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Click to see The Grifters on IMDB
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1/21/2001
The Grifters
This is the simple story of Roy Dillon, John Cusack, a simple con man who poses as a legitimate businessman going thru his every day life of ripping people off of dollar bills at a time. His girlfriend Myra, played by Annette Benning, is a hustler looking for a one big score to retire on. Neither is aware of the other one's real work.
Roy's mom Lilly, Angelica Huston, comes into town as part of her job as an odds-fixer at the horse track for a bookie. Lilly goes to visit her son only to find him in desperate need of medical attention from a scam gone wrong. So maybe its not so simple.
Lilly's arrival brings up old tensions between Lilly and Roy. Lilly and Myra also get off on the wrong foot. Soon all three become aware of the other's abilities and motivations. This leads to a total loss of trust and tensions between the three soon boil over with drastic consequences.
This movie was adapted from a book by Jim Thompson, who is best known for "The Getaway", a movie made in 1972 with Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw then remade in the 90s with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.
The movie was directed by Stephen Frears. He made his name directing "Dangerous Liasons" just before this movie. He then destroyed his name directing "Hero" right after this movie.
What this movie gives you the feel for is the life of a genuine con man, a sometimes lonely existence where you can't even trust your own family. There are some interesting flashbacks of Roy's dealings with his mentor that gives you a feel for the thought process of a con man.
What you get with "The Grifters" is a well-acted, well-written and well-made movie. You also get John Cusack in his first real role as an adult and not disappointing.
CDWH |