Details
Movie Description
Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a con man who has had to overcome enormous problems with obsessive-compulsive disorder in order to stay on top of his game. His partner in crime, Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), helps him run a daily business conning housewives out of their money with telephone scams. Frank is frustrated with their small-fry clientele however, and urges Roy to look for bigger business ventures. Roy resists Frank's urges, and instead leads a bizarre existence in which he is completely dominated by his compulsions to clean, eat canned tuna every night, and open his front door three times before he can walk through it. His world is turned upside down, however, when he starts seeing a shrink who helps Roy to get in touch with his missing 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela soon becomes embroiled in Roy and Frank's scams, pushing Roy to take on a grandiose scheme that could give them financial security for the rest of their lives.
Directed by Ridley Scott, this fast-paced crime drama takes several twists and turns as it works its way towards a surprising conclusion. Cage is perfectly cast as the con artist beset by neuroses and family problems, and has an excellent foil in the younger, more abrasive Rockwell. Weaving a tale of trust, family, friendship and deceit, director Scott utilizes the talents of his actors to delve into complex themes, resulting in a breathtaking film in which nothing can be taken for granted.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Widescreen - 2.40
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 - French
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Ridley Scott - Director/Producer, Nicholas Griffin - Writer, Ted Griffin - Writer/Producer
Theatrical Trailer
Theatrical Release Date: September 12, 2003
Industry Reviews
"...Cage's energized participation and Lohman's striking charisma are welcome additives..."
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (09/19/2003)
"...Ms. Lohman shows the same pitch-perfect balance of guilelessness and coquetry she brought to WHITE OLEANDER..."
New York Times - A. O. Scott (09/12/2003)
"...MATCHSTICK MEN is a well-acted and intriguing exploration of dishonesty in its varied forms, leavened with a dry comic touch..."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (09/12/2003)
"...A natural-born filmmaker, Scott has a visual style that in its balance of pointillist detail and sweeping scale can complement whatever large-scale story he's chewed off..."
Los Angeles Times - Manohla Dargis (09/12/2003)
"...What in another actor would be overacting is, with Cage, a kind of fearsome intensity. There's an Oscar nomination here for him..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (09/12/2003)
"...Nicolas Cage is at the top of his game....Cage and Rockwell play off each other with devilish finesse. And Lohman is on fire..."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (10/02/2003)
"...MATCHSTICK MEN finds Scott in a playful mood, and he does some of the most relaxed directing of his career..."
Movieline - Stephen Farber (11/01/2003)
"Ridley Scott's deft touch helps make the twist at the end both surprising and solid."
Premiere - Premiere Staff (03/01/2004)
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