CONFIDENCE

US, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Edward Byrnes, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Paul Giamatti, Luis Guzman, Donal Logue, Brian van Holt, Frankie Gee, Robert Forster, Maurice Chestnut, Dustin Hoffman.
Directed by James Foley.

Confidence as in 'confidence trick', ensnaring the 'mark' so that you gain their confidence and then steal from them. The overall tone of the film is very clever: don't trust anyone, so that there are many twists throughout the plot. The overall tone is amoral: look how clever the trickster is and how they get away with it. While that is a simplistic overview, it is still worth thinking about.

It's the cleverness that absorbs audience attention. The central character, played by Ed Burns as a quietly charming man so that when he speaks you don't know whether he is lying, lies dying at the opening of the film, telling his story to a bank strongman. He explains how he has managed a big scam with his associates (including some LAPD on the take). The only trouble is that the money was to be given to a Mr Big. He is Mr King, Dustin Hoffman in a supporting role that is so smart and intense a creation of a sleazy crook that you tend to remember him more than all the other characters. There is also a special agent, looking down on his luck but obsessed about the leader of the cons, who is played by Andy Garcia in a manner rivalling Hoffman's. This is not to say that the other characters are not well played.. They are, especially with Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz as part of the gang.

There are lots of close-ups, so we are invited by director, James Foley, to scrutinise these faces, testing us to see how far we are taken in by them. Facial expressions, body language, boasting, lies and truth are all there for us to study and see whether we have been conned or not. If you life a twisting plot, try this one - even though some of them get away with it.

1. The title, confidence in oneself, trust in others? Confidence tricks? All these elements, especially the tricks combined in the screenplay? Tricking the audience as well?

2. The visual style, the ordinary world, the world of criminals, dark? The outward world, the inward world? The basis for trust - especially in the targets?

3. The opening, the explanation by Jake, about himself, his situation, the past, his various moves, the results? The gunplay, the killing of victims - and everything theatrically arranged? The final ironies that everything was a confidence trick?

4. Edward Byrnes as Jake, low-key in his manner, in himself, bland style? The truth about him, the lies? His pretending to be dead? The theme of the redhead? Travis interrogating him, his explanations? The leadership of the group, the brains behind the confidence tricks, engendering loyalty with the group? The reality about paying up to Winston King? Lupus as the contact? The interview with King, the discussions with Lupus, the new plan, targeting Price? Lily and his meeting her, the interactions, despising each other, her coming on-side? Gunther Butan and his pursuit of Jake? The reality of stealing all the money, sending the drugs to Winston King, getting the couriers arrested? The cut for themselves?

5. The first confidence trick, the scared man, the shooting, the two guns, the witnesses, the police and their investigation, the scared man running away? The irony that it was all a drama for his benefit? Going to Winston King, the taking of his money? The shares? The dead man?

6. Dustin Hoffman as Winston King, stealing the film? His style, manner of speaking, the nightclub owner, criminal? His wanting his money? His instilling fear? The interview with Jake, getting Jake to target Price? The interview, Price and Lupus, King's henchmen? His not knowing that he was being set up by Jake?

7. Lily, as a pickpocket, the meeting with Jake, tough? His recruiting her, their meetings and discussions? The basis of her decision to come in? Red hair and the jinx? Her part in the team? Her tough stances, attitudes, way of speaking?

8. The bank man as the mark, sitting at the bar, his talk, discussions with Lily, the explanation about the loan, the dinner, the stories? Going to the office, his decision to defraud Price, the issue of his cut, going in, the computers, his manipulating them, his success? His being stranded as victim of the confidence trick?

9. Price, his empire, criminal outlets? Travis as his spokesman? Price's background, becoming a target?

10. Butan and his story, his search for Jake, with the police, his official badge, the threats? The issue of the drugs, the money at the airport, the double-cross and the irony that he was in on the plan from the beginning?

11. The set-up, the rehearsal, the money going to Belize? Gordon, his character, trust in Jake, his going to Belize, returning? King and his henchmen? Lupus's betrayal? The bags, the beans, the drugs? The corrupt police and their arrest, shootings? Travis and the revelation of the truth, Lily? Her seeming to be turning against Jake, shooting him?

12. The con and Jake not dead, the final meeting up, especially with Butan, plans for the next confidence trick?

13. The amoral tone of the film, everybody criminal, the criminal mentality, clever criminals, using their wits? Audience enjoyment of this kind of amoral world?