A small time grifter and part time shady club promoter stumbles into what might finally be a break to starting a legitimate business. What he dosnt know is that he's being double crossed and conned by everyone and things quickly spiral beyond his already weak grasp of reality.
This has to be a favorite of the Safdie brothers as Richard Widmark's constant hustling and poor decision making would fit nicely with any of their films. Widmark was a noir staple, but this is easily his best role in a career that spanned decades. This whole movie is fun because it's not just one con man, but a nonstop slew of everyone conning everyone and the worst hurt people who get hurt are the outsiders who don't know the circus of deceit they've entered.
Watched on dvd from Criterion.
This has to be a favorite of the Safdie brothers as Richard Widmark's constant hustling and poor decision making would fit nicely with any of their films. Widmark was a noir staple, but this is easily his best role in a career that spanned decades. This whole movie is fun because it's not just one con man, but a nonstop slew of everyone conning everyone and the worst hurt people who get hurt are the outsiders who don't know the circus of deceit they've entered.
Watched on dvd from Criterion.