Confidence

Colour
USA, Canada, Germany, 2003, 97 min
Section: Horizons
Oficiální stránky: www.confidencethemovie.com

Synopsis

Jake Vig numbers among those young ambitious men who have managed to make a name for themselves in their field. Unfortunately, only a handful of those closest to him are aware of it – this is because Jake is a first-rate conman and, in his profession, overconfidence is a deadly sin. One day, however, he slips up choosing his mark: an outwardly-harmless elderly man who, to his horror, ends up being the accountant of powerful mafia boss Winston King. To atone for his mistake, Jake must pull the greatest con of his life. Attractive pickpocket Lily helps him, as do his gang of experienced and proven cohorts. But experienced FBI agent Gunther Butan is on his heels. This crime-thriller from veteran Hollywood director James Foley is a traditional and stylish genre spectacle whose heroes try to succeed in a world where interpersonal relationships have been reduced to a deadly never-ending game of cat-and-mouse.

About the director

James Foley (b. 1953, New York) wanted to become a psychologist, but chose a career in film instead. While studying at the University of Southern California he was commended for the short films Silent Night and November. Director Hal Ashby recommended him to Scott Rudin and Edgar Scherick to direct the generation gap film Reckless, Foley’s debut (1986). He followed it up with a crime drama based on a true story, At Close Range (1986), the dialogue comedy Who’s That Girl? (1987) starring Madonna (he also directed her well-received video Papa Don’t Preach). After an episode of the Twin Peaks series, he adapted Jim Thompson’s novel After Dark, My Sweet (1990) featuring Rachel Ward. Foley’s film version of David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), starring Al Pacino, ensured his success. After the drama Two Bits (1995) he shot the thriller Fear (1996), a crime drama based on John Grisham’s novel The Chamber (1996), and the crime thriller The Corruptor (1999).