Category Archives: Scam Artists

1998, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Amazon Prime, Art Auction, Art forgery, Art Marketing, Bloody scenes, Clever Plot, Complicated Scams, DO NOT MISS, Father-son relations, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Fraud, Greed, Happy ending, Love Story, Murder, Physical fighting, Plot twists, Ruthless Killer, Scam Artists, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Trains, Trial Scenes

Incognito (1998)

From IMDB:

Harry Donovan is an art forger who paints a fake Rembrandt picture for $500,000. Marieke, the woman he meets in Paris and gets into bed with, turns out to be the art expert whom Harry’s clients are using to check the counterfeit picture he painted.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 24 year old complete film that lasts 1 hour and 47 minutes.

About a year after he appeared in “Sleepers” the then 32-year -old Jason Patric starred as Harry Donovan in this cleverly plotted story of financial skullduggery.

If nothing else, just watching the painting details involved in forging a Rembrandt portrait are fascinating.

Moreover the romantic battle between the forger and the art expert Marieke Van Den Broeck (played by Irène Jacobs of “Au revoir, les enfants”), who seems to be the only art expert who knows a forgery when she sees one, is a lot of fun.

Plenty of action sequences only add to the enjoyment. DO NOT MISS.

2013, Acceptable Trash, Amusing banter, Based on true facts, Comedy, Corruption, Crude Talk, Cynical, Drugs, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, FBI, Financial malfeasance, Gay theme, Greed, Lawyers, Nudity, Scam Artists, Vulgar

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

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From Netflix:

Martin Scorcese’s high-rolling Wall Street drama is based on the memoirs of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, whose giddy career — involving audacious scams and confrontations with the FBI and other agencies — ended in federal prison.

Pop quiz: Who is America’s worst enemy? Answer: Her own financial institutions.

Normally I do not consider myself a prude, but I was shocked to:

  • see nude, explicit heterosexual activity
  • see nude, explicit male gay activity
  • hear some of the crudest, most explicit sexual references I have ever heard
  • hear a lot of screaming in place of worthwhile scripting.

Is this film merely an excuse to present the above items? Can the bar go any lower?

On the positive side, this film IS entertaining: tongue-in-cheek banter, a true parade of idiots, nude explicit sexual activity. What’s not to love? And if you ever wanted instruction on how to enrich yourself at the expense of gullible investors, this film is textbook. Have you ever seen a broker talking to a client on the phone while simultaneously giving that client the finger? You can also learn a lot from the shady Swiss bankers.

Keep your money in a sock and enjoy this guilty pleasure embarrassment.

2013, Alcoholism, Basically Sad, Corruption, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Scam Artists, Self-Deception, Wonderful acting

Blue Jasmine (2013)

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From Netflix:

The high life leads to high anxiety for a fashionable New York City homemaker in crisis who finds herself forced to live a more modest lifestyle in San Francisco. Woody Allen directs an ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin.

Woody Allen may have married his daughter but the man sure knows how to capture ugly slices of contemporary life.

Using a jumbled set of flashbacks as well as scenes from the present, we watch a human circus of some really deceitful people (Alex Baldwin [Hal], Cate Blanchett [Jasmine], Louis C.K. [who seduces Jasmine’s sister Ginger]), some error-prone people (Sally Hawkins [the sister Ginger]), and some really decent and honest people (Andrew Dice Clay [Ginger’s former husband Augie], Bobby Cannavale [Ginger’s long-suffering boy friend Chili], Alden Ehrenreich [Jasmine’s son Danny], Peter Sarsgaard [Dwight]).

Short summary: Watch Cate Blanchett’s Jasmine’s incredibly well acted descent into an abyss of self-deception.

Is Woody Allen poking fun at the wealthy? It would seem that the lying high-fliers are scoundrels while (except for Peter Sarsgaard) the basically good characters all come from the middle class.

If nothing else, this film is a vehicle for Cate Blanchett to show off her remarkable talent even if she has to appear at times as physically and mentally destroyed.

In the category of sad urban human affairs this film is a DO NOT MISS!

Love Story, Magic, Mediocre, Scam Artists

Death Defying Acts (2006)

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From NetFlix:

When legendary escape artist Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) offers a handsome reward to anyone who can contact his dead mother beyond the grave, a sultry Scottish psychic and con artist (Catherine Zeta-Jones) takes up the challenge. But when the two fall in love, the boundaries between truth and deception become blurred. Directed by Gillian Armstrong, this entertaining period costume drama co-stars Saoirse Ronan and Timothy Spall.

As a typical Guy Pearce film, you get a story with beginning, middle, and end. Subtlety need not apply. Both Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones are well matched as acceptable but unexceptional actors. In addition both their film characters are well matched as “con” artists who admit as much to each other.

Nothing special but watchable.

2011, Based on true facts, Bullying, Conspiracy, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Finance, Scam Artists

Margin Call (2011)

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From NetFlix:

An all-star cast shines in this engrossing drama about a critical 24-hour period at a high-profile investment bank in the early days of the 2008 financial crisis, when young analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) uncovers information that could destroy the firm. When he alerts upper management to the precarious position of their risky investments, an emergency meeting is held to decide if they should alert clients or abscond with the profits.

Infuriatingly excellent, this financial “thriller” is a sad expose of America’s greatest enemy, her own financial industry. You need not understand the financial details to appreciate the plot.

Sometimes a large cast of well-known actors can be a disaster. But this time cast choices probably could not have been better. Old-timers include:

  • Kevin Spacey (age 52) is officially middle-aged. His role is thoughtful and sad.
  • Jeremy Irons (age 63) is his usual wonderfully creepy self playing the head honcho who makes 83 million dollars a year even if his clients lose all their investments.
  • Stanley Tucci (age 51) is another sad pawn in Jeremy Iron’s claws.
  • Demi Moore (age 49) is a pawn in a different way.

And then there are some relative new-comers:

  • Paul Bettany (age 40) was the albino Silas in “The Da Vinci Code”.
  • This is the first time I have seen Simon Baker (age 42) in something other than “The Mentalist”.
  • Zachary Quinto (age 34) was Spock in the 2009 “Star Trek”.
  • Zachary Quinto’s sidekick in the film is Penn Badgley (age 25) who plays the son in “The Stepfather”.

At times the script can be a bit preachy, especially when the characters rationalize their basically dishonest dealings.

Is our financial industry really completely corrupt? DO NOT MISS!

2009, Comedy, Gay theme, Lawyers, Love Story, Prison, Scam Artists, Sex Scenes, True Story, Vulgar

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

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From NetFlix:

When upstanding Texas cop Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) realizes he’s gay, he changes his entire life and pulls a series of bold con jobs that lands him jail — where he meets his one true love, cellmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). When Morris is transferred to another prison, lovesick Russell mounts a series of jailbreaks just to be with his beloved soul mate. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa direct this comedy based on a true story

Only someone as nutty as Jim Carrey could pull off this tour de force. Although the plot seems absurdly impossible, it is extraordinarily accurate. Please read the Wikipedia article on the amazing life of the real Steven Russell. That article only briefly mentions Phillip Morris whereas the major theme of the film is the homosexual relation between the two men.

Gay films are getting more and more mainstream. Just as heterosexual films continue to push the boundaries of acceptable explicit sex scenes, so too does this film contain some few explicit scenes and dialog. There are many scenes of tenderness, dancing, and kissing between the two partners.

At one point in the film the plot seems to bog down into a tear jerker of a disappointment. Do not be fooled! At times, however, I worried that Jim Carrey might be trying to do some serious acting. God forbid!

Be sure to read the final captions that explain his fate. It seems he was an embarrassment to Texas and to George Bush.

Have fun!

2000, Complicated, Conspiracy, Crime, Plot Twist, Scam Artists, Spanish, Suspense

Nine Queens (2000)

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From NetFlix:

Two small-time grifters (Ricardo Darin and Gastón Pauls) endure a series of tense negotiations when they attempt to sell a sheet of counterfeit stamps for a hefty sum, but the process is made more stressful when one of the con men’s estranged sister (Leticia Bredice) becomes involved. Fans of American writer David Mamet will appreciate the twists in this Argentinean caper from writer-director Fabián Bielinsky

Google for “Nine Queens”. You will discover that whereas all reviews praise the film as a wonderful “Who is conning whom ?” game, many reviews criticize the ending. I myself could not quite accept the surprise ending. In fact, the best review suggested that when you get to one of the final scenes in which Juan is in a subway and the screen fades to black, then stop watching immediately.

Still, it was fun watching the many clever ways thieves can con their victims. Thanks to NetFlix for suggesting this movie personally to me. Do you suppose NetFlix thinks I’m a crook ? Note, in this regard, how just about every thief in the film says he is not a crook (echoing a famous United States former president).

Spanish with subtitles.

Could be boring, Detective, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Kidnapping, Mystery Film, Scam Artists, Suspense, Unusual

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

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From NetFlix:

After her beloved father dies, the sassy Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott) sells an inheritance of 180 cows to start a detective agency and becomes the first female sleuth in the history of Botswana. Co-starring Anika Noni Rose as Ramotswe’s assistant and secretary, Mma Makutsi, this quirky whodunit was adapted from Alexander McCall Smith’s hit mystery novels. The film also marks the last directing credit for Anthony Minghella (English Patient).

Season One contains 3 discs. Because of a theme of kidnapping children to sell their body parts (e.g. fingers) as magic amulets, this series might not be for children. More than that, an American audience might find the slow childlike speech patterns in the Botswana English a bit hard to take. I almost stopped watching even the first episode until the plot became somewhat sinister and my curiosity kept me watching. But after that first episode I returned the disc to NetFlix. The books are better than the TV adaptations, in my opinion.

2008, Comedy, Complicated, Could be boring, Drama, Imperfect, Love Story, Scam Artists

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

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From NetFlix:

The Brothers Bloom made a name for themselves as the world’s best con men. Now, the younger (Adrien Brody) is ready to retire on the millions the pair has swindled. But when his brother (Mark Ruffalo) lures him into one last job, he reluctantly agrees. What he hasn’t counted on, though, is falling for their mark, an adventure-seeking heiress (Rachel Weisz). Robbie Coltrane and Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi co-star.

Yet another “who’s conning whom ?” film. At times was slow (boring ?). But there were so many wonderful sight gags that I just burst out laughing. If you are a busy person, there are better choices than this B-film.