CRIMINAL

US, 2004, 86 minutes, Colour.
John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gylenhaal, Peter Mullan.
Directed by Gregory Jacobs.

Criminal is a very entertaining piece of cinema. It is based on the Argentinian box-office success, Nine Queens. It keeps fairly close to the original screenplay, adapting it to contemporary Los Angeles, communicating character as well as the con trick in under ninety minutes.

The film was directed by Gregory Jacobs and co-written by him. Jacobs has acted as producer for the company headed by George Clooney and Steven Soderberg, including the episode by Soderberg in Eros.

The film boasts an excellent performance by the very versatile John C. Reilly (Magnolia, Chicago). Reilly had appeared in somewhat similar circumstances in Paul Thomas Anderson's Hard Eight, a story about a gambler and his apprentice. This time Reilly is the gambler, Diego Luna (And Your Mother Came Too, Frieda, Open Range, The Terminal) is the apprentice. The cast also includes Maggie Gyllenhaal as Reilly's sister, in charge of management at a swanky Los Angeles hotel. Scot, Peter Mullan (director of Orphans and The Magdalene Sisters as well as appearing in My Name is Joe) appears as a wealthy European businessman.

The focus of the film is the relationship between the master criminal and his apprentice, the apprentice with the touch of humanity and care about the victims, the master impervious and objective, even thinking that the victims were stupid to be conned by himself. When they get the opportunity for "the big one", the young man, a Hispanic, becomes indispensable for the plan. However, a number of people become involved, each wanting their cut when a forgery of an American monetary document is sold to the European businessman.

If one knows the original, one can see the workings of the confidence trick taking place throughout. If one doesn't know the original film, the resolution will come as a surprise, especially of all those involved in the attempt to take down the criminal.

The film uses the Los Angeles settings, casinos, homes, streets as well as the luxury hotel to great effect. In fact, it is exemplary in covering its characterisations as well as its plot within such a brief running time.

1. The portrait of a criminal? A confidence man?

2. The adaptation from the Argentinian film, Nine Queens?

3. One day in Los Angeles, the casino setting, the meetings, the jobs and the confidence tricks, the build-up to the big con? The twists, the final sting?

4. The Los Angeles detail, the casinos, the hotel? The musical score?

5. The title, reference to Richard? To Rodrigo? To the whole group?

6. Rodrigo, his doing the cons in the casino, changing the money, getting more change? Richard seeing him, pretending to be the police, inviting him to be his partner? The discussions, Rodrigo's background, renaming him Brian? His father and the visits to his father? His learning, Richard commenting on his appearance, Latin-American? and credibility? Tension in his work? Growing success?

7. Richard, at the casino, pretending to be the policeman, persuading Rodrigo to come with him? Renaming him? His explanation of his work, his Jewish partner, his various confidence tricks? The example of stings, the getting the money out of the grandmother, the pretence on the phone, sending Rodrigo to collect the money, getting $200 instead of $100?

8. Richard, the tense relationship with his sister, his love for his younger brother? Going to the hotel, Valerie and her work there, her competence? Their clash, the will, Michael as beneficiary? The later revelation that Richard had gone to lawyers to get the money for himself? The phone call, going to the hotel, Ochea and his collapse, the realisation later that this was just bait?

9. The plan, the forged money, the status of the money, Ochea and his stepson in the government? The details, the information about Hannigan, trying to sell the forgery to him?

10. The collecting of the forgery, the envelope, Richard not making any headway with Mrs Ochea, Brian and his smoothness, seeing the picture, the appeal about the priest, the shrine, the Hispanic connection?

11. The disagreement about percentages, Ochea and his demands, Brian and his demands? Valerie and her requirements? The agent of Hannigan and his agreeing that the forgery was genuine and wanting his cut?

12. The meeting with Hannigan, it being set up, in the toilet, the false guard and the situation with the gun? The continuation of the plan, the interview with Hannigan, the condition that Valerie spend the night with him, the return?

13. The arguments between Richard and his sister, Michael and his involvement, each laying down conditions - and the truth about the law and the situation with the lawyers?

14. Hannigan and his style, the papers, the later realisation that this was an impersonation, his entourage, his demands about Valerie, his glib comment at the end?

15. His paying by cheque, Richard's reaction, going to the bank, the police coming, his running?

16. The irony of the group altogether, that they had been in league, that Richard had been their target?

17. An entertaining portrait of the criminal mentality, reasons for criminal behaviour? The skill of confidence tricks?