Film Elemental
09-12-2003, 07:27 AM
For anyone who has seen Adaptation you have witnessed what Nicolas Cage can do. You've seen his talent. In Matchstick Men he steps it up a notch. His character is Roy, an agoraphobic (afraid of the outdoors) with nervous twitches and an obsessive compulsive disorder revolving around threes but only specified to certain actions. However, as long as hes on his meds the symptoms are managable. Cage is incredible in the details he uses to bring out this character. He keeps the twitches consistent and is constantly surprising you from one scene to the next. When paired with the talented Rockwell he excels even more playing off the snappy chemistry between the both of them.
Roy and his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) are polar opposites. Roy likes everything neat and has a closet just for cleaning supplies. Frank lives in a pig-sty of an apartment reminscent of Joes hole in Joes Apartment. But together they make an incredible team who can design and execute some of the most brilliant cons around. But in there next con an obstacle has presented itself. Roy's 14-year-old daughter suddenly arrives on the scene. Interestingly enough she expresses an interest in her Dad's work and quickly becomes involved. But her eagerness and inexperience could prove to be destructive as well fueled by their own twisted motives.
Its a brilliant dark comedy. It slides from one genre into the next with the sleight of a magician's hand. Cage delivers more than a few quotable lines and the con games run like capers. But also there are touching father-daughter scenes that reach their climax during a nail-biting car chase through an airport parking garage.
The film's atmosphere brought to mind Catch Me If You Can. Ridley used clothing and decorations to evoke a feel for a past decade. Hans Zimmer and his mix of lounge songs solidified this hypothesis.
Although this is not an epic Ridley still showed off his talent. He exploited the close-up and used quick editing more and more as Cage's ever changing condition would worsen. In one particular scene Cage is sittting at a table in front of a door and a woman opens the door to let the dog out. Blinding light fills the screen and we seen a close-up of Cages twitching eyes. Everything through his point of view becomes exaggerated and anxious tightening your own chest. Then as he leaves the house the film calms down as Cage calms down. It was a wonderful technique used effectively throughout the film.
In conclusion the film is solid. It is successful in all areas leaving few kinks in its armor. The acting is superb and leads the film through it’s innovative plot. Drama/Comedys that work powerfully on both levels are hard to pull off. A film that can have you laugh out loud, sweat in suspense, and reflect on the complex relationships has something few other films have. Matchstick Men is unqiue and strange, consistently surprising you all the way to when you are blindsided by the twizzelered ending.
Roy and his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) are polar opposites. Roy likes everything neat and has a closet just for cleaning supplies. Frank lives in a pig-sty of an apartment reminscent of Joes hole in Joes Apartment. But together they make an incredible team who can design and execute some of the most brilliant cons around. But in there next con an obstacle has presented itself. Roy's 14-year-old daughter suddenly arrives on the scene. Interestingly enough she expresses an interest in her Dad's work and quickly becomes involved. But her eagerness and inexperience could prove to be destructive as well fueled by their own twisted motives.
Its a brilliant dark comedy. It slides from one genre into the next with the sleight of a magician's hand. Cage delivers more than a few quotable lines and the con games run like capers. But also there are touching father-daughter scenes that reach their climax during a nail-biting car chase through an airport parking garage.
The film's atmosphere brought to mind Catch Me If You Can. Ridley used clothing and decorations to evoke a feel for a past decade. Hans Zimmer and his mix of lounge songs solidified this hypothesis.
Although this is not an epic Ridley still showed off his talent. He exploited the close-up and used quick editing more and more as Cage's ever changing condition would worsen. In one particular scene Cage is sittting at a table in front of a door and a woman opens the door to let the dog out. Blinding light fills the screen and we seen a close-up of Cages twitching eyes. Everything through his point of view becomes exaggerated and anxious tightening your own chest. Then as he leaves the house the film calms down as Cage calms down. It was a wonderful technique used effectively throughout the film.
In conclusion the film is solid. It is successful in all areas leaving few kinks in its armor. The acting is superb and leads the film through it’s innovative plot. Drama/Comedys that work powerfully on both levels are hard to pull off. A film that can have you laugh out loud, sweat in suspense, and reflect on the complex relationships has something few other films have. Matchstick Men is unqiue and strange, consistently surprising you all the way to when you are blindsided by the twizzelered ending.