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The Grifters

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The Grifters (1990)

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89 %
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Reviews Counted:37

Fresh:33

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: THE GRIFTERS is an intense character study of a group of people caught up in a world where nobody can be trusted. Stephen Frears presents this cool and brutal adaptation of Jim Thompson's stylish... THE GRIFTERS is an intense character study of a group of people caught up in a world where nobody can be trusted. Stephen Frears presents this cool and brutal adaptation of Jim Thompson's stylish noir novel, which centers on the complex lives of three con artists. Shady Roy Dillon (John Cusack), a low-level Los Angeles con man and petty thief, and Roy's sexy, amoral girlfriend Myra (Annette Bening), a con artist who is down on her luck and willing to do whatever it takes to get back on top of her game; are the focal point of the action. Rounding out the trio is Roy's mother, Lilly (Angelica Huston), a veteran con artist who shares little with Roy other than a bizarre oedipal attraction. The seedy underbelly of LA life is played out in evocative tableaux, as Myra and Lilly compete for Roy's attention until they ultimately drive him away. [More]

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, John Cusack, Stephen Tobolowsky

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, John Cusack, Stephen Tobolowsky, Michael Laskin, Eddie Jones, Sandy Baron, Lou Hancock, Gailard Sartain, Pat Hingle, Jeremy Piven, Charles Napier, J.T. Walsh, Frances Bay, Xander Berkeley, Juliet Landau

Director: Stephen Frears

Director: Stephen Frears
Story: Jim Thompson
Producer: Martin Scorsese, Robert A. Harris, Jim Painter
Composer: Elmer Bernstein

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 30, 1998

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Grifters

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A darkly cynical and uncompromising gem.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/06/09
Channel 4 Film

Best to savor The Grifters for its handsome design -- the picture looks as clean as a Hockney landscape -- and its juicy performances.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
11/06/09
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A mannerist thriller that doesn't begin to work despite the number of talented hands involved.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
11/06/09
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Cusack underplays Roy, making him an unbelievable wiseguy, a colorless cipher too akin to the saps he loves to fleece.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/18/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety

Clever writing and fine cast make this tale of thieves among us fun to watch.

comment Comment
03/22/08
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

British helmer Stephen Frears makes an auspicious American debut with this light, speedy, perfectly executed noir, based on Jim Thompson's novel, boasting three terrific performances; one of the best films of the year

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
07/22/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/25/07
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Donald Westlake's excellent screenplay does some justice to the starkness of Jim Thompson's novel; and Frears' direction never fails to grab the attention.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Stephen Garrett
Stephen Garrett
Time Out

[A] quirky, absorbing adaptation of Jim Thompson's pulp novel.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

A near-perfect dirty and dark modern noir.

comment Comment
01/10/06
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/19/05
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Intriguing neo-noir.

comment Comment
10/07/05
Dan Lybarger
Dan Lybarger
Nitrate Online

No review available.

comment Comment
05/06/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Film Threat

No review available.

comment Comment
01/30/05
Eric Melin
Eric Melin
Lawrence.com

No review available.

comment Comment
09/10/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
05/26/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

No review available.

comment Comment
03/09/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
02/10/04
Spence D.
Spence D.
IGN Movies

Well done, but finally airless modern noir.

comment Comment
01/29/04
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Donald Westlake's screenplay has the right combination of vivid characters, mordant wit and avaricious savagery which distinguishes the best noir.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
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December 04, 2009: Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
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