Identity Thief (2013) - McCarthy entertains as hellish woman in lesser film

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Two amusing shots of stars Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy fill out this simple poster for Seth Gordon's Identity Thief

Stacy lives a reasonable family life, when his identity gets stolen and abused crudely by a madly materialistic con lady in Florida. In order to get his life back on track, he crosses the country to catch the culprit.

 

Identity Thief is written by Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 3 (2003)), with Jerry Eeten (Elvis Took a Bullet (2001)) contributing story elements, and directed by Seth Gordon (Four Christmases (2008)).

The tone is uneven, ranging between crass and warmly human, however without the latter quality ever settling because the film (similarly to Gordon's preceding comedy Horrible Bosses (2011)) lacks heart.

Melissa McCarthy (The Heat (2013)) is game, and she reveals several assets in her considerable talent, - more than her character can really carry, actually, - but her performance gives Identity Thief its worthwhile core and the laughs that it produces, among others in a couple of funny scenes with Eric Stonestreet (The Loft (2014)) as Big Chuck, and one with Ben Falcone (Life of the Party (2018)) as a motel desk clerk. SPOILER That Jason Bateman's (Central Intelligence (2016)) Stacy character eventually learns from McCarthy's pathological liar and even forgives her is a huge stretch, - and a poorly designed CGI snake and the not exactly inventive action villains on the odd couple's tails also work to weigh down this highly fiscally successful star vehicle. Over-all though, McCarthy deserves a better director and script than is provided here.

 

Related post:

 

Seth Gordon: Horrible Bosses (2011) - The stars nearly make up for this rackety Hollywood raunch vehicle

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 173.9 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.96 times its cost)

[Identity Thief was released 7 October (Croatia) and runs 111 minutes. McCarthy's character was originally written for a man, but Bateman insisted that she was cast after seeing her performance in Bridesmaids (2011). Shooting took place in Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee. The film opened #1 to a 34.5 mil. $, spending another 5 weekends in the top 5, one of which was again at #1, grossing 134.5 mil. $ (77.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were UK with 7.4 mil. $ (4.3 %) and Australia with 7 mil. $ (4 %). The film additionally made in excess of an estimated 35.6 mil. $ on the domestic home video market as well. Gordon returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Baywatch (2017). McCarthy returned in The Hangover Part III (2013); Bateman in Bad Words (2013). Identity Thief is rotten at 20 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Identity Thief? 

The Hustle (2019) or, Dirty Rotten Karens

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Two endeared stars look assertive in front of a gold-sprayed sports car on this hijinks-promising poster for Chris Addison's The Hustle

An Australian woman backpacker who is also a con artist meets her superior in a posh British con artist woman in Southern France. - Or is it the other way around?

 

The Hustle is written by Jac Schaeffer (Timer (2009)) and directed by debuting Chris Addison (Veep (2013-16)) . It is a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), which was a remake of Bedtime Story (1964).

'The world is full of greedy idiots who deserve nothing but to be robbed blind' is pretty much the essence of the universe that's drawn up here. The Hustle is not an inferior film to the overrated predecessor starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. The comedic speedometer is set at somewhere between 'totally ridiculous' and 'very coarse', and it isn't without a certain charm, especially because Rebel Wilson (How to Be Single (2016)) has comedic talent and acts as a blind person through much of The Hustle, which also has some good insults.

But the bright spots are regrettably labored with a wealth of unfunny costume scenes and low-brow idiocy.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 21 mil. $

Box office: 97.4 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.63 times its cost)

[The Hustle was released 8 May (Philippines) and runs 94 minutes. Shooting took place from September 2017 - ? in London, UK and in Majorca, Spain. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Avengers: Endgame and fellow new release Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, to a 13 mil. $ first weekend, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 35.4 mil. $ (36.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6.1 mil. $ (6.3 %) and Russia with 6 mil. $ (6.2 %). Addison has not returned with a feature since; instead he has directed for the show Breeders (2020-23) and is announced to return with feature Hallelujah!. Anne Hathaway (Get Smart (2008)) returned in Modern Love (2019, TV-series) and theatrically in Dark Waters (2019); Wilson in Jojo Rabbit (2019). The Hustle is rotten at 13 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Hustle? 

Matchstick Men (2003) - Great Cage job highlights entertaining Scott crime dramedy

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A poster that doesn't attract much attention for Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men

  
A deeply neurotic con artist experiences that his life is taking a very fresh turn, when he meets his 14 year-old daughter, and she begins to take an interest in his 'profession'.

Matchstick Men is written by brothers Ted Griffin (Ravenous (1999)) and Nicholas Griffin (Terriers (2010, TV-series)), adapting Eric Garcia's (The Materialist (2008)) same-titled 2002 novel, and directed by English master filmmaker Ridley Scott (The Duellists (1977)), whose 14th feature it is.
Nicolas Cage (Season of the Witch (2011)) impresses again as certainly one of the best living actors, and Alison Lohman (Alex in Wonder (2001)) gets a fierce, tremendous breakthrough role as his daughter. The psychiatrist is played with fine empathy by Bruce Altman (Show Me a Hero (2015, miniseries)).
The plot and execution works and is rather entertaining, - without revolutionizing with ingenuity in any way, - SPOILER and only towards the end a major twist for a while deflates the story and film, until a scene especially created for the film (not in the novel) restores some of its magic. The solution also heightens the always latent incestuous energy in Matchstick Men, which is never acted upon but which is always there as a piquant, transgressive element. Another unrelated reservation of mine; for no apparent, good reason Cage's character's ex-wife looks so much like the sweet cashier character in the film.
Matchstick Men is elevated most of all by Cage's masterful acting, which makes us sympathize somewhat with a very low con man.

Related posts:

Ridley Scott: The Martian (2015) - Scott and Damon triumph with hopeful sci-fi adventure  

Prometheus (2012) or, Even Then, Space Eggs Were Bad News
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Robin Hood (2010) - R. Scott's grand film of the English legend 

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2008 in films - according to Film Excess 

Body of Lies (2008) - R. Scott's terror actioner is a fatiguing turkey 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess 

American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel 

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF 
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 62 mil. $
Box office: 65.5 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 1.05 times its cost)
[Matchstick Men premiered 2 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 116 minutes. Shooting took place from July - August 2002 in California, including Los Angeles, and in the Czech Republic. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Once Upon a Time in Mexico, to a 13 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 36.9 mil. $ (56.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 3.7 mil. $ (5.6 %) and Spain with 2.8 mil. $ (4.3 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. Scott returned with Kingdom of Heaven (2005). Cage returned in National Treasure (2004); Lohman in Big Fish (2003); and Sam Rockwell (Trolls World Tour (2020)) in Piccadilly Jim (2004). Matchstick Men is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Matchstick Men?