MovieChat Forums > Confidence (2003) Discussion > Con movies

Con movies

posted 19 years ago by psycho_boy_jack
11 replies | jump to latest

i think theres a lil misunderstood here... in some previous posts, ive notice that many films r considered con movies, when IM MY OPINION (and this is only my opinion, i dont want anybody start calling me dork, stupid or whatever just for giving my OPINION)i think a con movie is that in wich the characters tries to go on with a scam, a robbery or anything like that, but in the ending, theres the hell of a surprise for the viewer. those r the cases of usual suspects, confidence, the sting, nine queens and such. and there arent many films like this. but in the case of the talented mr. ripley for example, i dont think it qualifies as a con movie. maybe is a thriller, butdefinetely not a con film. such r also oceans 11/12, the italian job, just to give some names... i mean, i think the principal factor that needs a film to be a con movie, is the fact that the main characters in the end r something totally different that we thought at first, and not only for us, but for the other main characters in the film. if not, any movie with an undercover cop on it would be a con movie. is reservoir dogs a con movie? no. is psycho a con movie? no. its fight club a con-movie? no. sometimes may be hard to see the difference, but me being a die-hard fan of con movies, i thought it was important to try to set a difference. of course, this is just my opinion and i could be totally wrong. id like to hear yours too

P.S: sorry about my english, not my native language

[–] poolshrk111 19 years ago

Check out House of Games. It's pretty good (definitely a con movie). It's not as good as the Sting but it's good. Think it is what you are kind of looking for.

[–] delta1913 19 years ago

inside man ... 2006 ... good movie

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[–] stonewalls_footman 19 years ago

Alright, I, as a man of massive opinions and a love for crime movies, think it's time I jumped in here. It's not that I'm very important, just thought I'd bring in how I look at it. Oceans 11/12, Italian Job, Inside Man, etc., are robbery movies. They live in the crime genre, just as con movies do. Con movies, in my opinion, revolve around the way that the crime is played out: first of all, it's not an all-out robbery, stealing things, so much as orchestrating events to create the illusion of something that isn't (the best example running in my head is Matchstick Men). As two of the prime examples used by the founder of this thread have not been seen by me (I know, a movie geek who hasn't seen the classic Sting?), I cannot comment on their relevance to my opinion (I don't doubt that The Sting is a con movie), but I do disagree in the case of The Usual Suspects (the only other of the two I have seen, Confidence being the fairly obvious other). The Usual Suspects, an excellent movie, is, at best, a mystery, not a con. True, there is deception and such, but the movie isn't about playing a man for a big gain (usually cash payoff), so it isn't so fitting.

[–] juziquishui 19 years ago

I think a con movie is any movie which is about a con man behaving as a con man, or men and women as the case may be. Which would include Oceans 11, (and twelve if you have to) and Matchstick Men, and Confidence, but not the Italian Job. The only real con element of the Italian Job is when Stella goes in as the cable girl, but that is not the heart of the plan, so it is just a heist movie. Oceans 11 is a con movie, because in order for any of the characters to get close enough to do thier jobs, they must pretend to be someone they are not. Now, if any movie that had a surprise character twist were a con movie, I"m not sure Conficence, Criminal, or Matchstick men would count, and any movie with a double crosser would. Confidence, Criminal, and Matchstick men give you all the clues you need to not be surprised by the end, at least in the form of foreshadowing. Also, you are correct, (from first the top) that sociopaths, and other crazys, do not count as con men. I would define a con man as being sound of mind and deceiving others about their identity and motives for material gain.

[–] chan87 19 years ago

hey guys what abt Catch me if you can. the movie was based on one of the history's most notorious conmen, Frank Abagnale Jr.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] nick-471 18 years ago

Shooting Fish

[–] Deccomajor 18 years ago

What about Shade with Sly Stallone

[–] djsnafu23 17 years ago

Shooting fish is a good shout. I also think dirty rotten scoundrels despite being a comedy. def house of games. also following to a certain extent. spanih prisoner. crying game (LOL only kidding)

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] rickwasson 17 years ago

I'm looking forward to the Revolver reedit. No one has mentioned Snatch but I think that falls under the 'con' movie heading.