Critics invented new words to over-praise this melodrama set in the world of con artists. It tries hard to be a modern day film noir, but has neither the depth nor the range to be considered a success.
John Cusack is a small time con artist (or grifter). He has a rocky relationship with his big-time grifter mother Anjelica Huston, who has taken an instant dislike to his floozy girlfriend Annette Bening. Bening is also a grifter and has been prodding Cusack to trade in his small time ways for more big time cons. When the women start a war with each other, Cusack finds himself in the middle.
There are so many things that do not work in this film it is hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, would probably be the depiction of the cons. None of them are especially imaginative or convincing - that is when we can follow them. Huston is depicted as a seasoned con artist and her scams - as well as we can follow it - are at least semi-possible. What is not credible is that an old pro like herself would in turn be scamming her boss - organized crime - in such a stupid way that is so easy to uncover. Given that this development sets the action of the latter part of the film in motion, we need to believe that Huston is capable of this degree of stupidity and it just does not fit right with her icy, manipulative character. Cusack's cons are neither entertaining or especially memorable. And Bening's cons basically revolve around her stripping and having sex with anything that moves...that's it. We are supposed to believe that beneath her squeaky voice and dumb blond demeanor that she is really a smart cookie, but her cons require no intelligence and basically require her to act like a tart - end of story. For a film centering on cons, one would think the film could do better.
We need some reason to be embroiled in these people. None of them are especially interesting in themselves. Huston is all tough bravado as some kind of insidious dark Madonna, but she is not particularly compelling and never sympathetic. When her boss threatens to beat her to death, Huston's odd choice to suddenly give her character a stutter to indicate fright seems a showy affectation applied by an actress rather than genuine fear experienced by someone afraid to die. Bening never progresses her character beyond that of a rather dim bimbo, who throws a hissy fit when she doesn't get her way. She tries to instigate Huston's death and then tries to assassinate her herself based almost solely on the fact that Huston indicated her disdain of her dating her son. Her reactions seem just a bit out of proportion, even within the parameters of film noir, where emotions are allowed to be a bit heightened.
Also, the casting of Cusack is a misfire. He comes off as such a lightweight here. He is not convincing as a con artist and he never seems a match for the women in the film. His romantic pairing with Bening elicits no sparks - acting-wise or sexually. The extended sequence where the fully clothed Cusack hungrily chases a fully naked Bening around the room saying naughty things to her before throwing her over his shoulder so that her bare butt gets the kind of camera treatment that actresses used to demand for their good sides generates more derisive titters than heat. Additionally, some of the latter moments in the film try to exploit some latent incestuous notes that are supposed to be present between Cusack and Huston. The problem is that we sense no such thing before the film pulls such a suggestion out of its butt crack. Worse, when the film explicitly directs us to look for these hints, Cusack's performance still doesn't convey them. Cusack seems completely incapable of generating chemistry with either actress and lacks the hard edge required for a career con artist.
The final confrontation in the film does feature a moment of unexpected, shocking violence. Unfortunately, while I was momentarily surprised, it had no lasting emotional impact on me whatsoever. This is probably due to the fact that the characters in this melodrama seem more like plot contrivances that are moved around at the behest of scene directions than actual living beings that interact organically. I would also be remiss in not noting that the final shots in the film of a character descending in an elevator seem a direct rip-off of the final moments from The Maltese Falcon - a far better production that this film will never be confused with.
John Cusack is a small time con artist (or grifter). He has a rocky relationship with his big-time grifter mother Anjelica Huston, who has taken an instant dislike to his floozy girlfriend Annette Bening. Bening is also a grifter and has been prodding Cusack to trade in his small time ways for more big time cons. When the women start a war with each other, Cusack finds himself in the middle.
There are so many things that do not work in this film it is hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, would probably be the depiction of the cons. None of them are especially imaginative or convincing - that is when we can follow them. Huston is depicted as a seasoned con artist and her scams - as well as we can follow it - are at least semi-possible. What is not credible is that an old pro like herself would in turn be scamming her boss - organized crime - in such a stupid way that is so easy to uncover. Given that this development sets the action of the latter part of the film in motion, we need to believe that Huston is capable of this degree of stupidity and it just does not fit right with her icy, manipulative character. Cusack's cons are neither entertaining or especially memorable. And Bening's cons basically revolve around her stripping and having sex with anything that moves...that's it. We are supposed to believe that beneath her squeaky voice and dumb blond demeanor that she is really a smart cookie, but her cons require no intelligence and basically require her to act like a tart - end of story. For a film centering on cons, one would think the film could do better.
We need some reason to be embroiled in these people. None of them are especially interesting in themselves. Huston is all tough bravado as some kind of insidious dark Madonna, but she is not particularly compelling and never sympathetic. When her boss threatens to beat her to death, Huston's odd choice to suddenly give her character a stutter to indicate fright seems a showy affectation applied by an actress rather than genuine fear experienced by someone afraid to die. Bening never progresses her character beyond that of a rather dim bimbo, who throws a hissy fit when she doesn't get her way. She tries to instigate Huston's death and then tries to assassinate her herself based almost solely on the fact that Huston indicated her disdain of her dating her son. Her reactions seem just a bit out of proportion, even within the parameters of film noir, where emotions are allowed to be a bit heightened.
Also, the casting of Cusack is a misfire. He comes off as such a lightweight here. He is not convincing as a con artist and he never seems a match for the women in the film. His romantic pairing with Bening elicits no sparks - acting-wise or sexually. The extended sequence where the fully clothed Cusack hungrily chases a fully naked Bening around the room saying naughty things to her before throwing her over his shoulder so that her bare butt gets the kind of camera treatment that actresses used to demand for their good sides generates more derisive titters than heat. Additionally, some of the latter moments in the film try to exploit some latent incestuous notes that are supposed to be present between Cusack and Huston. The problem is that we sense no such thing before the film pulls such a suggestion out of its butt crack. Worse, when the film explicitly directs us to look for these hints, Cusack's performance still doesn't convey them. Cusack seems completely incapable of generating chemistry with either actress and lacks the hard edge required for a career con artist.
The final confrontation in the film does feature a moment of unexpected, shocking violence. Unfortunately, while I was momentarily surprised, it had no lasting emotional impact on me whatsoever. This is probably due to the fact that the characters in this melodrama seem more like plot contrivances that are moved around at the behest of scene directions than actual living beings that interact organically. I would also be remiss in not noting that the final shots in the film of a character descending in an elevator seem a direct rip-off of the final moments from The Maltese Falcon - a far better production that this film will never be confused with.