Ten Smartest Con Artist/Con Man Movies

A Con Artist is a person who applies a fraud and illegal method to fake reality. For example producing counterfeit currency or preparing fake airline ticket and bank checks. We are going to see top ten smartest Con Artist movies of all time. Personally I feel these Con Artist movies are smart and brilliant work of unknown and confidence tricks. These movies are very highly entertaining and always make you wonder "Is this even possible in this real world?". This list of movies is about the professional con artist, and playing cons is not a good thing, these movies are only for watching and enjoying, because you are most likely going to be very sorry that you do try to pull some illegal confidence tricks! But these movies are only for watching and enjoying, don't go out and do it! And this is what we got a list of the most famous and smartest con artist/con man movies that i highly and truly recommend for your special weekends.

10. Confidence (2003)

***Good Theme, Nicely Crafted Plot And Well Delivered Performance***

"King: You're a good grifters, man. It's hard to tell when you're lying. "

"King: [describing how he got shot in a white suit] We're checking our fingers and toes and we discover I got shot. I was the only one who got shot. You know why? White suit. I was the first one they saw, I was the first one they shot at, I was the first one they hit. You what I learned that day? 

Jake: Not to wear white after Labor Day maybe? "

"Confidence" is an 'Oceans 11-type' Heist movie with its own unique personality. While he sticks to the genre formula, Director, James Foley, moves this film along at a steady, active pace and throws in enough twists and turns to keep us involved.

Ironically, the mastermind is a guy named Jake Vig (Ed Burns). Ironic because Mr. Vig (his last name meaning 'the take' or 'the amount charged by the bookie for services rendered') is a 'charming, virile fellow' (slang definition for 'Jake') who wishes to accomplish his gigs with minimal actual violence. Unfortunately, the heist goes sideways when he and his crew find they have jacked a morally bankrupt criminal called 'King', who is not partial to letting things slide. In fact, with an act of very harsh measure, King makes it acutely clear what it is he required to resolve the matter. Of course Jake refuses and the negotiations begin. This is where the twists and turns commence and the plot gets interesting.

The movie, 'Confidence', ends up being a Heist/Revenge movie with some great twists and a surprise ending. I'm not a great fan of Heist films, but I definitely enjoyed my 97 minutes. It was well paced, well acted, and well … I liked it.

9. Maverick (1994)

***A Charming, Fun And Perfectly Performed***

"In their hands, a deck of cards was the only thing more dangerous than a gun."

"Maverick: I've only got one gun, that's 6 bullets. They're six, that's 36 bullets. Maybe they've got two guns, that's 72 bullets, maybe they've got rifles... 

Annabelle: You're babbling. 

Maverick: No I wasn't. "

Bret Maverick is not the most honest of men but he is at least charming and talented. Seeking enough money to enter a big poker game, Maverick heads into a small town where he joins a game involving, among others, Mrs Annabelle Bransford and a tough guy called Angel. He wins the game but makes very few friends in the process – quick talking his way out of trouble. He falls in with Annabelle, even after he realizes that she is just a thief and con artist like him. With an uneasy dislike and distrust of one another as they head out of town on the same stagecoach as lawman Marshal Zane Cooper. Maverick ends up stuck with them as he tries to raise the money to enter the game – how hard could it be?

This movie is one of the most enjoyable movies that you will watch. It's great. Mel Gibson was great for the part as Maverick. He was so funny and since this movie has so many different genres than it's hard for an actor to portray this certain role but Mel Gibson acted great. The movie had action, drama, adventure, comedy, romance and western scenes throughout the movie. I think this is like Lethal Weapon in a way. It has a lot of action/comedy which is Lethal Weapon. This was a great movie and I recommend this movie to all viewers who like Mel Gibson and enjoyed the Lethal Weapon series because this movie is almost the same thing besides the plot of the two movies. Mel Gibson was great in both of them.

8. The Grifters (1990)

***An Unacknowledged Classic And Wonderful Performance***

"Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who's Conning Who?"

"Anyone who deprived her of something she wanted deserved what he got."

In Los Angeles, the small time crook Roy Dillon (John Cusack) is hit by a baseball bat in the stomach when he tries to swindle a bar attendant. His mother Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) works in La Jolla for the powerful bookmaker Bobo Justus (Pat Hingle), who owns the Justus Amusement Company in Baltimore, placing bets to change the odds at the track but also stealing some money for her that she stashes in her Cadillac. When Lilly comes to Los Angeles to a horse race, she pays a visit to Roy after eight years without seeing each other, and she finds that he has an internal hemorrhage and sends him to the hospital, saving his life. When the experienced Lilly sees Roy's girlfriend, the slut and con artist Myra Langtry (Annette Bening), she immediately finds that Myra is a roper. But the grieved Roy does not pay attention to his absent mother and decides to travel with Myra to La Jolla to spend a couple of days resting. Myra sooner finds that Roy lives of short-con grift and proposes him a great plan to rope tycoons; further she unravels Lilly's scheme with Bobo's money. When Roy turns Myra and her offer down, the greedy women set in motion a betrayal that brings tragic consequences to each player.

The three leads deliver solid performances. Cusack is finely restrained and quite intense. Bening is suitably perky, slutty and malicious. Huston is a knockout as she delivers a chilling performance. The score is quite low key (usually a piano track) except during dramatic sequences. The lighting has been well done. 'The Grifters' is intriguing and quite a departure from the usual con flick. In the end, it leaves an unsettling taste.

7. Bad Santa (2003)

***Ultimate Comedy And Surprisingly Brilliant***

"Police Chief: Drop the gun!

Marcus: Huh?

Police Chief: And you, Santa, drop the elephant!

Marcus: How did you get here?

Police Chief: Tipped off.

Willie: Oh, shit, that kid!

Police Chief: All three of you are in so much shit, its almost unbelievable."

"Bad Santa", Willie (played by Billy Bob Thornton) is a perverted, alcoholic, part-time conman, who during the Christmas season indolently works in shopping malls with his fellow criminal in disguise, Marcus (Tony Cox). Willie dresses as Santa, while Marcus (the more professional of the pair) acts the elf, due to his height. Throughout the tedious Christmas period, the pair use their job at the mall to exploit the opportunity to rob the store overnight. While working at a mall in Arizona, Willie meets a child who teaches him the meaning of Christmas, whilst falling in love with an attractive waitress and having law-enforcement hot on his trail.

Only Billy Bob Thornton can excellently pull off 'Bad Santa'. It's good to finally see him in a more significant role that has more scope for his talent to shine. Child actor Brett Kelly is cast well as The Kid. He's not the usual filmy cute kid who gets on your nerves and reminds you why you hate child actors. Kelly plays his part naturally and is very likable. The sizzling Lauren Graham brings out the other side (a much darker one) of Lorelai Gilmore (of 'Gilmore Girls fame). She skillfully portrays Sue's weirdness, sensuality and sweetness. Lauren Tom is funny as Marcus's bitchy girlfriend. The late John Ritter has some of the funniest lines and he delivers them with complete ease.

Basically 'Bad Santa' is one of the darkest funniest Christmas films, one that has a strong repeat value as it still makes me laugh in repeat viewing and sometimes when I think of the situations in the film, I at least end up with a smile. Strongly recommended but watch it after the kids have been tucked in bed.

6. Matchstick Men (2003)

***A Wonderful "Sting" Film With Twist And Turn***

"You not a bad man, your just a real good one."

"For some folks, money is a foreign film without subtitles."

"Matchstick Men" plot is about Roy (Nicholas Cage) and partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) are high-class con-men; rolling in the money, experts at scamming unsuspecting innocents, and untraceable (neither have criminal records). Frank is a hot-headed protegee of Roy's; he has bigger plans for bigger cons then Roy, and he wants to get in with the ladies. Roy may well be his polar opposite; hence the title. A germophobe with a bad case of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and a constant eye twitch, Roy is a careful, precautions man; satisfied with his life the way it is, and un-needing of either human contact or going outside. The film is more focused on Roy, whose carefully planned daily routines are disrupted by the sudden appearance of his fourteen-year-old daughter (Alison Lohman); whom he has never met. She is nothing like her father; a wild-child, as spontaneous and unpredictable as they come. And she wants to spend quality time with dad; who is busy trying to perform a big time con Frank convinced him to do.

All the characters are wonderful, and the dialog is very witty!, plus Nicolas Cage and Alison Lohman are simply incredible in this!. The film is completely unpredictable, and Nicolas Cage and Alison Lohman had excellent chemistry together!, plus Sam Rockwell is really awesome as Cage's partner!. I thought I had the twist ending all figured out, boy was i wrong, and the film just keeps getting better as it goes along, plus the score is excellent!. It's very smartly written and made, and Nicolas Cage's weird ticks were absolutely hilarious!, plus the ending was really cool!. Just go for it. Guarantee You would love it.

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