Criminal (2004)
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 120
Fresh: 83 | Rotten: 37
If you saw Nine Queens, it may feel redundant, but the snappy performances make it fun to watch.
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 10
If you saw Nine Queens, it may feel redundant, but the snappy performances make it fun to watch.
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Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 6,521
Movie Info
A con artist finds family squabbles are getting in the way of a major payday in this sharp blend of comedy and suspense, based on the Argentinean hit Nueve Reinas (aka Nine Queens). Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) is a smart-suited confidence man who knows how to run a big con but prefers to pull off a number of small scams over the course of the day, cheating a lot of folks out of a little instead of taking one or two for a lot. One day, while looking for marks at a gambling casino, Gaddis
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Cast
-
John C. Reilly
Richard Gaddis -
Diego Luna
Rodrigo -
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Valerie Gaddis -
Peter Mullan
Hannigan -
Jonathan Tucker
Michael Gaddis -
Patricia Belcher
Female Bank Executiv... -
Luis Contreras
Carlos -
Ellen Geer
Grandma -
Lillian Hurst
Mrs. Ochoa -
Zitto Kazann
Ochoa -
Deborah Van Valkenbu...
Woman in Elevator -
Malik Yoba
Frank Hill -
Jack Conley
Henry the Angry Man -
Maeve Quinlan
Heather -
Enrico Colantoni
Bookish Man -
Brent Sexton
Ron -
Soledad St. Hilaire
Waitress #2 -
Juan Carlos Cantu
Rodrigo's Dad -
Brandon Keener
Waiter/Daniel -
Laura Ceron
Waitress -
Gary Mack
Security Guard -
Nick Anavio
Cafe Manager -
Manuel G. Jimenez
Briefcase Thief -
Paul Norwood
Bank Manager -
Michael Shannon
Gene
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All Critics (130) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (83) | Rotten (37) | DVD (11)
With dashes of black humour and pointed glimpses of the American class system, Criminal is a taut con-versus-con game whose deft artistry isn't fully revealed until the last few minutes.
Top CriticA kind of who-done-what? puzzle. You'll probably enjoy it much more if you haven't seen the 2002 Argentine film, Nine Queens.
... unfolds like a David Mamet film ...
Jacobs has brought the barrio into noir, and that's no small achievement. If nothing else, it opens the door to a whole new galaxy of grift.
Reilly and Luna make a chemically appealing screen team.
Jacobs -- who for many years was Soderbergh's assistant director -- keeps things moving at a sprightly pace, and cinematographer Chris Menges does a terrific job of capturing L.A. in all its mercurial glory.
This con man movie is best for older teens and up.
Like Richard Widmark, [John C. Reilly] is an excellent character actor who can convey both likeability and pathetical desperation simultaneously.
Those viewers who watched NUEVE REINAS beforehand will be affected with increasingly unpleasant feeling of deja vu.
Con film aficionados won't find the picture revolutionary, but even they should enjoy the structure, craftsmanship and a nice supporting performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
A second-generation photocopy of a David Mamet cryptogram.
[It's] a safer, watered-down, but still enjoyable redo.
...the interaction of the movie's two leads, Reilly and Luna, is so good you might enjoy it for their performances alone.
it's Training Day for confidence tricksters, an exciting 24-hour tour of LA's underworld with a headache-inducing sting in its tail.
Considerando-se que o ótimo Nove Rainhas foi realizado há apenas alguns anos, esta refilmagem soa desnecessária, por mais interessante que seja seu roteiro.
... a fairly straightforward remake of the Argentine hit Nine Queens (2000)
Reilly is perhaps the most amazing fusion of boy and man we have in American movies.
Well acted and intriguing...
It isn't quite as witty or gritty as Nine Queens, but if you didn't see that film, then see it now that it's in English.
Like a smash-and-grab job, the movie gets in, springs the con and gets out quick - leaving the viewer to replay the twists on his or her own time.
While the twists at the end are a little more predictable here than in the first film, it's still an assured work, especially considering that it comes from a first-time director.
Redundant.
This is one of the best con movies I have seen as rare currency is used as the valuable commodity.
A jazzy, offhandedly brilliant exercise in colorful mendacity and shell game shenanigans that benefits from the cool, authoritative occupational swagger of John C. Reilly.
The remake is so faithful to the first film that some of the snap and crackle disappears if you know the plot. It's like watching The Sixth Sense for a second time.
Yet another inexplicable American remake that adds nothing new to the original.
Audience Reviews for Criminal
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Richard Gaddis: You have one thing money and practice can't buy. You look like a nice guy.
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Foreign Titles
- Criminal. (FR)
The cast in this film is superb. Diego Luna especially gives a great performance. He is endearing, lovable, enthusiastic, and intelligent in his portrayal of "Brian." It was nice to see him in this context and I personally believe that he thrived in the part. He is an excellent actor and i have to admit that I am now a fan.I almost always guess the "surprise" ending in movies that claim to have one, but this film still has me wondering how i didn't get it. Do yourself a favor and see this movie!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to tell you the plot because I don't trust myself not to give anything away. If you enjoy caper/mystery/ entertaining movies go see this one. 3/1/2 Stars 3=21=13