"Confidence" opens in much the same way as the classic "Sunset Boulevard." Both start at the end of the story. In "Sunset Blvd," the narrator is already dead, floating in a pool. In "Confidence," the narrator, Jake Vig, lays in a pool of blood in an alleyway dying from a bullet wound. Lily stands to the side of a dressed-to-the-nines bruiser-of-a- black man holding the gun that shot him while Jake tells him - and us - the audience, his hard luck story and how he and they got to where they are- in that alleyway. From here on out, you are in David Mamet territory with a story about a con gone bad. The two big differences between "Confidence" and Mamet’s films, like "House of Games" or "The Spanish Prisoner" is in the dialogue and the exposition. Mamet’s films are punctuated by clipped, overlapping dialogue. They are like Chinese puzzles where each piece carefully fits into another. The evidence of its true nature is never revealed until all the pieces are in place. If any one piece is missing the structure of the movie could collapse like a house of cards. "Confidence" takes a similar tack except you are privy to Jake’s take on the events which may - or may not be - how the story really goes. In this respect the whole movie is similar to a single flashback in Alfred Hitchcock’s "Stage Fright." Writer Doug Jung and Director James Foley expect you to believe what you see much as Hitchcock did. The difference is that what you do see is so close to the reality of Jake’s situation it’s almost impossible to differentiate between the facts and his interpretation of those same facts. The fun comes from trying to decipher the clues that separate the real from the imagined.

The Real: Jake rips off a mark who turns out to be a runner for a racketeer. The racketeer - King (Dustin Hoffman) - wants his money back and will stop at nothing to get it - even kill on of Jake’s crew. To get King off his back, Jake offers his services. Together they concoct a scheme to rip off Morgan Price, a shady high finance entrepreneur played by Robert Forster. To pull it off Jake needs a woman - enter the seductive Lily. Things get complicated with the intrusion of two cops on the take and the arrival of Gunther Batan (Andy Garcia), the federal agent hot on Jake’s tail. Once Jake puts his investment scheme into play, you get the distinct feeling that he’s in over his head. Soon enough you’re never sure of who’s conning who or who else may end up dead.

The Imagined: you never really know until the fade out. It’s enough to say that most of what you’ve seen can be taken as Gospel. This alone sets "Confidence" apart from its predecessors.

The Players: Edward Burns plays his role as Jake Vig close the chest like the displaced New Yorker that he is. This makes his wise cracking self assurance totally believable. You always feel like you’re listening to the tall tales of one of you buddies down at the local bar. He’s Ed Burns playing Ed Burns and doing it well. Dustin Hoffman’s King, however, is a throwback to one of his earlier creations. If you ever imagined Hoffman’s Ratzo Rizzo from "Midnight Cowboy" cleaning up his act and making a name for himself in the rackets, he might just look and act like King. Andy Garcia makes his Gunther Butan just seedy enough to question his motives, especially when he enlists the aid of two undercover cops who are trying to play both ends against the middle. Rachel Weisz is the hard as nails Lily who can turn on the charm at the drop of a dime. The cast is rounded out by Gaul Giamatti as Gordo, Jake’s right hand man and Morris Chestnut as Morgan Price’s strong arm. The always dependable Luis Guzman is one of the cops on the take.

Director James Foley keeps things rolling at a brisk pace, piecing loose ends together with the finesse of a professional seamstress. There are no holes in the plot, yet "Confidence" continues to surprise and delight from one scene to the next, twisting this way and that with a well balanced mixture of humor and suspense.

Copyright 2003

"At Close Range" (1986) - Christopher Walken is at his most sinister as the single minded murderous father who is perfectly willing to sacrifice his sons for a good score in this fact based melodrama. Sean Penn is also quite remarkable as the son forced to take a stand against him. The rest of the outstanding cast includes Keifer Sutherland, Crispin Glover, Mary Stuart Masterson, Eileen Ryan, Candy Clark, and David Straithairn.

"After Dark My Sweet" (1990) - Jason Patric is a drifter who gets caught up in a kidnap plot dreamed up by Bruce Dern after he becomes involved with his troubled girlfriend. More atmosphere than plot but Dern is always fun to watch.

"Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992) - An all star helps David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winning play transcend its stage roots in this brutal examination of real estate salesmen who must sell or die. With Al Pacino, Jack Lemon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Johnathan Pryce, and Alec Baldwin in the role of a motivational speaker created specifically for the film.

"Fear" (1996) - Some consider this a derivative slasher flick but it still nonetheless suspenseful. This is the one that helped launch Mark Wahlberg’s screen career. He is positively chilling as the object of Reese Witherspoon’s affections and the epitome of a father’s worst fears. William Peterson plays dad. The final face off is a given but the trip there is worth it. With Amy Brenneman, and Alyssa Milano.