——Matchstick Men——
(B+)
Matchstick Men, a movie about con men, leaves you feeling like you yourself have been conned when you walk out of the theater. The film builds itself up so beautifully, only to collapse in the way you least expect in the final ten minutes, leaving you flabbergasted as to what just happened. The film does work in its own way, but you kind of wish it didn’t try to. Literally the whole reason you end up loving the movie is taken away from you in those final moments, and although Nic Cage seems to feel fine with that, you don’t. It kind of makes sense and works, but it so alienates the audience that I don’t understand why we should go along with the filmmakers.
That said the rest of the film is a pretty solid little movie about con games and father/daughter relationships. Nic Cage is great, Sam Rockwell is great, and Alison Lohman gives a fantastic performance as Cage’s long lost daughter. This is a character drama, and a pretty good one at that, although there is nothing really spectacular about it. It is the final con of the movie that throws you off though; the more you think about it, the less likely it seems. But it could work, and you’ve got to admire the filmmakers for at least trying it. Still I don’t know if I would recommend this film to anyone other than those who really want to see it. The rest of you might as well stay away from the shell game unless you really know what you are getting yourself into.
C'est Non Un Blog 
Harry of AICN had a similar complaint about Matchstick Men – that the epilogue destroys an otherwise fine movie. I can’t help but wonder if the studio had anything to do with this, like the “love conquers all” ending of Brazil (which I’ve recently been thinking of, thanks to the music used in the MM commercials).
The studio had nothing to do with the ending of Matchstick Men, because it is suppose to end the way it does because really everything in it builds up to that ending. It’s not a great choice, but what are you going to do? That’s what they decided to make the movie about.
However, if you see it it is kind of fun to keep Brazil in mind and try to make connections between the two films. There is a very similar theme in both.
I haven’t seen Matchstick Men… but have YOU ever seen Paper Moon? It’s a 70s movie, starring Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal (when she was about 10 and reminds me of my niece), and is set in the south in the early 30s. Ryan O’Neal is a con-man and Tatum O’Neal, it is implied, is his daughter, who takes to conning like a pro. It’s a great, really cute movie. Shot in b&w. Very nice. I was instantly reminded of it when I saw a preview for Matchstick Men.
Nope.