knew about, and sets up a meeting with her. He tells her that he is an antiques dealer, but the story quickly falls flat and he is forced to tell her what he actually does for a living, and she wants to learn the family business. He reluctantly agrees, eventually, to show her one, and only one con.
Of the movies I've seen lately, the performances really dragged me into it -- especially Cage, whom I'm not a big fan of. The characters had depth and were well developed. Even the supporting cast were well developed, which is rare. The story itself was well written as well.
Cage, who makes you honestly believe he has all those neurosis, is simply wonderful in this role. Lohman is also really good in her performance. These two are also really good together.
Lohman is the one who truly stands out. She is simply amazing in her performance as a 14-year-old when she is actually approximately 10 years older in reality. She really makes you believe she's fourteen. It is one of the best performances I've ever seen. In my opinion, if you are not a fan of Cage, check this movie out only for her performance -- you will be amazed.
The rest of the cast also do a good job with their roles. That includes those in minor roles who are seen in cameos, which are mostly the "Roy" and "Frank" (Sam Rockwell) victims.
The soundtrack is not for everybody. It's filled with Frank Sinatra and other similar artists. Somehow, the songs picked work in this film.
The cinematography is also done quite well, as is the editing. The director did a good job bringing everything together into a nice, neat package.
There are lots of twists in this film that might mislead you into thinking the movie might end in a different way. Because of the twists, you will stay focused on your screen through the entire movie.
If you have not heard of Lohman before, like me, then the ending should surprise you. Others may find the ending quite predictable.
Some of the scenes do seem to lag a bit at times, which is the only flaw I could see. Personally, I wouldn't put this on the Must See List, but it might be a good rental nonetheless. -
MCT:July 28, 2008Nick Cage plays a con cartist who discovers that his long lost daughter is back, in this brooding story that doesn't seem to want to even have fun.
-
MCT:July 26, 2008
The plot was really clever..
The casting.. great, specially for Sam Rockwell, I thought he was absolutely perfect in his role and it just couldn't have been any better !
Nicholas Cage.. The way he portrayed Roy and how he twitched at almost everything and the phobia.. It was too good to be true !!
And the ending was one of the best I've seen considering the genre.. -
MCT:July 16, 2008it was aight. not exactly a masterpiece. big fan of Alison Lohman from White Oleander. but ya know what? Nicholas Cage was outshined by Sam Rockwell.
-
MCT:July 16, 2008
Personally I think this is one of Nicolas Cage's better movies. The way things turn out to be is brilliant.
-
MCT:July 10, 2008
THIS MOVIE WAS SO UNDERRATED. IT HAD A GREAT STORY LINE AND A SHOCKING ENDING . I THINK IT IS A GREAT MOVIE.
-
MCT:July 8, 2008
I have to quote a friend on this Movie with whom I totally agree.
A Friend said
What a twisted movie! Did not see the ending coming at all!
More Laterzzz from Liloh -
MCT:July 3, 2008
proof Cage can act, and NOT be an annoying twat, when given a good role and director. Possibly one of Scott's best, in terms of writing.
-
MCT:June 27, 2008
Great con flick. Super performances all round, especially from Nic Cage and Sam Rockwell. Must say I picked the twist quite early.
-
MCT:June 26, 2008
Nicholas Cage is excellent in his portrayal of a con artist who is afraid if, well, pretty much everything. It's a great performance, highlighted even more by the fact that nobody else in the film does anything of note. Unfortunately, the twist is transparent, and the ending is underwhelming. Otherwise, a good story.
-
MCT:June 7, 2008
Very stylish and original. Ridley Scott proves that he hasn't lost his touch in making cool films and Matchstick Men is a great comic crime film full of suspense that may be way high above anyone's expectations. Great effort; I missed for a time to see Nicholas Cage in an actually GOOD film again.
82/100 -
MCT:May 28, 2008
Awesome movie. Although the movie's core premise was Nicolas Cage's character to be completely swindled by con artists through Alison Lohman's character, there were still so much more in the story line of the movie to be enjoyed, like the fake though touching relationship between Nicolas Cage and Alison Lohman's characters, the hilarious obsessive compulsiveness of Nicolas Cage and as well as the film's take on how people con other people and how Nicolas Cage's character comes into terms with this life of crime of his and ultimately shuns it for good in the end. Definitely two thumbs up.
-
MCT:May 19, 2008
a enjoyable film with good performances all round. the only thing letting it down as it was a too predictable ending
-
MCT:May 1, 2008
"Look, Doc, I spent last Tuesday watching fibers on my carpet. And the whole time I was watching my carpet, I was worrying that I, I might vomit. And the whole time, I was thinking, "I'm a grown man. I should know what goes on my head." And the more I thought about it... the more I realized that I should just blow my brains out and end it all. But then I thought, well, if I thought more about blowing my brains out... I start worrying about what that was going to do to my goddamn carpet. Okay, so, ah-he, that was a GOOD day, Doc. And, and I just want you to give me some pills and let me get on with my life."
That was a quote from Roy, Nicholas Cage's character in this film. You can probably tell already that he's not an average guy.. he's a con artist, a matchstick man. But there's certain things wrong with him, like he doesn't like being outdoors. He can't stand the sunlight, he fidgets and blinks a lot, lots of things distract him.. that's why he is an interesting character and makes the movie interesting to watch. It's not just him either, I loved the character development in this flick, each character had a vital role and was portrayed brilliantly. That's just one reason I loved this movie.
The movie revolves around Roy and his life. He spends the mornings cleaning his house and making sure everything is spotless before he leaves. He puts his shoes on, (no shoes on the carpet) and then leaves to meet his business partner, Frank. They are con artists, they trick people into thinking they're getting a prize or money, and end up walking away having lost nothing. But things get more complicated when Roy meets his daughter for the first time, just in time for him and Frank to try and pull of an 80k con. It seems pretty straightforward, but it's not. This flick is full of twists and turns that I had no idea where coming, they were surprising and clever how they fitted into the plot.
Nicolas Cage was great for his character, apart from a couple of scenes at the end of being on the verge of tears, everything else from him was convincing enough for me. I really like Sam Rockwell, and for me he was brilliant in this movie. He perfected his character, a great casting choice there. Alison Lohman as the daughter was also great, I haven't seen her in a lot of flicks, but in this I really liked her. Bruce Altman was also great, other than that the cast was so-so.. nothing brilliant.
I am really glad I saw this, and I recommend this to anyone. Yes, anyone. Whether you think you'll like this or not; you really should see it for yourself. Hopefully you'll like it as much as I did! -
MCT:May 1, 2008
I enjoyed this film. Prior to watching it I didn't think I would, however I thought it was an interesting role for Cage. One of my all-time favourite Cage films.
-
MCT:April 23, 2008
I like this movie because this movie shows people with OCD have lots problems about being everything right like me. It's little weird, but great movie to watch.
-
MCT:April 22, 2008
i called the eneding of this movie 25 minutes into the movie and ruined it for my girlfriend. i wasn't impressed
-
MCT:April 21, 2008
Very good. It could be an idie film. I don't think that many people saw it but it's a great con man story.
My Friends Said...
Matchstick Men Recent Reviews
Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !
Comments
-
butercup19posted 296 days ago -
-
