Confidence [Import]

Speaking as a lady who loves " heist " and " con man " films, this is now on the top of my list. I've passed this DVD up tons of times in stores but tonight I saw the film on Cinemax and instantly fell in love with it. It has all the elements needed for a good thief/con man movie: the handsome, cocky con man, the beautiful sidekick, corny criminals, funny crooked cops, and a talented veteran actor like Dustin Hoffman. Though Hoffman's part is more like a cameo, he makes his mark and sets the tone for the entire movie. I am not going to go into long details since other reviewers were kind enough to give more information.

Just know that I fully recommend this movie! If you like films like Heat, City of Industry, The Heist, Safe Men and The Score, well Confidence is something you cannot pass up. I'm buying the DVD and you definitely should too.

It has style all right but the film lacks substance, and a likeable leading man. Ed Burns can be those things if he had a good script to work with but he character comes a cross as very unlikable though out most of the movie, and his voice overs lacks the intelligence of a man who knows what he is doing. Its not Burns fault at all but he comes across more like a street kid who grew up than a man who has his finger on the pulse of the con that he is trying to pull. Paul Giamati is fine but does the same stick he always does, and Andy Garcia lacks the charisma to pull off his role well. The real acting of this movie comes from Rachel Weisz, who is better than the material that is giving to her, and she proves that in spades by the way she makes you watch her every move. She was much more believable con artist than the card board cut outs that Ed Burns and his men were, and she would have made a much better lead in this film as well if the director and the screenwriter wanted to make a better movie. The other actor who gave a great performance was Dustin Hoffman, who does go over the top in certain scenes with his performance but never the less was a menacing force to be reckoned with. The script is a problem with cliches at every corner, and the ending is so predicable that you would be a fool not to be able to predict it.

My Hats off to Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman for giving great performances but the movie as a whole is not worth your time.

The 3 stars is for them.

I guess it all depends what you want to get out of it doesn't it? If you want to burn soem tiem watching a well-made con movie then this fits the bill. However if you need a little originality or spark then this will fall short. I found it enjoyable enough but it felt more like watching reruns of something you like than seeing soemthing new and amazing. It is so similar to other grift/con films that it is easy to get comfortable with it but also very hard to take it seriously.