Jake Vig (Edward Burns) is a slick con artist operating in Los Angeles. He and his crew pull a con on the wrong guy, who happens to work for the “King,” a creepy thug played by Dustin Hoffman. The guys realize their mistake and offer to pull a job for the King in order to atone for their mistake. The King picks a big fish, Morgan Price, as the mark, so Jake and the gang reluctantly try to put together the perfect con to fleece Price out of $5 million.
The ensemble cast in “Confidence” is suburb. Burns drives the movie well in the lead role, while pros like Paul Giamatti, Andy Garcia and Luis Guzman help carry the load. The beautiful Rachel Weisz also delivers a great performance as Lily, who’s recruited to join the crew for the big job. Hoffman isn’t bad as the King; it’s certainly a departure for him, but it’s a little hard to buy into Dustin Hoffman being an intimidating character.
“Confidence” doesn’t quite live up to some of the classic films about con artists, but it’s still a very good movie. It’s not quite as slick as “The Sting,” and the con is not nearly as powerful or dark as the storyline in David Mamet’s “House of Games.” Still, it’s a well-written film that entertains throughout. You don’t have to be a fan of heist flicks to enjoy “Confidence.”
4 / 5 Stars
Starring: Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Donal Logue, Luis Guzman, Brian Van Holt, Franky G, Morris Chestnut
Director: James Foley
