There is hardly anything more frustrating for cinephiles than to watch a film that displays great talent yet fails to use it in proper way. Confidence, 2003 crime thriller directed by James Foley, is one of such films.
Protagonist and narrator, played by Edward Burns, is Jake Vig, leader of group of Los Angeles con men specialised who perfected elaborate schemes to deprive their victims of the large amounts of money. When Big Al (played by Louis Lombardi) gets killed, the group learns that their latest target – strip club owner and mob money launderer The King (played by Dustin Hoffman) – didn’t take their action kindly. In order to save themselves from further retribution, Jake proposes not only to pay off King, but also to conduct another confidence scheme against King’s rival Morgan Price (played by Robert Forster). Jake recruits Lily (played by Rachel Weisz) in order to utilise her feminine charms for the operation. Things, however, get complicated when Jake becomes target of Gunther Butan (played by Andy Garcia), FBI agent determined to get him behind bars.
Confidence is well-directed film that puts Los Angeles scenery, which so many other Hollywood films taken for granted, to good use to provide decadent “neo-noirsh” atmosphere. The cast is also very good, although Edward Burns looks rather bland compared to supporting players that involve some of the greatest character actors of its time, like Paul Giamatti as one of Jake’s associates. Dustin Hoffman leaves even better impression as flamboyant villain. Confidence is at the end of the day betrayed by Doug Jung’s script, which is incredibly unimaginative. Apart from “noirish” beginning in which protagonist finds himself begging for life and, through flashbacks, explains the how his predicament came to be, there isn’t anything that wasn’t, in one way or the other, used in countless other thrillers and crime dramas dealing with con men. Jung tries his best by throwing a red herring or two, but even the less experienced audience would relatively easily see through the web of deceit and betrayal. The inevitable comparisons with better known films that covered similar subjects, like the legendary The Sting or Mamet’s House of Games makes Confidence look mediocre, and the “surprise” twist at the could be easily predicted even by less experienced audience. Although short enough to allow less demanding audience to enjoys some light and easily digestible entertainment, Foley’s film is still a disappointment.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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