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Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) catches young Rodrigo (Diego Luna) conning some casino waitresses out of chump change and decides the guy is just the right chump to help him run other local scams. The slyest thing about this diverting remake of the 2000 Argentinian heist flickNine Queensis, in fact, how much everybody seems to have a scam in the works--there isn’t a single honest soul in sinful, sunbeaten Los Angeles. Richard and Rodrigo soon get caught up in a big swindle concerning some counterfeit currency, a game that ensnares Gaddis’ angrily estranged sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the concierge of the hotel that’s hosting the guys’ main mark (Peter Mullan, coolly brutish). What happens next isn’t really anything new--The Sting, anyone?--and the requisite final twist might not hold up to closer inspection, but director Gregory Jacobs knows how to lie back and it keep it gliding affably along (he served as an assistant director on nearly all of Steven Soderbergh’s films). The performers all hook into the low-key vibe: Reilly’s schlub persona fits snugly into his small-time grifter role, while Luna and Gyllenhaal seem more simmering and sexy in each new shot. The movie is as entertaining and inessential as L.A. itself.--Steve Wiecking
A small-time grifter pair scores a big heist Criminal is the (lamely titled) story of two small-time grifters who get a chance at a big score with a counterfeit treasury note and an eccentric collector. This sleeper of a film features a first-rate cast of actors (not superstars, not blockbuster stars, just hardworking actors). John C. Reilly plays the older, wisened half of a criminal buddy pair with the fresh-faced Diego Luna. Maggie Gyllenhall portrays a bossy, meddling older sister to Reilly's character. The film focuses both on the counterfeit bill scam and on the interpersonal relations between the main characters. You can probably guess that there are a healthy number of plot twists thrown into the mix.
This is a light, agile film with a rich cast of characters. Don't go in expecting a mind-blowing thriller; rather, enjoy the nuances of the characters and the setting. Anyone who enjoys this flick should pick up the Spanish film The Perfect Crime (El Crimen Perfecto), which was just released on DVD in the US.
High quality acting in a classic grifter heist story Criminal is the (lamely titled) story of two small-time grifters who get a chance at a big score with a counterfeit treasury note and an eccentric collector. This sleeper of a film features a first-rate cast of actors (not superstars, not blockbuster stars, just hardworking actors). John C. Reilly plays the older, wisened half of a criminal buddy pair with the fresh-faced Diego Luna. Maggie Gyllenhall portrays a bossy, meddling older sister to Reilly's character. The film focuses both on the counterfeit bill scam and on the interpersonal relations between the main characters. You can probably guess that there are a healthy number of plot twists thrown into the mix.
This is a light, agile film with a rich cast of characters. Don't go in expecting a mind-blowing thriller; rather, enjoy the nuances of the characters and the setting. Anyone who enjoys this flick should pick up the Spanish film The Perfect Crime (El Crimen Perfecto), which was just released on DVD in the US. A Brainy Adaptation with a Brain-Dead Title I was entirely impressed with the 2002 Argentinian movie "Nueve Reinas" ("Nine Queens") on which CRIMINAL was based. In fact, the foreign film was so expertly written and paced, I was mostly curious to see what sort of a rip-off hatchet job the American version would look like. (What's up with that brain-dead title?)
More fool me. The cast (primarily John C. Reilly, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Diego Luna) work their parts well, and the plot is still pretty drum-tight. And while downtown LA may lack the texture of Buenos Aires, it yields its own interesting visuals. If you like a tidy little caper film with some nice twists, give this CRIMINAL a spin. Once you get to the end, you'll be tempted to back up and watch how pieces of the puzzle fit together.
SIDELIGHT: Listening to the soundtrack and watching the film's rhythms, I was reminded of Steven Soderbergh's underrated film, OUT OF SIGHT. More genius me. Subsequent research shows that Soderbergh assistant director Gregory Jacobs was at CRIMINAL's helm, Soderbergh himself co-wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, and George Clooney (star of OUT OF SIGHT) is an executive producer. Yayness.
