I expected to like this film. I enjoy movies about con artists, and it looked to me like a return to the quirky types of roles Nicolas Cage used to do back in the '80s. Ever since his rise to stardom, he's frequently been cast in roles where--to me, at least--he has seemed oddly out of place. This is probably because he has an air of unconventionality to him, which often clashes with the tone of what he's in.
So when I heard that he was playing an agoraphobic, obsessive-compulsive con man who discovers he has a teenage daughter, I was sure this film would be my cup of tea. It was getting good reviews, and it sounded like an interesting premise, one that cuts across genres. That, unfortunately, turns out to be the main problem. The film tries to do too many different things, and they cancel each other out.
We can start with Cage's character. He's shown as a socially inept individual with lots of tics and stammers, a man so fearful of the outside world that he has trouble leaving his own house. The notion that a guy like this could also be a seasoned con artist doesn't ring true. When we see him working, he seems marginally competent at best, and his scams aren't particularly clever or inspired. Maybe I'm spoiled after seeing "Catch Me If You Can," a movie that shows what true brilliance in this profession can look like. But even con artists of lesser skill usually know how to adapt to new situations, a trait this character does not appear to possess. On the contrary, the first scam we see him pull off, he nearly blows. How did this guy stay in the business for twenty years, with as much success as he's said to have had?
Not only is it hard for me to believe that he'd be capable of working in such a venue, he doesn't even seem the type who would want to. He has too much of a conscience, as becomes evident when he develops a relationship with his newfound teenage daughter, played by Alison Lohman. I realize the point is supposed to be that the Lohman character is bringing out feelings in him that he didn't know he had, but from the beginning he seems too moral for his own good. If he's irresponsible, it's not because he doesn't care, but because he's overly absorbed in his own problems. Some of his scenes with her are entertaining, but ultimately they don't go anywhere satisfying. All the film achieves in the end is plot manipulation.
Perhaps Cage was not the right choice for this role after all. I can think of several actors who might have done a better job. One that springs to mind is Bill Murray. He played a severely phobic character in "What About Bob?," and while his performance in that film was over-the-top, he has shown from his other work that he can reign in his comedic talent when he needs to. He's also good at playing conning types of characters, exhibiting a smoothness that Cage lacks. He would have been perfect for this role, as would have many other actors. It may not have saved the entire film, but it would at least have provided a more convincing starting point.
So when I heard that he was playing an agoraphobic, obsessive-compulsive con man who discovers he has a teenage daughter, I was sure this film would be my cup of tea. It was getting good reviews, and it sounded like an interesting premise, one that cuts across genres. That, unfortunately, turns out to be the main problem. The film tries to do too many different things, and they cancel each other out.
We can start with Cage's character. He's shown as a socially inept individual with lots of tics and stammers, a man so fearful of the outside world that he has trouble leaving his own house. The notion that a guy like this could also be a seasoned con artist doesn't ring true. When we see him working, he seems marginally competent at best, and his scams aren't particularly clever or inspired. Maybe I'm spoiled after seeing "Catch Me If You Can," a movie that shows what true brilliance in this profession can look like. But even con artists of lesser skill usually know how to adapt to new situations, a trait this character does not appear to possess. On the contrary, the first scam we see him pull off, he nearly blows. How did this guy stay in the business for twenty years, with as much success as he's said to have had?
Not only is it hard for me to believe that he'd be capable of working in such a venue, he doesn't even seem the type who would want to. He has too much of a conscience, as becomes evident when he develops a relationship with his newfound teenage daughter, played by Alison Lohman. I realize the point is supposed to be that the Lohman character is bringing out feelings in him that he didn't know he had, but from the beginning he seems too moral for his own good. If he's irresponsible, it's not because he doesn't care, but because he's overly absorbed in his own problems. Some of his scenes with her are entertaining, but ultimately they don't go anywhere satisfying. All the film achieves in the end is plot manipulation.
Perhaps Cage was not the right choice for this role after all. I can think of several actors who might have done a better job. One that springs to mind is Bill Murray. He played a severely phobic character in "What About Bob?," and while his performance in that film was over-the-top, he has shown from his other work that he can reign in his comedic talent when he needs to. He's also good at playing conning types of characters, exhibiting a smoothness that Cage lacks. He would have been perfect for this role, as would have many other actors. It may not have saved the entire film, but it would at least have provided a more convincing starting point.