Hornet on HollywoodCaper packed with self-esteem

Image: Hornet on HollywoodCaper packed with self-esteem:Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Films:

Image: Hornet on HollywoodCaper packed with self-esteem:Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Films:

Meryl Sison

A great heist against prominent mob figures. A handsome con man. An all-star cast of crime associates. And let’s not forget the tantalizing decoy.

Sound appealing? Then “Confidence” is the flick for you. This is a film where it’s all about the best propositions, maintaining trust and staying one step ahead of all key players – being the “best of the best.”

Lions Gate Films and Cinerenta present “Confidence,” a suspenseful drama that follows along the lines of films such as “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Road to Perdition” and “The Good Thief.” In these types of films, the con artist becomes the good guy that gets the girl and the gangsters end up with millions of dollars swept from underneath them.

Jake Vig, played by Edward Burns (“Ash Wednesday,” “Any Given Sunday”), is the kind of guy who believes if you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. After swindling thousands of dollars from an accountant for a leading crime boss, “The King,” played by Dustin Hoffman (“Wag the Dog”, “Rain Man”), he soon finds himself in debt and presented with a scam that could leave him a legacy.

Jake’s entourage — three of his friends and two corrupt LAPD officers – plot with and against each other to ensure profits and a clean getaway. It’s difficult to anticipate the series of plots that take way. There’s so much deceit going on that the line between the truth and a lie becomes nonexistent.

That’s where the gorgeous Lily, played by Rachel Weisz (“The Mummy”, “The Mummy Returns”), comes into play. She’s a slick pickpocket, and she’s not ashamed to inquire about her cut of the deal.

From their very first run-in, the strong attraction between Jake and Lily is apparent.

It doesn’t seem to bother Jake that she managed to steal his wallet twice – Lily is hot, knows how to use sensuality and Jake is aching to kiss her during every scene.

It’s almost strange to see Weisz showing cleavage and using sexuality to her advantage; however, she manages to play the role admirably. A man in the audience repeated, “I like her (Lily) style,” three times throughout the film – never mind the fact that his girlfriend was seated beside him.

Hoffman plays the role of an awkward, yet socially and economically powerful underground “King” incredibly well.

Irritatingly smacking on gum throughout the film, Hoffman is oddly physically and mentally intimidating. Even Jake, the polished buff guy, gets slapped into silence by Hoffman.

“Confidence” leaves the audience contemplating one of three scenarios: (1) appreciating the fine presence of Burns or Weisz (upon personal preference); (2) wondering “what’s going on?”; or (3) contemplating other similar movies about the great heist of all time.

Overall, “Confidence” is a film with favorable qualities: a humorously good-looking cast, suspense, manipulation, good fights and striptease scenes. However, keep in mind that watching “Confidence” a couple of times to completely understand who is being conned and when should be taken into consideration.

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