"All the technical ingredients are fabulous. Add Nicolas Cage's performance - it's not easy to make Roy's affliction painful rather than laughable on screen - and the convincing efforts of young Alison Lohman, such a fine young performer as we saw in White Oleander, and you have a tremendously satisfying experience at the cinema." Margaret Pomeranz SBS MOVIE SHOW "Matchstick Men is really two movies brilliantly spliced into one, each enriching the other." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "The screenplay for Matchstick Men is an achievement of Oscar calibre -- so absorbing that whenever it cuts away from 'the plot,' there is another, better plot to cut to." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "Wow, here’s a smart movie that’s as well-acted as it is well-plotted." Linda Cook QUAD CITY TIMES "Figuring out the ending is only half the fun, anyway; watching a master helmer like Scott navigate through the twists and turns of Matchstick Men is really the more interesting journey." Francesca Dinglasan BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "Actors Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman perform heavy lifting in the emotional department, almost to the point we forget the movie is about con artists, which turns out to be the film's own con." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"From its jazz-inflected score to the screenplay's switchbacks of possibility and impending disaster, the movie seduces." Lisa Kennedy DENVER POST "Take a splash of Sting, add a portion of As Good as it Gets, throw in an element of Paper Moon, and the resulting film might look a little like Matchstick Men." Michael Elliott MOVIE PARABLES "...a film that is genuine, sweet, strongly acted and well written at a time when such qualities are virtually nonexistent at the local multiplex." David Keyes DAVID KEYES' CINEMA 2000 "In the end, the film’s biggest surprise isn’t any of its twists and turns, but how much we finally care about the characters and their ultimate fates." Steven D Greydanus DECENT FILMS GUIDE "A well-structured vehicle that delivers an enjoyable and entertaining ride." Jim Judy SCREEN IT! "It’s a 21st-century version of The Sting for these so far rather unkind and ungentle times." Glenn Kenny PREMIERE MAGAZINE "Matchstick Men has a smart surface, with a slick, retro sound and look. There is a danger that Cage's performance could descend into a parade of twitches, but his frantic embrace of new possibilities and responsibilities is engaging, and Lohman creates a sharp, beguiling character." Philippa Hawker THE AGE

At A Glance Nicolas Cage came out of a wilderness with "Captain Corelli's Madolin" and he hasn't looked back since. He's the sort of actor who continues to grow on those who can appreciate his considerable talents. It's just eight years since he wowed us in "Leaving Las Vegas", a role that was rewarded with many awards which included an Oscar, Golden Globe, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Assoc, Chicago Film Critics Assoc, National Board of Review, National Film Society of Critics and the Screen Actors Guild for Best Actor. The year? 1995. Flash forward to 2003 and Cage is again in the running for an Oscar at the annual Academy Awards, this time for his brilliant portrayal in not one role but playing oppositely opposed twins Charlie and Donald Kaufman. It was a tough role but Cage certainly pulled it off with great style. Of course Nicolas Cage has been around a lot longer than the last eight years and he has appeared in many memorable films like the Coen Brothers cult classic "Raising Arizona", "Peggy Sue Got Married", "The Cotton Club" and "Honeymoon in Las Vegas". For acclaimed Director Ridley Scott there was no other choice when it came to selecting an actor to play Roy Waller. "Choosing Nic was a foregone conclusion," Scott said. "I've been aware of his work for years, left, right, center, he does it all. He's an amazingly versatile actor. He always brings so much dimension to his characters, such sympathy and pathos, and such strength." And was there anything in particular that Scott saw in the character Cage would play. "There's a lot of Roy in me," the director wryly admits. "I can be compulsively fastidious. If I'm home alone and hungry I'm likely not to cook anything for myself because that would muck up the kitchen and then I'd have to clean it. So I actually have some things in common with Roy and began to identify with him more as the project progressed, which I found surprising at first and then really very amusing." Unlike Scott Roy is a man beset by neuroses. Nicolas Cage sees the character as "a lonely man, resigned to his career as a con man. He's been divorced 14 years and hasn't connected with anyone romantically since then. He just goes about his daily routine, running scams, ripping off older people, couples who are least expecting it and probably other lonely people like himself. He feels pretty guilty about that, and in a lot of ways that fuels his neuroses." And his thoughts on fellow con-man and partner in crime, Frank Mercer? "I think Roy discovered Frank," Cage said. "He took a liking to him, saw potential, taught him everything he knew and probably takes pride in seeing how much Frank has progressed. They have a bond and Roy is the mentor." And the two men are worlds apart personality wise. "Frank is the engine of the story," observes Producer Sean Bailey. "He's brimming with ideas. Sam Rockwell brings such exuberance to the role - every time he's on the screen it's fun. With Roy, there is clearly a price for his success, whereas Frank is completely comfortable in his own skin. That's what makes him so captivating; he exemplifies the joy of the profession. He loves living by his wits and being in the jungle. This is a guy making his way in the world through the sheer force of his personality." Sam Rockwell who recently appeared in "Confessions Of A dangerous Mind" was well aware of the relationship between his character Frank and Roy. he says he thoroughly enjoyed playing the flashier of the two conmen and "sees him in some ways as Roy's respectful caretaker, recognizing that Frank is very important to Roy, he's been Roy's only significant human contact for years." So what was it like working with the Academy Award winning actor? "Nic loves to be spontaneous, in the moment, which allows us to riff off each other and play around. Of course the dialogue was so tight it didn't require ad-libbing but we had freedom to incorporate our own personal touches in other, more subtle ways. It takes an unconventional actor to play an eccentric character and make it interesting and real." Like a 24 year old actor convincingly playing a 14 year old? Thats the challenge which faced actress Alison Lohman, who wowed audiences as the star of the poignant drama "White Oleander". Producer Jack Rapke recalls, "when her name came up as a possibility I said to Ridley, 'you have to see this White Oleander stuff; she's really incredible.' She has the range to play both young and mature precisely the blend we have in Angela." Cage has a genuine admiration for Lohman. "Alison is effortless," "I never see the acting, she's so smooth and full of life and fascinating to watch. She has the ability to tap into her emotional resources and come up with something real every time." And how does Lohman think the 14 year old Alison sees her new found father? "At first, she thinks he's a little dorky, the way he dresses and the way he keeps blinking; she's not sure what to make of him," says Lohman. "But the more time she spends with him the more she likes him. I think she gets a kick out of him. He makes her laugh." Lohman believes that Angela appreciates "Roy's honesty. He is who he is and he isn't trying to hide anything, and I believe that's primarily what kids want from their parents, for them to be real. Angela's young and bored," she explains. "It's summer vacation. When she finds out her Dad is nearby she jumps at the chance to meet him. She wants to know what he's like. When she finds out he's a con artist, it's like a bonus. It appeals to her rebellious spirit. Naturally, she wants to know all about it." And she does have a real effect on Roy one that certainly changes his perspective on life. "Everything changes when Roy discovers this daughter from his early failed marriage," explains Cage. "At first he's very hesitant about it, excited but nervous. How do you suddenly become a father to a teenager, especially when you're having a hard enough time just taking care of yourself? But one of the things that makes Roy so likeable is that he does take to it. He really loves her immediately and he's willing to step up to the responsibility, ill equipped as he is. "After Angela's appearance, little things begin to change in Roy's life," he continued. "He makes an effort to step outside more and to acknowledge people with a simple hello. We see Roy blossom a bit." And that's the bonus "Matchstick Men" provides. It's really two films in one. Two distinct stories, both of them very powerful in their own right yet that somehow blending into one extremely intriguing film with a real sting in its tail.
"Matchstick Men" is Directed by Ridley Scott ["Gladiator", "Black Hawk Down", "Alien" and "Blade Runner"] and stars Nicolas Cage ["Windtalkers", "Con Air", "The Family Man" and "Guarding Tess"], Sam Rockwell ["The Green Mile", "Welcome To Collinwood", "Drunks" and "Charlies Angels"], Alison Lohman ["White Oleander"], Bruce Altman ["Changing Lanes", "Girl, Interupted" and "Glengary Glen Ross"] and Bruce McGill ["Legally Blonde 2", "The Last Boy Scout", "The Sum Of All Fears' and "My Cousin Vinny"], The Story Roy and Frank are a couple of small time conmen or as some people call them, "Matchstick Men". Personality wise both men could not be further apart, but they make a good team. Roy is a mess without his medication. He suffers from Compulsive Disorder Behaviour. Just one speck of dirt on the carpet and he's off on a total cleaning trip. Frank on the other hand is out going and full of bravado. The guys latest con is ringing unsuspecting people and convincing them they are winners of big item prizes like cars, jewelry and overseas holidays. The catch is the smucks have to buy a walter filtration unit at just $500. Not bad seeing the boys pay just $49.99 retail. All is going well until Roy accidently flushes his medication down the garbage disposal unit in the sink. Then he discovers his regular shrink has left town. Introduced to Dr Klein, a psychoanalyst, Roy finds himself opening up. With a prescription for his medicine Roy is back at work. Then he discovers he has a 14 year old daughter. When Angela comes into his life everything starts to change. Roy discovers new meaning to life but when she asks to be in on a big scam he and Roy are planning he isn't sure. Roy doesn't want to jeopardize his new way of life or lose the daughter he has just found. The Verdict "If you found Cage's role in "Adaptation" a whizz bang effort then this will be the icing on the cake. While everything revolves around Roy and his obsessive compulsive behaviour, which is tragically so hilarious, Rockwell and Lohman provide highly credible performances that add to the sting in the tail of "Matchstick Men" a bittersweet comedy. "Matchstick men is a classy, highly absorbing film. "Matchstick Men" is, thanks to Cage, a real treasure. Cages roles in "Matchstick Men" reprises the talent within that screams out for another Oscar nomination." The Cast

Nicolas Cage Sam Rockwell Alison Lohman Bruce Altman Bruce McGill Jenny O'Hara Steve Eastin Beth Grant Sheila Kelley Fran Kranz Tim Kelleher Nigel Gibbs Bill Saito Tim Maculan Stoney Westmoreland Lynn Ann Leveridge Giannina Facio Sonya Eddy Michael Clossin Kim Cassidy Paul Hubbard Monnae Michaell Dennis Anderson Marco Kyris

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Roy Waller Frank Mercer Angela Dr Klein Chuck Frechette Mrs. Schaffer Mr Schaffer Laundry Lady Kathy Slacker Boyfriend Bishop Holt Pharmacist #1 Pharmacist #2 Man in Line Bank Clerk Bank Teller Parking Garage Cashier Parking Booth Driver Stripper Store Clerk Carpet Store Manager Cashier Pizza Boy

The Crew Directed by Ridley Scott From the book by Eric Garcia Screenplay by Nicholas Griffin & Ted Griffin Original Music by Hans Zimmer Cinematography by John Mathieson Film Editing by Dody Dorn Casting by Debra Zane Production Design by Tom Foden Art Direction by Michael Manson Set Decoration by Nancy Nye Costume Design by Michael Kaplan Production Managemer Leigh Shanta Run Time 116 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved