Top 10 Con Men Films

By Aaron and Bob 9/26/2008

Among the bajillion movies coming out this weekend is Choke, the movie adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel of the same name. It looks over-the-top entertaining in a way that Palahniuk was just beginning to get to in Fight Club and stars the hilarious Sam Rockwell who plays a guy who fakes choking to death to get strangers to pay for his rich lifestyle. When I remembered that Sam Rockwell had been a con-men before, I realized I had to break down the top ten con men films.  

10) Wedding Crashers (2005)
Surprisingly, one of the best con-artist movies is this frat pack comedy that features Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as guys that crash weddings.  Their cons don't really take much away from their victims but they always have a back story and they are always on their game.  The rules to crashing keep them from getting caught, until they are hilariously outed midway through the film.  One of my favorite comedies of all time is also one of the best films about con-men. -RCK

9) The Italian Job (2003)
For all of you who think the original is great – you’re incompetent – the car chase wasn’t even that great – doesn’t even come close to Ronin. More on topic, Wahlberg and crew band together to avenge their mentor by conning Ed Norton – with a sweet cast that almost gives Danny Ocean a run for his money – the movie is solid. There’s action, humor, and lots of cons. -AWV

8) Charade (1963)
Despite the fact that this film was a straight up star vehicle for Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, it was also a highly entertaining romantic suspense comedy where the viewer never really knew what to expect.  While the audience doesn't really know the identity of Cary Grant's character until the conclusion of the film, he certainly acts as a con man throughout, and the hidden location of the money would have thoroughly surprised me, had I not first seen the abysmal remake: The Truth About Charlie. -RCK

7) Some Like It Hot (1959)
This classic film by the great Billy Wilder features Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as two musicians who disguise themselves as women after they witness a  murder.  Hilarity ensues as the two become infatuated with Marilyn Monroe and find men infatuated with them.  As a comedy on this list Wilder shows the humor that can come about from misperception and hidden identities. -RCK

6) The Grifters
Back when Annette Benning was hot, Anjelica Huston was still a name, and John Cusack was rocking the teen movies, the three of them made a seminal con man flick that was mostly about con women. Caught between a girlfriend that would make Gym Class Heroes cringe and a mother we thankfully never had, Cusack manages to pull off some pretty good small cons. But it gets interesting when they band together for the big con…-AWV

5) Matchstick Men (2003)
Matchstick Men reminded us that amid The Ant Bully and Next, Nic Cage can turn in some good acting performances. A great story, cool plot, and great supporting acting – including the aforementioned Sam Rockwell role, make Matchstick Men a great con film. Oh yeah, and Allison Lohman is really cute in it too. -AWV

4) The Usual Suspects (1995)
Pretty tough to try to make a movie better than this – but luckily Brian Singer made Superman Returns. The con in this movie is so profound that it could only be pulled off by one of the most unique actors of our generation, but hey, he also pulled off “I’m an alien,” pretty well too. Who is Keyser Soze became a cult phenomenon and Gabriel Byrne managed to fade into the woodwork. -AWV

3) Catch Me if You Can (2002)
You take a true story, you put Spielberg at the helm with Leo, Hanks, Walken and Amy Adams, well, Amy Adams wasn’t really big then (is she big now?) but that’s a great start. Following the true exploits of Frank Abignale Jr., Leo turned in a performance that made me think he could do more than fog up mirrors with Kate. Humor, suspense, character, make this a con film that rises above the rest, “do you concur?” -AWV

2) Ocean's 11 (2001)
The modern caper film that defined the smooth, cool criminal, this remake brought together a wide array of Hollywood stars who perfectly execute a Las Vegas heist.  These are the high class criminals that wear tuxedos during the job and teach celebrities poker in their free time.  George Clooney and Brad Pitt play a modern day Newman and Redford (see below) and assemble a team for the ages as Stephen Soderbergh brings a style to the film that is only rivaled by our #1 film. -RCK

1) The Sting (1973)
Probably the best story ever put to film about conmen, this George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) picture featured the long awaited reunion of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as a pair of conmen who plan and execute a con against a Chicago crime boss as revenge.  This is solid all across the board.  The film is notable not only because of the aforementioned reunion of the two stars, but also because of the setting and style of the film.  Set in the 1930s, the film expertly utilizes  Scott Joplin music, and title cards to give a timeless feel of a time period long past. -RCK

 

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Bob’s October Movie Preview

By Bob 10/2/2008

Now that we have gotten through the sludge of September movies, it’s time for some Oscar contenders, and movies that think they’re good but not. Halloween is also this month so there is bound to be a lot of random horror movies going on and of course a Saw film to soak in. Whatever happens though, I’m gonna guess that at least one of the following gets some nods come Oscar time. With that, my October Movie Preview:

Cops, Robbers, and Blah

10) Pride and Glory: October 24^th

From the director of Miracle comes one of the most clichéd trailers of ALL TIME. Edward Norton as A COP. Colin Farrell as HIMSELF. What more could we want from a movie? I don’t know, and I will likely never find out because this is not one flick I will be seeing.

9) Max Payne: October 17^th

As I feverishly go through my mind trying to think of a video game adaptation that has actually been a good movie, I’m also reminded of all of the bad movies Marky Mark has made over the past ever (excluding The Departed and Boogie Nights of course). I would be shocked if there is anybody who is actually excited for this, as anybody who actually played the game has probably outgrown the genre.

8) Body of Lies: October 10^th

Leonardo Dicaprio. Russell Crowe. Ridley Scott. Something about spies. The trailers really tell us nothing about this film except, “How am I supposed to run an operation when you’re running a side operation.” I don’t really know what that means, but Leo says it in the trailer. This film looks like another lame attempt by Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe to win Oscars. I’m not buying it.

7) Flash of Genius: October 3^rd

Greg Kinnear stars as an man who invents the intermittent windshield wiper, and then has it stolen from him buy the major auto manufacturers. This just looks like a boring film that will get a lukewarm response. For some reason, however, it has been getting a huge level of marketing with television and even radio advertisements. I doubt people will buy it.

6) RocknRolla: October 10^th

Guy Ritchie is back in the genre he knows best, and this appears to be an English gangster film much in the mold of Lock Stock and Snatch. We’ll see if he still has his stuff, but for now, I’ll just pop in my DVDs of the older films that I can trust, and look to be almost identical in plot to this one.

Movies that Intrigue Me

5) Changeling: October 24^th

Angelina Jolie stars in this Clint Eastwood film about a woman whose son goes missing and is returned with something different. Any film that Eastwood directs (that’s not Flags of our Fathers of course) is worth checking out, and this looks to be no different. It got solid reviews with it premiered at Cannes, and Angelina Jolie is ready for a solid role.

4) W.: October 17^th

A film that is certain to be the years most controversial, Oliver Stone directs this biopic about our current president. While I am sure Stone will exaggerate many of the details, there is no denying that he has put together an awesome cast including Josh Broling (as Bush), Elizibeth Banks (as First Lady Laura), James Cromwell (as his father H. W.), Richard Dreyfuss (as Cheney), Thadie Newton (as Condoleezza Rice) and others as the rest of his cabinet. Whatever happens in this film, it will certainly be interesting.

3) Synecdoche, New York: October 24^th

A film that I have been awaiting since last year, this is Charlie Kauffman’s directorial debut. I have loved the films he has written (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Adaptation. ) and this should prove to be equally compelling. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a playwright who attempts to put on a production in a warehouse that includes a scale model of New York. It will probably boggle our minds, but that is Kauffman, isn’t it?

2) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist: October 3^rd

Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star as the eponymous Nick and Norah who meet each other one night in New York and have adventures. Something about the trailer really brought this movie to my attention, probably the indie style that I love. Cera is always great, and Dennings was really cool in Charlie Bartlett, so I might make my way to a cinema this week to check it out.

1) Zach and Miri Make a Porno: October 31^st

Seth Rogen and Elizibeth Banks star as two best friends who decide to make a porno together. This is Kevin Smith’s first film since Clerks 2, and I can only hope that it matches that film in hilarity. The only thing I don’t understand, is why are they releasing this film on Halloween? I guess there is probably a Saw film being released anyways.