(Credit: www.dvdtown.com)
Director:
Gregory Jacobs
Cast:
John C. Reilly……….Richard Gaddis
Diego Luna……….Rodrigo
Maggie Gyllenhaal……….Valerie Gaddis
Jonathan Tucker……….Michael Gaddis
Peter Mullan……….William Hannigan
Zitto Kazann……….Ochoa
Warner Independent Pictures presents Criminal. Written by Gregory Jacobs and Sam Lowry. Produced by George Clooney, Gregory Jacobs and Steven Soderbergh. Running time: 87 minutes. Rated R (for language).
Writer’s note: Criminal is based on the Argentinean film Nine Queens. I have not seen the original so my review will not draw any comparisons between the two.
The movie:
The art of grifting is an amazing ability. Grifters live by their intelligence and aren’t prone to violent acts. Confidence men don’t see themselves as crooks. They prosper because they have a genteel quality about them and an uncanny capability to dupe their victims. It wouldn’t surprise me if a con man coined the phrase, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
There are all sorts of confidence games; short ones and big ones. The short con, in theory, is a confidence game where the mark (the intended victim) is taken for only the amount he has on him. The big con is high stakes all the way. The most notable big con is “the pay-off”. It is the most lucrative of all big-con games. For this game a wealthy mark is made to believe that he is brought into a deal where another party is being swindled. For Criminal, first-time director Gregory Jacobs has two con artists doing a big con, scheming to sell a counterfeit U.S. Treasury bank note to a prosperous businessman named Hannigan (Peter Mullan).
Richard (John C. Reilly), in his tailored suit and mirror-polished shoes and Rodrigo (Diego Luna), a barrio boy with a scruffy appearance, are the two con artists. They meet through auspicious circumstances inside a casino. Rodrigo is pulling short cons on the waitresses – he’s ineptly tricking them into giving his change twice. (John Cusack in The Grifters also pulls this con.) When Rodrigo encounters a waitress who won’t fall for his shenanigans, Richard steps in telling a security officer that he’s a cop. He takes Rodrigo away in handcuffs telling the waitress that he will be back for a statement later. Outside the casino he uncuffs Rodrigo and tells him he needs a partner.
Together, the two charlatans con a soccer mom, a waiter, and a little old lady for free gas and a few hundred dollars. Not bad for a half day’s work. But then they strike pay dirt. Richard’s sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works at a luxury hotel, calls him on his cell to tell him that Ochoa (Zitto Kazann), an old forger friend of his, is feigning an illness and needs help. This leads to Richard and Rodrigo helping the forger cheat Hannigan out of $750,000.
The intention of the movie is simple: to deceive you. Once you get duped you can’t help but think, “How did they (the filmmakers) trick me? My love of con-game movies stems from David Mamet. His first film House of Games was my introduction to bottom-dealing card games and other small cons. Since then, I have seen his films The Spanish Prisoner, Heist and Spartan. All three are loaded with double-crosses. Other favorites of the genre include Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting and Nicholas Cage as an agoraphobic germaphobic grifter in Matchstick Men.
John C. Reilly always the leading man’s best friend steps into the limelight as the lead character. Both he and Diego Luna, who was in Y Tu Mama Tambien and The Terminal, give the script that extra punch. Luna’s Rodrigo character is hard to get a read on. He is novice con man when he wants to be. At other times he’s a quick study, learning Richard’s different methods. The conversations the two have are dripping with “art of the con” knowledge. Not an expose by any means, but a lighthearted account of the techniques of a confidence man.
Prior to directing Criminal Gregory Jacobs was Steven Soderbergh’s first-unit director on a number of features. By watching this movie one can tell Jacobs was taking notes on the sets of Out of Sight and the Ocean’s films. His first-hand observations and attention to detail add to the storytelling. This first-time filmmaker directs this clever yarn with precision. Unlike Soderbergh’s heist films, which are inundated with A-list talent, Jacobs does not overstep his bounds. There is constant movement – hardly any static shots in the film. For a brisk 87-minutes, less the time for closing credits, you will watch the story unfold effortlessly on screen. The only downside is that the ending isn’t all that surprising. (After a con game in the second act I knew how the film would end.) So this con-game film doesn’t break into new territory. But it is a fun experience, nevertheless.
Score: 7/10
THE DVD
VIDEO: How does it look?
Warner Bros. gives its first Warner Independent Pictures release a decent video transfer. The lighting of the film causes the skin tones to have a darkened appearance. It could be mood lighting or it could be the way the movie was shot. Besides lighting issues, I noticed some problems in the source print. There is some small object detail during some scenes. The film has its theatrical widescreen presentation (2.35:1) and it is enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions.
Score: 7/10
AUDIO: How does it sound?
This disc comes with English 5.1 audio. Good for audio connoisseurs, but not really needed. The film is primarily dialogue-driven, meaning most of the audio comes from the front speakers. So, for those who don’t have a big system setup, it will be OK. Those that don’t will still get the most out of this audio. Natural sound isn’t a big concern anyway. The film also comes with with English, Spanish and French subtitles.
Score: 7/10
SPECIAL FEATURES: Enjoy the trailers.
The only extras to be found on this disc are the film’s theatrical trailer and two recommendations: Blessed and We Don’t Live Here Anymore. That’s okay. Criminal isn’t the type of film that needs a plethora of extras. Though, if it did, some consumer might pick it up as a “blind buy.” A commentary track by actors John C. Reilly and Diego Luna would have been nice. They could have shared their experiences on the set and get paid at the same time.
Score: 1.5/10
