"None of these men are criminals in the usual sense..."
What a great opening line. In case you don't know, it's the line by which we're introduced to Johnny, Sterling Hayden's character in The Killing. Great, great stuff. Just thought I'd share it.
Ok. Heists out of the way, though I do encourage any and all to submit. My own list stands, for me, though I'm opening to revision. Klaus: haven't seen For a Few Dollars More yet, though it's in the queue.
Here are the contenders for the top five cons:
The Sting, House of Games, The Grifters, Diggstown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Abre los Ojos, Gaslight, The Spanish Prisoner, The Usual Suspects, Catch Me if You Can, Charade, Wild Things, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, A Fish Called Wanda, Femme Fatale, Vertigo.
That oughtta do it for contenders. If there's one I've missed, lemme know. Admittedly, this is a pretty broad category, but some movies have a general "confidence game" going with the audience and protagonist that might not be considered a con in the usual sense, i.e., Abre los Ojos. I've also left off movies that you might think are important cons, i.e., Double Indemnity, because they're more murder/murder scheme movies; that's tomorrow's list.
5. The Sting
I mean, it's really good; it's a classic con movie. But I don't think it holds up as well as many people think it does. Makes the top five, though.
4. Vertigo
Great con. I mean, what can you say about it that hasn't been said before? This could rate higher.
3. Gaslight
Charles Boyer's con of his wife, Ingrid Bergman, is absolutely brutal to watch, but totally absorbing.
2. The 39 Steps
Robert Donat gets conned by several mysterious parties and a group called, interestingly enough, The 39 Steps. Hitchcock's best, I think.
1. House of Games
Can't be beat. Even Mamet himself (who had three contenders) can't top this one.
I'd like to know how I'm wrong. Also, keep working on the heists. I'm convinced I've missed some classics.
Ok. Heists out of the way, though I do encourage any and all to submit. My own list stands, for me, though I'm opening to revision. Klaus: haven't seen For a Few Dollars More yet, though it's in the queue.
Here are the contenders for the top five cons:
The Sting, House of Games, The Grifters, Diggstown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Abre los Ojos, Gaslight, The Spanish Prisoner, The Usual Suspects, Catch Me if You Can, Charade, Wild Things, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, A Fish Called Wanda, Femme Fatale, Vertigo.
That oughtta do it for contenders. If there's one I've missed, lemme know. Admittedly, this is a pretty broad category, but some movies have a general "confidence game" going with the audience and protagonist that might not be considered a con in the usual sense, i.e., Abre los Ojos. I've also left off movies that you might think are important cons, i.e., Double Indemnity, because they're more murder/murder scheme movies; that's tomorrow's list.
5. The Sting
I mean, it's really good; it's a classic con movie. But I don't think it holds up as well as many people think it does. Makes the top five, though.
4. Vertigo
Great con. I mean, what can you say about it that hasn't been said before? This could rate higher.
3. Gaslight
Charles Boyer's con of his wife, Ingrid Bergman, is absolutely brutal to watch, but totally absorbing.
2. The 39 Steps
Robert Donat gets conned by several mysterious parties and a group called, interestingly enough, The 39 Steps. Hitchcock's best, I think.
1. House of Games
Can't be beat. Even Mamet himself (who had three contenders) can't top this one.
I'd like to know how I'm wrong. Also, keep working on the heists. I'm convinced I've missed some classics.
posted by dd0031 at 9:56 AM
6 Comments:
I'd like to propose that The Spanish Prisoner is the ultimate con because it's never revealed.
If you haven't seen it, STOP READING.
But, at the end, I believe the con is still not revealed. Campbell Scott is left standing on the pier, but I believe the bad guys have gotten away with "the process."
My reasoning? The male "Japanese tourist" asks Campbell Scott to get Steve Martin to tell him where "the process" is. Scott gets Martin talking, but a foghorn or something in the background conceals what he's saying. At first, I thought this was just a little joke by Mamet, but I think it's a clue. The feds aren't upset that they didn't get anything on that recording because they weren't recording because they're not feds. That's why they drop Martin with a tranquilizer, too. They're working with him.
Also, Rebecca Pidgeon gives Campbell Scott a very enigmatic smile (even for her) as she's put into the police van. Mamet is such a deliberate filmmaker that that smile has to mean something more than just "coy smile at hero." And, of course, there's the very melancholy last shot, in which it sure looks like Scott just got scammed.
There's some other stuff, too, but maybe this will intrigue you a little. Unless you've already considered this and thrown it out. I think it's Mamet's ultimate con -- ON US. What a fucking great movie.
Hmmm. I think you're all washed up on The Spanish Prisoner, Mayerling. Not that your theory isn't true, but I find it a pretty boring movie in any event. Not that I don't like staring at Rebecca Pidgeon for two hours. I dunno...maybe I'm being dogmatic, but it just didn't grab me. If your theory is true, it's better, but I don't think it makes the top five, and it's certainly not better than HofG.
One revision I might make is to switch Vertigo and The 39 Steps. Though I think the latter is a better movie, Vertigo is a better con.
Vertigo is the finest film I've ever seen. Someday you'll understand that.
Oh, I fully understand it's the finest film you've ever seen.
... although I enjoyed (and own a copy) of The 39 Steps. I also saw the remake from, like, 1978, and that sucked.
There's a remake? Crap on a crutch! Does it star "Rowdy" Roddy Piper? Actually, now that I'm surfing the web about it, it looks like it was in German. But there's also a 1959 remake. But there's also, shudder, a 2005 remake. Uh oh, spaghetti-o's.
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