Confidence

Plot synopsis:
A group of grifters rip off their latest mark and celebrate, while the de facto leader of the group, Jake Vig (Edward Burns) narrates about the art of the con. When one of the four grifters is found shot to death, the other three learn that the latest money they stole actually belonged to a local L.A. crime lord called The King (Dustin Hoffman). Jake meets The King, who proposes that the grifters now go to work for him and steal money from Morgan Price, a rival who now owns a bank. The sociopathic King leaves them little choice in the matter.Having no options, Jake gets to work on developing a new con; he enlists the aid of his two remaining partners, Gordo and Miles, and also convinces an independent con artist named Lilly (Rachel Weisz) to round out their foursome. Unfortunately, The King, a wiry, manic man who suffers from ADHD, demands that one of his men, Lupus, also work on the con. The con involves bribing a vice president at the bank into wiring money offshore. The plan hits a major snag when Special Agent Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia) shows up in L.A., looking to finally bust Jake, whom he has followed for years. Agent Butan quickly forces two corrupt LAPD detectives into switching their allegiance from Jake to him.After hearing about Butan's arrival in town, a nervous Jake pulls the plug on the whole con, and screams at Lilly - making her walk out on the group. Lupus gets Jake to reconsider nixing the con, hinting that The King will torture and kill the grifters if the plan falls short. The con is back on, though now without Lilly's help. The plan starts smoothly enough, and the bribed bank VP wires the money to Gordo in Belize. Gordo brings the money to Ontario Airport, but he is met at the airport by both Agent Butan as well as The King and his men, as both sides are after the $5 million in a duffle bag. Butan arrests The King and confiscates the money. Gordo, who had the money taken from him, is nowhere to be found. Lupus, thinking the King now has the money, reveals he was the one who killed Jake's grifter friend at the beginning. Lupus holds Jake at gunpoint, but Jake is saved when Lupus is shot by Travis (Morris Chestnut), a henchman for Morgan Price. It turns out that when Lilly walked out, she went straight to Price himself and revealed the entire con, which was taking place that minute. Price told Travis to locate Jake and find out exactly how the con was engineered, as to stop such a thing from ever happening again.Travis takes Jake to an abandoned lot where Jake is forced to explain the entire story (hence the narration). At the end, a furious Lilly takes out a gun and kills Jake. Travis demands that he and Lilly both disappear immediately. Minutes later, Butan arrives in a car and Jake sits up from a pool of blood, unharmed. The final parts of the con are revealed. Lilly "quitting" was fake - set up to confuse Lupus. Butan is actually an old confidant of Jake's, and he managed to "confiscate" the money and arrest The King at the same time. Butan has the money and it's split five ways. Jake was wearing squibs to fake his own death in the lot. In the end, everyone was in on everything except The King and Lupus (the first marks) and Price and Travis (the second, bigger marks). As the team of four grifters reunites and celebrates, Jake and Lilly kiss.

Tags: plot twist, neo noir, murder, flashback

Review:
And for what it is, it's not half bad.Edward Burns plays a con man, Jake Vig. Together with his crew of seasoned, confident fellow con men, he scams people out of money.
The movie is paced smoothly (there are no tedious scenes or moments you feel you've missed something), the acting is excellent (Hoffman's character seems overdone at first, but the creepy-weird character he plays is believable and, therefore, all the more serious and scary), the cons they play are very smart (and convincing), and the way it all comes together at the end is just beautiful (although the overall scheme is complex and plays many twists on the audience, it is not at all difficult to follow what 'really' happens).
All in all, a very enjoyable movie, with genuine suspense, characters we get to like (and even care about - to the amount possible for grifters), excellent acting and a worthy end.
The plot is very original, but the sometimes staccato dialogs and use of high speed American slang language is sometimes difficult to understand for a non-American.Nevertheless I enjoyed watching Jake Vig(Edward Burns)very much, his coolness reminds me of James Stewart and the catch of the film reminded me a little bit of Swordfish-Travolta's latest and one of his best movies ever.
Dustin Hoffman's character is very convincing as an independent gangster whose money-collector gets involved in a scam and looses $150.000,- to a group of four slick hustlers.It's this team, which members are so diverse yet fit together so perfectly that it makes me want to see another film starring the same con men, director Mr. James Foley, please give us a sequel.............
I have to say i'm glad that i did.Basically its a slick thriller about money and power, with a good cast, solid plot and enough well crafted twists to make it a little special.It isn't a masterpiece, but it is certainly worth watching, and the story is linear enough to appeal to a wide audience.8/10 If you enjoyed this you'll probably like 'SWORDFISH' and 'OCEANS 11' both have a similar feel..
Besides Hoffman's electrifying work, we had show stopper performances by Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, Andy Garcia, Luis Guzman, Tony G, and Brian Van Holt.
By the numbers con game made good by the very great performances of Dustin Hoffman , Rachel Weisz and Ed Burns.
Ed Burns does pretty good job as the lead in this film and Dustin Hoffman whose brief appearance here shows how a true legend works.
Rachel Weisz makes this film a lot of fun with her performance as a sexy female con, and Andy Garcia continues to make himself into one of the great character actors of our generation.
At least, it was pitched at the audience in a very similar way, though without the comedy element that made the aforementioned films fun to watch.Given its attempted rip-off of other movies, its no surprise that the story has a few twists along the way.
These Mamet-style, "quadruple-cross" movies are fine per se, but since the viewer knows he can't take any of the events at face value, the film needs something to offer the audience beyond its convoluted plot.
Andy Garcia is adequate and Dustin Hoffman is a natural (this guy will make one laugh out loud).'Confidence' is a slick stylish thriller that doesn't pretend to be anything else, when compared to other weaker movies like 'The Heist', 'Ocean's 11' or 'The Score'.
The whole movie suffers from a lack of personality which is best personified by the lead character of Jake Vig, played by Edward Burns.
Based on a crooks scheme story filmed with some skill, and acted pretty decently by a good cast, it soon falls in routine and looks like a useless effort.
It did not convince as an example of irony or a comic book adventure or an exercise in cool.I think someone defined a caper movie as one in which the people making the film had more fun making it than the audience had watching it In that case the film falls straight in the middle of the caper bracket.
Although this film has redeeming features they do not compensate for these shortcomings.It has some great character actors in the cast who give good performances Giametti, Guzman, Garcia in fact everyone except the two main actors portraying the central couple Edward Burns and Rachel Weisz.
Dustin Hoffman is particularly entertaining (not great) in this movie.I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes con films and modern fast paced crime flicks..
At first it may seem like it's done many times before, and is just following the footsteps of other popular films like Oceans eleven, but you will find that the more you watch it, the more you're drawn in, and before you know it you are in an exciting world with imaginitive characters and a plot line like a roller coaster, it twists and turns, and you never know whats going to happen next.Go and see Confidence, whether you like it or not, it will always stay in your mind, because it is definitley something new.....
This is really just another con game movie like "The Sting" or "House of Games" and the only thing that really stands out is the fun performance of Dustin Hoffman.
Story is about a con man named Jake Vig (Edward Burns) who along with his crew bilks money out of people by faking murders but one day during a scam they learned they conned 100,000 dollars out of a bagman who works for The King (Hoffman).
Sure, Confidence is a rather solid movie which has some great angles, but the film seemed to be overwrought with silliness and unbelievable plot devices.
I mean, Paul Giamatti was even more annoying in this film than he was in Big Fat Liar, a movie that should have been called "Annoying, Kids Movie that Deserves to be Burned." Then, let's not forget the whole idea of Jake Vig talking to an assassin when the assassin should have been only after the money, not a good yarn.
The flashbacks and narration from Burns guides you though the film, written by Doug Jung, the script is witty although there's a little too much exposition and the tone feels inconsistent at times.If you've already seen the aforementioned TV series the twist will come as no surprise but if you want to see the seed of these shows and what a gritty film version would be like - look no further..
Ed Burns has "Confidence" in this 2003 film also starring Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giametti, and Donal Logue.Burns is Jake Vig, a professional grifter who, with the help of his usual crew, has just swindled a ton of money from a mark.
The ending made me laugh so hard I swear to god because that....never mind - anyway I recommend this flick because it is damn solid in its own right and Rachel Weisz was definitely something to look at in this(sexy as hell)great movie, glad I saw it.
Jack Vig (Edward Burns) is a grifter and leader of a crew of con men, composed of his long time friends Gordo (Paul Giamatti), Alphonse "Big Al" Moorley (Louis Lombardi) and Mile (Brian Van Holt) and supported by two dirty police detectives, Officer Lloyd Whitworth (Donal Loque) and Officer Omar Manzano (Luis Gusmán).
The fact that the film does not make more of his superstitions seems a missed opportunity (Nicolas Cage crafted a stellar performance from his flawed grifter character in 'Matchstick Men' of the same year), but if one does not set high expectations and implausibility is not an issue, 'Confidence' is an acceptable way to pass the time..
Confidence tells about a bunch of grifters, led by Jake Vig.The infamous crime lord Winston King they call The King isn't pleased since they stole money that belongs to him.Now in order to pay him back he gives the group a job where they have to con a man named Morgan Price.Consider it done.Confidence (2003) is a movie directed by James Foley.It has an incredible cast.Let's start from the most legendary one, Dustin Hoffman.He plays The King, who else.Edward Burns plays Jake Vig.Paul Giamatti is Gordo.The Femme Fatale, Lily, is played by Rachel Weisz.Luis Guzmán is Officer Omar Manzano.Andy Garcia is the mysterious Special Agent Gunther Butan.Robert Forster is Morgan Price.Leland Orser of ER plays Lionel Dolby.Robert Pine plays the nice man Mr. Lewis they con.This movie looks really good.It'stylish and cool.In movies like this things rarely are what they seem to be.So you can't predict the ending at any point.If you can, you're really good..
Enjoyed this film concerning a professional con Jake Vig (Edward Burns), "The River King", who gets in real trouble with Dustin Hoffman,(The King) and has to repay a debit in a big hurry.
Rachel Weisz is as sexy as ever and the supporting turns (especially Paul Giamatti and Luis Guzman) are uniformly excellent.The structure of the story and Foley's smooth direction keep it flowing along sweetly.You'll see the "twist" coming a mile off but don't let that put you off.If you like con movies its well worth 90 minutes of your time..
With notables such as Rachel Weisz, Ed Burns, and Dustin Hoffman, well it should have been great.I can only imagine that this must have been a "tweener," something these actors did between real movies, but shouldn't have.I can understand and tolerate a certain amount of bad language, such as movies like Mystic River, which came across well, and was in context.
If Foley wanted to have an ensemble film, why did he only give proper development to one guy, Edward Burns, who I'm still convinced is not strong enough as an actor to carry a movie on his own.
Hoffman was great even though I thought his role was a bit too `nice' as I expected him to be more of the hard nose boss type, but I really was taken with Burn's performance as the confident, smooth talking, charismatic con artist.
by reading some of these coments by other ppl some seemed not to like it but i loved it i thought it was cleaver and the acting was very good this was edward burns best acting that i have seen i thought the story was good b/c everytime u figure one thing out something else happened and one user said that the cons were stupid and only idiots would fall for them but thats the point of the person they con that he is an idiot and greedy at the same time so i recomend this movie to those who like movies in this genre.
The acting and direction are all good, but it just lacks that certain something that makes other con game movies like "The Sting" or "The Grifters" great.Edward Burns is good as the central character, Jake, but he's not particularly likable in the role.
Andy Garcia also has an important part as a federal agent hot on Jake's trail, but he also doesn't have much to do and also plays the part a bit quirky.This is an enjoyable film, but if you want to watch a movie about crooks who are more interesting, better to rent out "The Grifters" or "After Dark, My Sweet.".
He receives superb support from the likes of Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Paul Giamatti, Franky G and the always-reliable Luis Guzman.Despite the fact that `Confidence' never digs very far beneath its own shallow surface, the filmmakers keep the movie interesting by employing an intriguing dual-level structure, moving back and forth in time with relative ease and fluidity.
ahem, Tomb Raider 2 and the other inanities.Well - as for the highlights : Excellent movie, clever plot, clever dialogue, great performances ( Dustin Hoffman (cast against type) is interestingly creepy, Rachel Weisz is pure "bait with brains" (her performance could serve as the ultimate reminder NEVER NEVER NEVER to trust any woman smiling at you...
When a local job leaves one of Jake's crew members dead and with the rest of them owing a large sum of money to a famous mob leader `The King' played by non other than `Dustin Hoffman', our main character re-gathers his smart team along with some new recruits to pull off one big last heist to repay his depts.
There are one too many plot twists, the story never seems to flow smoothly (the film seems more like a collection of ideas strung together) and (petty complaint, this!) Rachel Weisz's American accent is sometimes dodgy.But despite these weaknesses, you still have a pretty good film, even if it comes off as a poor man's Ocean's Eleven at the end of the day.
Generally, the film's ensemble works well together, although the best lines are reserved for the film's biggest stars, Dustin Hoffman and Andy Garcia (who you won't see on screen for too long).Confidence doesn't really have anything else memorable to offer though, and that makes it somewhat dissatisfying.
Other than The strong performances of Rachel Weisz, and Dustin Hoffman, The movie telegraphs its twist way before the con ends..
Only Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman comes out on top with stellar performances that goes beyond the script problems, and Ed Burns hold himself well with them in his first leading man role.Good enough for a rental only..
A couple days' work -- tops -- for each, and it shows.A special mention for fine character actor Paul Giamatti (son of the late baseball commissioner) -- the best lines and best performance are his.Edward Burns looks more and more like Ben Affleck's twin brother every outing.Speaking of grifter movies, I liked "The Prime Gig" (7) slightly better than "Confidence" (6)..
Starring Edward Burns (`Saving Private Ryan'), Dustin Hoffman (`Rain Man'), and Rachel Weisz (`Enemy At The Gates'), `Confidence' delivers the goods in an intelligent way that leaves filmgoers baffled, then gives you a good jolting surprise at the end.
I can hear Richard Gere singing the song from `Chicago' right now-`Give them the old razzle dazzle' 	`Confidence' is the story of a con man, Jake Vig (Burns) and his crew who fall victim to a kingpin, properly named King (Hoffman), who has murdered one of their men in order to pay a debt.
spy' style isn't enough for you - the acting is magnificent...EVERYONE plays their part to perfection, led by Burns & Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz is as alluring and tantalizingly sexy as ever!If you like intelligent, well-acted movies that challenge your intellect, then you cannot possibly be disappointed by this....the BEST MOVIE of the YEAR!(Note: the plot, on paper, is incredibly boringly predictable - don't be fooled by this point, ....
Im not a big Edward Burns fan, although "15 Minutes" was very good (but we all know who made THAT movie).
Confidence was three big things going for it:  Terrific performances from a deep cast; Crisply stylized directing and camera work; and (what some films lack) a good script.
The only truly great thing in the film, besides the originality, is the Dustin Hoffman character which leaves you wishing for him to have more screen time.
Burns does so in `Confidence', where he portrays a con-artist named Jake Vigs, in a film that could be called "The Sting" meets "Pulp Fiction." Director James Foley, who had previously helmed "The Corruptor" (1999) and "Glengary Glen Ross (1992), with his latest directorial bid"Confidence", Foley offers the audience a smart sting crime flick with fabulous acting performances and plenty of surprising plot twists.
The film is carried by riveting performances from Edward Burns, Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz, and includes Andy Garcia as a frumpy Customs Agent (like you've never seen him before), and Dustin Hoffman as a morally bankrupt local crime king (like you never want to see him again).James Foley wants to keep you guessing.
But along the way, a number of factors, including a corrupt, dogged LAPD officer (Andy Garcia) and a sultry seductress/con artist named Lily (Rachel Weisz) threaten to get in their way.Using the 'reverse plotting' style of films like Reservoir Dogs before it (a film I noticed it had a lot in common with) and adding a few unique touches of it's own, Confidence is a slick, stylish and classy con caper with a fine script and neat performances.In one of his most notable leading roles, Ed Burns pulls it off with charisma and class.
I thought this movie was very clever and all the characters were different enough in their personalities to pull off the con against "The King" (who was a character supreme!).Edward Burns was great as Jake, and I thought he and Rachel Weisz were good together, especially in the scene in the jewelry store and just after, when he gave her the diamond earrings.
Characters come and go and none of them stick in the mind with more than surface effect.RACHEL WEISZ, DUSTIN Hoffman and ANDY GARCIA are all underused in sketchy roles and the big payoff reminds us how much more successful "The Sting" was in pulling off its own twist upon twist.Mediocre film-making in every respect, losing steam before it even reaches the halfway mark.
A good old-fashioned crime caper movie in the mould of Ocean's Eleven, and possibly rivaling that remake for smooth style.Confidence tells the story of a group of con men (Ed Burns, Brian Van Holt, Paul Giamatti) who stylishly manage to con people with more money than sense out of said hard-earned currency.
Outside of these players, the support cast is also good with roles for Chestnut, Guzman, Garcia and Hoffman, all of whom add class even if they only have limited screen time.Overall this film does what you expect, from the cool music, slick dialogue and twists and turns of the script.
Not a great film if you expect originality or real surprises but a cool, slick movie that is like a glass of bailey's - smooth if fleeting..