Matchstick Men

Matchstick Men
Directed by	Ridley Scott
Written by	Eric Garcia - novel Ted Griffin - screenplay Nick Griffin - screenplay
Produced by	Robert Zemeckis Sean Bailey Jack Rapke
Starring	Nicolas Cage Sam Rockwell Alison Lohman Bruce Altman Bruce McGill
Edited by	Dody Dorn
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Release dates	September 12th, 2003
Running time	116 min
Language	English

Matchstick Men is a 2003 film starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman. Directed by Ridley Scott, it is based on the novel Matchstick Men by Eric Garcia.

Plot

Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a troubled con artist residing in Los Angeles, California. Alongside his partner Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), Roy operates a fake lottery, selling overpriced water filtration systems to unsuspecting customers; in the process, Roy has collected over one million dollars and has developed a crush on Kathy, a local cashier. Roy has developed several mental disorders, including agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and a tic disorder. After Roy experiences a violent panic attack, Frank orders him to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Harris Klein (Bruce Altman).

Klein provides Roy with medication, and in therapy has Roy recall his past relationship with his ex-wife, Heather (Melora Walters), who was pregnant during the time of the divorce. Klein informs Roy that he called Heather and found out that Roy has a fourteen year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Roy and Angela meet, and Angela quizzes Roy regarding his life and occupation. Her cheerful personality rejuvenates him, and Roy thus agrees to work with Frank on a long-term con: Their target is Chuck Frechette (Bruce McGill), an arrogant businessman whom the duo decides to con with the Jamaican Switch.

One night, Angela unexpectedly arrives at Roy's house, saying that she has had a fight with her mother, and decides to stay for the weekend, much to Roy's disturbance. She explores his belongings and causes him to rethink his life, which he mentions during therapy with Klein. Angela returns home late one night, causing an argument between the two. During dinner, Roy admits that he is a con artist and reluctantly agrees to teach Angela a con. The two of them go to a local laundromat and con an older woman into believing she has won the lottery, and shares half of her expected winnings with Angela; however, Roy then forces Angela to return the money.

Roy questions the morality of teaching his daughter such practices, but believes his rejuvenation is a good sign. He then goes bowling with her but is interrupted when Frank reveals that Chuck's flight to the Caymans has been updated to today. Roy decides to let Angela participate, distracting Chuck midway through the con; however, Chuck realizes what has happened and chases the two into the parking lot before they escape. Roy then learns that Angela was arrested a year ago, and forces her to stop calling him despite the fact that she has bought him a small present as a sign of affection.

Without Angela, Roy returns to his disoriented state, and during another panic attack, he ultimately learns that the medication given him by Klein isn't real, proving that he doesn't need it to become happy. He decides that he needs Angela in his life but if that is to work he would have to change his lifestyle, much to Frank's disappointment. Roy and Angela return from dinner one night to find Chuck waiting for them alongside a badly beaten Frank. Angela shoots Chuck and departs with Frank, but a live Chuck suddenly knocks Roy unconscious.

Roy awakens in a hospital with the police, who inform him that Chuck eventually died from the gunshot and Frank and Angela have disappeared. Klein appears and Roy gives him the password to his bank account, ordering him to give the money to Angela when she is found. After falling asleep, Roy awakens to find that Klein and the police have disappeared, Klein's office is vacant, and that almost all of his money is missing. Realizing Frank has pulled a con on him, Roy returns to Heather and learns that she miscarried, and that Angela was not his daughter. The girl he thought was Angela was a con artist and accomplice of Frank.

A year later, Roy has become an employee at a local carpet store, which Angela and her boyfriend one day wander into. Roy confronts Angela but ultimately forgives her, realizing that he is now honest, cured of most of his mental disorders and leads a much happier lifestyle as a respectable citizen. It's also during this conversation that Angela reveals Frank had taken the money and left without giving her her share, and that it was the only con she'd ever pulled. Angela and her boyfriend depart and Roy returns home to his new wife Kathy (Sheila Kelley), who is already pregnant with his child.

Reception

Matchstick Men opened on September 12, 2003 to mostly positive reviews. James Berardinelli awarded the film three-and-a-half stars (Out of four), praising the film for its "sly, biting sense of humor" and "emotionally satisfying" elements. He also praised the film's acting, and ultimately noted that the film was "worth every cent" of the ticket price and was "the first winner of the fall movie season." Film critic Roger Ebert wrote an ecstatic review, awarding the film four stars (Out of four). Ebert noted that the film is "so absorbing that whenever it cuts away from the plot, there is another, better plot to cut to." He also recommended the film for several Oscar nominations, most notably Nicolas Cage's performance and the film's screenplay.

Some critics, however, were not impressed. Renee Graham of the Boston Globe criticized the film for its sentimentality, writing that "director Ridley Scott goes all gooey in this off-key adaptation of Eric Garcia's cynical novel." Despite praising the performances of Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman, Graham wasn't fond of Cage, writing that he is more "irritating than interesting" and that the film follows a similar style. Similarly, Lou Lumenick of the New York Post praised the film's acting but noted that the viewer "may end up feeling as suckered as Roy's victims." Lumenick was also not fond of the twist ending, believing that it was a large detractor to the film's value. Nevertheless, the film holds an 82% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Opening in 2,711 theaters, the film's opening weekend gross stood at second place with $13.0 million for a mild per-theater-average of $4,827; despite receiving better reviews than its fellow openers, Once Upon a Time in Mexico ultimately won the number-one position. The film ultimately grossed $36.9 million domestically, which was an underwhelming total. The film was not much more successful overseas, grossing a worldwide total of $65.5 million. Additionally, the film was virtually ignored during the awards season, receiving no Oscar nominations despite positive reviews. Nevertheless, the film found better success on home video.

Cast

• Nicolas Cage - Roy Waller
• Sam Rockwell - Frank Mercer
• Alison Lohman - Angela
• Bruce Altman - Dr. Harris Klein
• Bruce McGill - Chuck Frechette
• Sheila Kelley - Kathy
• Beth Grant - Laundry Lady
• Jenny O'Hara - Mrs. Schaffer
• Steve Eastin - Mr. Schaffer
• Melora Walters - Heather

Trivia

• In the film, Angela states that she attends Venice High School in Los Angeles, California, which is a real high school.
• In the film, Roy Waller displays fictionalized symptoms of Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder.
• The 2005 Bollywood film Bluffmaster is loosely based on Matchstick Men.
• Ridley Scott adores Jack Russell terriers. In the scene when Roy meets Angela in the park a woman is taking her terriers for a walk. In the pre-production feature, Ridley Scott sees two terriers in a park during location scouting. He excuses himself from his partners to go and "say hello to the Jack Russells."

Deleted / alternate scenes

• Director Ridley Scott was in a dilemma about the scene where Roy is knocked out by Chuck between a choice of shooting a rubber bullet at him or by a fist. For safety reasons they chose the second option.
• A scene where Roy enters his home and is shocked to find Angela in a bikini is removed.

External links

• Matchstick Men at IMDb
• Matchstick Men at Rotten Tomatoes
• Matchstick Men at Box Office Mojo