If you've seen any trailers, you already know this film is about a confidence-game. Yes, the basic concept is pretty clever and the cast is good. Like the Oceans series, most viewers will be distracted enough by the action not to notice numerous plot flaws which I will discuss in a later; however, there is something else which bothers me.
In Roger Ebert's review he describes Mamet & Tarantino as two writers whose dialog is distinctive. While that may be true, I found most of the characters occasionally sounding as if they were speaking lines in a play. The exact repetition of phrases, the hesitations, sounded like a stage actor speaking for effect, rather than a regular person talking. The writing/directing, both by David Mamet, was just too theatrical.
Yes it was too theatrical. And so, I would fall out of the film thinking, that exchange sounded like a play; it sounded just like a play. You can see the problem. I mean what is a discerning viewer to do? What exactly is a discerning viewer to do? **spoiler alert** Now for those plot issues: 1. As Joe is leaving the hotel for the airport, Jimmy Dell gives him a small package to give to Joe's sister who also lives in NY. Most people would slip the small package into their carry-on bag right away so it won't get lost, not Joe. At the ticket counter he is still clutching the package. After confirming his reservation, most people who hadn't already, would slip this package into their carry-on bag so their hands are free to do the boarding rigmarole, but not Joe; while seating in the plane, we see him clutching the little package in his hot hand. At this point, most people who hadn't already, would slip the little package into their carry-on bag in the overhead compartment, but not Joe; he slips it into the elastic pocket on the back of the seat in front of him. Why all this unnatural behavior? Well, the package has to be readily available for a crisis of belief. Some viewers might call this heavy handed. Then I begin to think about the entire concept, remember this is a con game flick. Let's imagine weeks before Jimmy talking to his gang during a planning session: "OK, we want to build trust with the mark. Anyone have any ideas, George?" "You could go boozing and womanizing together." "OK, boozing; Susan?" "You could take him for a ride in your seaplane." "Seaplane, good; Shawn?" "You could have someone pretend to mug him and you come along in the nick of time and save him like what happened to Sandra Bullock in The Net." "Pretend mugging, good, Henry?" "You ask him take a package to your fake sister and he won't put it into his luggage because that's just the kind of guy he is. Then the secretary will spook him with mule stories and in a panic he'll open the package in the toilet. When he finds it's legit, he'll be embarrassed at himself for doubting you." "Henry, you've been working on that mystery novel again, haven't you. Come on, admit it. OK, anyone else?" 2. Joe has been stood up by Jimmy Friday night. Saturday morning he is out walking and sees Jimmy's assistant/body guard on the street going into a large commercial garage. Instead of hailing him, math geek Joe decides to follow him in. The garage belongs to a dealer of classic older cars where Jimmy has an appointment with a salesman. Now lets look at this realistically, this is an either/ or situation. Either the entire garage is a scam set, full of borrowed fancy cars and fake sales people, which is going to cost a lot of money and effort to set up, for what; Joe's 65 seconds in the garage? Or it is a real company near Joe's apartment, and the scam team just happened to set an appointment when all the real employees were away and when Joe just happens to be walking, and just happens to see Jimmy's assistant on the street. Is either one plausible? 3. Joe visits Jimmy's posh condo. Jimmy has just come out of his personal indoor swimming pool in the next room to say hello and then leaves Joe to wait while he dresses. Joe is going to sit for 20 minutes reading old magazines and not take a peak around the corner to see what a personal swimming pool looks like? 4. After the scam goes down Joe goes to the local police to report it. Since the scammers were impersonating the FBI, wouldn't you consider going to the FBI? 5. The NYPD bunko squad investigate the scam and immediately have facts they couldn't have had? The entire Swiss Bank acct. business would require them to know which bank to question, which they wouldn't know. They also wouldn't have known to go to the Venezuelan Consulate to ask for information; the consulate would most likely not given them confidential information, and they certainly would not have given them an official document.
6. We have a fake girl-friend on the island, plus a fake personal staff at the condo, plus a fake maitre d', waiters, cooks, and a room full of fake guests at the restaurant; we have a fake car dealer staff and a fake tennis club staff and a fake FBI team. Not only is this getting costly, the more people involved, the more chance for mistakes, leaks or double crosses. I don't think a real scam would have a cast of thousands.
But other than these things, it's a pretty good scam/comedy.
In Roger Ebert's review he describes Mamet & Tarantino as two writers whose dialog is distinctive. While that may be true, I found most of the characters occasionally sounding as if they were speaking lines in a play. The exact repetition of phrases, the hesitations, sounded like a stage actor speaking for effect, rather than a regular person talking. The writing/directing, both by David Mamet, was just too theatrical.
Yes it was too theatrical. And so, I would fall out of the film thinking, that exchange sounded like a play; it sounded just like a play. You can see the problem. I mean what is a discerning viewer to do? What exactly is a discerning viewer to do? **spoiler alert** Now for those plot issues: 1. As Joe is leaving the hotel for the airport, Jimmy Dell gives him a small package to give to Joe's sister who also lives in NY. Most people would slip the small package into their carry-on bag right away so it won't get lost, not Joe. At the ticket counter he is still clutching the package. After confirming his reservation, most people who hadn't already, would slip this package into their carry-on bag so their hands are free to do the boarding rigmarole, but not Joe; while seating in the plane, we see him clutching the little package in his hot hand. At this point, most people who hadn't already, would slip the little package into their carry-on bag in the overhead compartment, but not Joe; he slips it into the elastic pocket on the back of the seat in front of him. Why all this unnatural behavior? Well, the package has to be readily available for a crisis of belief. Some viewers might call this heavy handed. Then I begin to think about the entire concept, remember this is a con game flick. Let's imagine weeks before Jimmy talking to his gang during a planning session: "OK, we want to build trust with the mark. Anyone have any ideas, George?" "You could go boozing and womanizing together." "OK, boozing; Susan?" "You could take him for a ride in your seaplane." "Seaplane, good; Shawn?" "You could have someone pretend to mug him and you come along in the nick of time and save him like what happened to Sandra Bullock in The Net." "Pretend mugging, good, Henry?" "You ask him take a package to your fake sister and he won't put it into his luggage because that's just the kind of guy he is. Then the secretary will spook him with mule stories and in a panic he'll open the package in the toilet. When he finds it's legit, he'll be embarrassed at himself for doubting you." "Henry, you've been working on that mystery novel again, haven't you. Come on, admit it. OK, anyone else?" 2. Joe has been stood up by Jimmy Friday night. Saturday morning he is out walking and sees Jimmy's assistant/body guard on the street going into a large commercial garage. Instead of hailing him, math geek Joe decides to follow him in. The garage belongs to a dealer of classic older cars where Jimmy has an appointment with a salesman. Now lets look at this realistically, this is an either/ or situation. Either the entire garage is a scam set, full of borrowed fancy cars and fake sales people, which is going to cost a lot of money and effort to set up, for what; Joe's 65 seconds in the garage? Or it is a real company near Joe's apartment, and the scam team just happened to set an appointment when all the real employees were away and when Joe just happens to be walking, and just happens to see Jimmy's assistant on the street. Is either one plausible? 3. Joe visits Jimmy's posh condo. Jimmy has just come out of his personal indoor swimming pool in the next room to say hello and then leaves Joe to wait while he dresses. Joe is going to sit for 20 minutes reading old magazines and not take a peak around the corner to see what a personal swimming pool looks like? 4. After the scam goes down Joe goes to the local police to report it. Since the scammers were impersonating the FBI, wouldn't you consider going to the FBI? 5. The NYPD bunko squad investigate the scam and immediately have facts they couldn't have had? The entire Swiss Bank acct. business would require them to know which bank to question, which they wouldn't know. They also wouldn't have known to go to the Venezuelan Consulate to ask for information; the consulate would most likely not given them confidential information, and they certainly would not have given them an official document.
6. We have a fake girl-friend on the island, plus a fake personal staff at the condo, plus a fake maitre d', waiters, cooks, and a room full of fake guests at the restaurant; we have a fake car dealer staff and a fake tennis club staff and a fake FBI team. Not only is this getting costly, the more people involved, the more chance for mistakes, leaks or double crosses. I don't think a real scam would have a cast of thousands.
But other than these things, it's a pretty good scam/comedy.