the audience applauded

Sick Product of a Sick System

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I love this little gem of a movie. Plot is important because it is the contrivance which brings two people from completely different worlds together but once they are, it is characters which drive it forward. Two aunts are the movie's sirens -- one cynical, the other accepting, but for the same reasons. One is terrified Macy's character will be hurt, the other that he'll never know happiness. This good heartedness lurks below the surface of all the characters, though they have not necessarily brought out the best in each other until, paradoxically, deMornay's outsider arrives and upsets the balance in the small town where the story takes place. Macy is brilliant as a mope of a man willing to play dumb and dumber if that's what it takes to share time with the lovely deMornay. And because of the con, her character must step aside and show her gentlest and best self. DeMornay glows as a woman filled with wonderment when good people respond to her innate goodness. If you like movies that love their characters, flaws and all, don't miss this one.

Attractive, worldly con-woman seduces and marries small-town rube for his inheritance. Got to end in tears, right?William H. Macy stars in this delightful hybrid of extortion thriller and romantic comedy. For the bulk of the running time, it's eminently watchable without really treading new ground. Then, just when you think you've got the ending sorted out in your head ...If, like me, you'd listen to Mr Macy read his grocery list (and likely shout 'encore!' afterwards) then this will not disappoint. If not ... well, it won't disappoint anyway. It's funny, it's moving without being treacly, and best of all, it isn't entirely predictable. Top stuff.

Usually round about midnight BBC1 shows shows American TVMs during the week. They're nearly always those disease of the week crap fests or those murder mysteries where the TV company murders an interesting premise and the only reason I watch them is so I can write a review on this website warning all the visitors not to watch . You got that yet ? I hate TVMs , I hate them but it must have been my lucky week because last night I watched a surprisingly watchable TVM called INFERNO while tonight I watched a highly entertaining TVM entitled THE CON . Like a great number of TV format movies THE CON has a sound premise featuring a scam and a beautiful con woman on the run but unlike many other TVMs the execution is also well done but best of all the cast are very good. I don't really want to go into all the details but for the most part this is a very amusing crime rom-com . Okay the last third is fairly predictable but that's only to be expected and I found myself thinking that in an era of Summer blockbusters failing so badly at the cinema that they threaten the existence of some film companies why didn't the script writers sell this movie to a major Hollywood studio ? If I was a studio exec I'd have no hesitation in buying and producing this screenplay

I wouldn't have watched this if I by a coincidence was seeing the start of it - telling that William H. Macy was both in it and one of the writers. I found the story fun and charming, a small little pearl in the ocean of bad movies. If you like a strange story with no difficulties, and love to see a town original getting a dream girl - this is a fun story most people loving film will be happy to have seen!