Matchstick Men [WS]

Director: Ridley Scott Ridley Scott

Overview

Ridley Scott directs the crime comedy Matchstick Men, based on the novel of the same name by Eric Garcia. Neurotic con man Roy (Nicolas Cage) suffers from several emotional problems, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. He and his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) swindle people out of money by posing as money collectors who promise things like tax refunds, package vacations, and other fabulous prizes (which they never get). Frank wants to pull a really big job, but Roy is too consumed with fear and panic attacks to join him. Only cigarettes and his trusty illegal prescription drugs seem to keep him going. When Roy finds himself in desperate need of more pills, he is forced to see legitimate psychotherapist Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman). Roy ends up talking about his emotional damage from a troubled marriage and divorce, which results in the discovery of a child whom he has never met. Dr. Klein suggests that he spend a weekend with the kid, so in walks teenaged Angela (played by twentysomething Alison Lohman). Reluctant to develop his role as a father, Roy also gets heavily involved in Frank's ambitious swindle.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/08/2009
UPC:	0883929085125
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	45,532

Special Features

Tricks on the trade: Maning Machstick Men - follow the director through a intimate day-to-day account of the filmmaking process; Part I: Preproduction; Part II: Production; Part III: Postproduction; Commentary by director/producer Ridley Scott, writer Nicholas Griffin and writer/producer Ted Griffin; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Nicolas Cage	Roy Waller
Alison Lohman	Angela
Sam Rockwell	Frank
Bruce McGill	Chuck Frechette
Bruce Altman	Dr. Klein
Jenny O'Hara	Mrs. Schaffer
Steve Eastin	Mr. Schaffer
Sheila Kennedy	Kathy
Tim Kelleher	Bishop
Nigel Gibbs	Holt
Beth Grant	Laundry Lady
Fran Kranz	Slacker Boyfriend
Bill Saito	Pharmacist No.1
Tim Maculan	Pharmacist No.1
Stoney Westmoreland	Man on Line
Lynn Ann Leveridge	Bank Clerk
Giannina Facio	Bank Teller
Sonya Eddy	Parking Garage Cashier
Michael Clossin	Long-Winded Parking Garage Driver
Kim Cassidy	Stripper
Paul Hubbard	Store Clerk
Monnae Michaell	Carpet Store Manager
Dennis Anderson	Cashier
Marco Kyris	Pizza Boy
Jerry Hauck	Taxi Driver
Jim Zulevic	Airport Bartender
Ramsey Malouky	Hospital Intern
Andi Sherrill	Pharmacy Cashier
Kate Steele	Strip Club Waitress
Adam Clark	Strip Club Bouncer
Daniel Villarreal	Car Wash Employee
Marco Assante	Valet Parker
Kevin La Rosa	Helicopter Pilot
Sheila Kelley	Kathy
Hans Zimmer	Composer

Technical Credits

Nicholas Griffin

Ridley Scott	Director,Producer
Nicholas Griffin	Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Producer
Sean Bailey	Producer
Marty Bresin	Special Effects
Jack Rapke	Producer
Roy Savoy	Special Effects
Steve Starkey	Producer
Eddie Yansick	Stunts
Debra Zane	Casting
Robert Zemeckis	Executive Producer
Lee Orloff	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Recent years have seen Nicolas Cage starring in several flamboyant action movies, but this versatile actor generally does his best work when interpreting complex, eccentric characters. In Matchstick Men, he plays a real doozy: con man Roy Waller, one of the slickest in the game, despite the fact that he’s a walking bundle of obsessive-compulsive disorders. He doesn’t like surprises, so you can imagine his initial reaction to Angela (Alison Lohman), the teenage girl who shows up on his doorstep and claims to be his daughter. Fatherhood is tough on most men, but it threatens to make a basket case of Roy, whose partner (Sam Rockwell) has just set up a potentially big score. Bad timing or what? The complications come fast and furious in this delightful film, sharply written by Nicholas Griffin and directed with élan by Ridley Scott, who reveals a heretofore unsuspected affinity for comedy. Witty lines and clever situations abound, with the action building to a surprising climax; but it’s the cast that really puts Matchstick Men over. Cage's performance is nothing short of remarkable. He uses neurotic tics to punctuate laugh lines and darts about with enough nervous energy to power a football stadium, yet he manages to display tenderness and compassion. Lohman holds her own in scenes with Cage, radiating a charming, winsome quality while investing her character with just the right amount of edge. Rockwell also shines as Cage's glib, smarmy partner, and Bruce McGill is excellent as the unwitting mark. They work together seamlessly under Scott's nuanced direction, and the result is an unusually satisfying film teeming with memorable moments.