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Matchstick Men (2003) 7.3
Ratings:
7.3/10 from 78,942 users
Metascore: 61/100
Reviews: 321 user | 170 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com A phobic con artist and his protégé are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the former's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly. Director:Ridley Scott |
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Title: Matchstick Men (2003)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Nicolas Cage | ... | ||
| Sam Rockwell | ... | ||
| Alison Lohman | ... | ||
| Bruce Altman | ... | ||
| Bruce McGill | ... | ||
| Jenny O'Hara | ... |
Mrs. Schaffer
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| Steve Eastin | ... |
Mr. Schaffer
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| Beth Grant | ... |
Laundry Lady
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| Sheila Kelley | ... |
Kathy
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| Fran Kranz | ... |
Slacker Boyfriend
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Tim Kelleher | ... |
Bishop
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| Nigel Gibbs | ... |
Holt
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| Bill Saito | ... |
Pharmacist #1
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| Tim Maculan | ... |
Pharmacist #2
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Stoney Westmoreland | ... |
Man in Line
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Meet Roy and Frank, a couple of professional small-time con artists. What Roy, a veteran of the grift, and Frank, his ambitious protégé, are swindling these days are "water filtration systems," bargain-basement water filters bought by unsuspecting people who pay ten times their value in order to win bogus prizes like cars, jewelry and overseas vacations--which they never collect. These scams net the flim-flam men a few hundred here, another thousand there, which eventually adds up to a lucrative partnership. Roy's private life, however, is not so successful. An obsessive-compulsive agoraphobe with no personal relationships to call his own, Roy is barely hanging on to his wits, and when his idiosyncrasies begin to threaten his criminal productivity he's forced to seek the help of a psychoanalyst just to keep him in working order. While Roy is looking for a quick fix, his therapy begets more than he bargained for: the revelation that he has a teenage daughter--a child whose existence he... Written by Sujit R. Varma
Taglines:
lie cheat steal rinse repeatMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, violence, some sexual content and language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
12 September 2003 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Tricks See more »Box Office
Opening Weekend:
$54,290 (Hong Kong) (2 January 2004)Gross:
$54,290 (Hong Kong) (2 January 2004)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
|Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Written by Jerry Keller and Gloria Shayne
Performed by Andy Williams
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Frank Mercer was named for Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mercer. Roy Waller is seen playing records by the two. See more »Goofs
When Frank comes to Roy's house to look for him, he messily eats a sandwich. The amount of mayonnaise smeared on his lips changes repeatedly between shots. See more »Crazy Credits
In the closing credits, letters such as "M" and "W" are separated lines (presumably matchsticks), much like the type in the main title. See more »Soundtracks
"Almost There"Written by Jerry Keller and Gloria Shayne
Performed by Andy Williams
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »
The little problem that 'Matchstick Men' has is that there is not a real highpoint in the movie if the ending wasn't there. I think the movie starts as a very good movie. Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) and Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell) are con artists and the movie opens with showing how they collect some money. It is not as great as how George Clooney does it in 'Out of Sight' but it's a lot of fun. After this the movie shows who Roy is, a guy with all kind of weird things. Spasms, panic attacks, compulsive behavior. He wants things clean, he wants things a certain way, or he becomes a little crazy. He has pills for these things but he loses them and this is how he meets Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman), a psychiatrist.
Because of him Roy learns he has a 14-year old daughter Angela (Alison Lohman, who was actually 24). He wants to care for her, spend time with her, and even reveals what he really is. In a great scene she shows her father and us how she would be if she had the same job as Roy. Roy and Frank have a big job planned where they would collect 80,000 dollars from a guy named Frechette (Bruce McGill). In a way they are taking money but Roy looks at it differently. He thinks, and he is actually right, that they just give it to him. Because it is all illegal they can't complain after they are cheated.
Hoe these three big stories fit in one you have to see for yourself. The middle part is a little slow, but the ending makes up for that. All characters are played very well and Nicolas Cage is great. Ridley Scott has made another fine movie.