MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Frauds, con men, "grifters"...

Frauds, con men, "grifters"...

posted 2 years ago by db20db (16208)
28 replies | jump to latest

I enjoy this genre and feel I've seen a number of good movies that belong to it. It's one where the viewer can't help but root for the bad guy because of his craftiness. The one I'm currently enjoying is this https://moviechat.org/tt7740496/Nightmare-Alley

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I was rooting for Jerry Lundegaard from Fargo

[–] Ace_Spade (9348) 2 years ago

Were you rooting for Lundegaard, though? I think I was more "team Gunderson".

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Yes, the quintessential, lying car salesman with the glassy-eyed, forced and phony, smile. He's a stereotype but he exists.

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

I wasn't. He was too much of a weasel to be admirable, imo.

[–] Ace_Spade (9348) 2 years ago

Have you seen the original Nightmare Alley? I haven't seen del Toro's version, but the original is great. While I'm plugging earlier iterations of that story, the novel is great, too, and has quite a few interesting differences from the film version.

The Sting and Ocean's Eleven always spring to mind while thinking about this kind of movie, too.

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

No, but I've become aware of it and plan to look into it further. I'm a fan of TCM's Noir Alley.

I also thought of The Sting and the Danny Ocean movies while creating this topic.

[–] Ace_Spade (9348) 2 years ago

I love these kinds of movies, too.

[–] Padeen (6459) 2 years ago

Matchstick Men.

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Yes, a good one! I especially liked the ocd quality being added to the protagonist.

[–] Padeen (6459) 2 years ago

Funny that it was made by Ridley Scott. Its not the type of movie you'd think he'd be directing, but he nailed it.

[–] robocat893 (13430) 2 years ago

Paper Moon (1973)

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Another good one I watched not too long ago. Ever see The Flim-Flam Man, just a few years prior to that?

[–] robocat893 (13430) 2 years ago

I never have seen that movie but it looks good.

[–] beantown23 (1438) 2 years ago

One of my all-time favorite books which had many more grifting adventures than the movie. Paper Moon the TV series only lasted a year as Jodie Foster replaced Tatum O'Neal.

[–] AndyKing1967 (33852) 2 years ago

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Yes, entertaining and very similar to this story https://moviechat.org/tt0053879/The-Great-Impostor

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

Very entertaining film, very different from the typical caper film in that the con man is actually a teenager with very few clues.

Probably the only DiCaprio film I unreservedly like.

[–] PaladinNJ (20310) 2 years ago

Unfortunately if you read the book by Frank Abagnale himself, which is outstanding, you'd see how much they chopped up the story to cram it into two hours.

[–] nyctc7 (41244) 2 years ago

Recent book exposes Abagnale as a bigger fraud than we ever thought--he probably never flew for free, never acted as a lawyer, a doctor, etc.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9601751/New-book-claims-Catch-Frank-Abagnales-cons-fake.html

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Another recent one I liked https://moviechat.org/tt0120366/Traveller

[–] PaladinNJ (20310) 2 years ago

Check out The Flim-Flam Man (1967) with George C. Scott
https://moviechat.org/tt0061678/The-Flim-Flam-Man

[–] db20db (16208) 2 years ago

Since this thread has been unexpectedly bumped, I will add and recommend this
https://moviechat.org/tt0379632/Hustle. I binged watched this entire series awhile back. They're portrayed as lovable rogues, as con men often are in film. It's an entertaining series.