CONFIDENCE (2003) is a slick greased-lightning of a con story that some reviewers I believe mistook for a classic "caper" movie like Ocean's 11 or 12. The writing by Doug Jung is fresh, witty and with twists and turns that miraculously all make sense at the end, if at the cost of resorting to blood-packs a few times too many to save the day (you'll know what that is when you watch the film). Director James Foley (of Glengarry Glen Ross) does a marvelous job of moving this tongue-in-cheek story at a rapid click with a lot of side-sweeps for scene transitions and a camera that never stops roving around even at close headshots. Jake Vig (well, did the last name have to be that obvious?) played by Ed Burns, is the boss of a con team that consists of Gordo (the one and only Paul Giamatti of Sideways), Big Al and Miles (Brian Van Holt). The con job that Vig et al pull off leaves them with $150,000 that belongs to Winston King, a small-time psychotic lap-dance-saloon owner who can do bad things to bad people when he loses his temper and is played with a dangerous charm by Dustin Hoffman. The only way for Vig to stay alive is to carry out King's assignment: they have to con $5 million out of Morgan Price, the banker that everyone loves to hate, through wiring money to an offshore bank and then bringing the cash in through the Canadian border. Pickpocket Lily ((Rachel Weisz) joins the con team both as Vig's love-interest and a crucial part of the team. She is the one who flirts the lonely and horny VP of the bank into transferring the money. But wait, there is also Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia), an Internal Affairs cop who has been following Vig all around the world with a vengeance. Butan, as well as Price's enforcer, is on Vig's tail as well. At the end, just when Vig is caught on his knees with a gun pressed to his head, the tangled up puzzle is suddenly resolved when he is shot and killed! Or is he? Great light-fare entertainment with marvelous acting by Burns and Hoffman. Garcia, on the other hand, was a bit short-changed in this part because I know he is a gifted actor of considerable depth when the role demands it (Godfather, Dead Again). --------------------------------------------- |
