Matchstick Men | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Ridley Scott |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by |
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Based on |
Matchstick Men by Eric Garcia |
Starring | |
Music by | Hans Zimmer |
Cinematography | John Mathieson |
Edited by | Dody Dorn |
Production
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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116 minutes |
Country | United States United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $62 million |
Box office | $65.6 million |
Matchstick Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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Soundtrack album (Digital download / Audio CD) by Hans Zimmer and various artists | |
Released | September 30, 2003 |
Length | 55:28 |
Label | Varèse Sarabande |
Matchstick Men is a 2003 British-Americanblack comedycrime film directed by Ridley Scott, and based on Eric Garcia's 2002 novel of the same name. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman.
The film premiered on September 2, 2003 at the 60th Venice International Film Festival and was released in the United States on September 12, 2003. It received generally positive reviews but was a box office bomb, grossing just $65 million against its $62 million budget.
Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a con artist residing in Los Angeles with severe tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Alongside his partner and protégé Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), Roy operates a fake lottery, selling overpriced water filtration systems to unsuspecting customers. After Roy experiences a violent panic attack, Frank suggests he see a psychiatrist, Dr. Harris Klein (Bruce Altman).
Klein provides Roy with medication, and in therapy has Roy recall his past relationship with his ex-wife, Heather (Melora Walters), who was pregnant during the time of the divorce. At Roy's behest, Klein informs Roy that he called Heather and found out that Roy has a 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Roy and Angela meet, and her youthful energy rejuvenates him. Roy thus agrees to work with Frank on a long-term con: their target is Chuck Frechette (Bruce McGill), an arrogant businessman whom the pair plans to con with the Pigeon drop.