Matchstick Men (2003) [w/Commentary]

Roy (Nicolas Cage), a depressed con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Frank (Sam Rockwell), his partner, find their line of work complicated by the arrival of Roy's teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela brings some spirit back into Roy's life, and some of his disorder symptoms seem to disappear. But when Angela wants to learn the family business, and Roy allows her to assist on a big scam concerning a businessmen (Bruce McGill), he reconsiders his parenting techniques.



Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott and Writers Nicholas Griffin and Ted Griffin: Scott and the writers were recorded separately and edited together, with Scott's comments occupying the lion's share of the running time. Scott does wonderful commentaries, and this one is no exception. His total immersion in the process is evident throughout, whether he's discussing the choice between shooting with anamorphic lenses or spherical, or a character's background (he provides an entire backstory for Dr. Klein), or why he enjoys shooting in the San Fernando Valley. The Griffin brothers describe the evolution of the script at various stages and note places where it changed even during shooting.