Sifting through the Grifting

It was interesting to revisit Stephen Frears' "The Grifters" yesterday and its fascinating character study of three intertwined con artists. Here is a roundup of our group discussion of that film:

HOW DID THE GRIFTERS DEFY YOUR EXPECTATIONS? WHAT WAS SURPRISING ABOUT THIS FILM?

·       It’s a “neo noir” (modern film noir), yet it doesn’t consistently employ murky shadows, high-contrast lighting and dark urban settings; instead, the environment is sunny Los Angeles, with its beautiful skies, gorgeous homes and colorful trappings; in this way, the film is making an ironic statement: the backdrop is sun-drenched and bright, but the interior lives of the characters are dark and gloomy

·       It’s a twisted love triangle, in that one of “the lovers” is actually the mother of the man in the middle; indeed, The Grifters offers hints of incest and a thematic Oedipal complex

·       It doesn’t attempt to glamorize or sugarcoat the lives of these con men: they are depicted as emotionally disabled shysters who consider themselves above everyone else, especially the pathetic suckers they fleece

·       The movie is very well cast: it’s obviously crucial to nail down the top 3 parts, which was accomplished with the casting of John Cusack, Angelica Huston and Annette Bening; the supporting roles are also perfectly fleshed out by strong character actors like Charles Napier (Gloucester), J.T. Walsh (Cole) and Stephen Tobolowsky (the jeweler)

WHY ARE FILMS ABOUT CON MEN, SUCH AS THE GRIFTERS, OFTEN SO ENTERTAINING?

·       We are privileged to see the tricks of the trade, the secret techniques of the professional hucksters

·       These pictures are often terrific character studies as well as rewarding plot vehicles:

·       As Ebert put it: “Movies about con men are seductive because the audience is on both sides of the moral issues; we want to see justice done, of course, but at the same time we’re intrigued by the audacity of this character who is trying to out-think his opposition. And there is hardly ever a con man who isn’t likable, because, after all, if he can’t win your confidence, how can he take your money?”

THE GRIFTERS IS RIFE WITH IRONIES AND CHARACTER CONTRADICTIONS. CAN YOU CITE ANY EXAMPLES?

·       Roy believes he strives to be a top con man, but he’s really hoping to find one person who won’t con him and whom he can love; he fancies himself as independent, but he’s “actually defensively insular,” as critic Glenn Erickson surmises; and he’s risking so much for so little reward ($20 grifting tricks)

·       Myra comes across as sexy, conniving and deadly, and she’s going for the big stakes, but she also hints at an underlying anxiousness and low self-worth

·       Lilly is emotionally hardened by the dangers of the grifter life, and we see her as a smart, independent woman, but she’s actually a slave to Bobo, her boss and is desperate for tenderness and someone to trust.

MOVIES THAT COME TO MIND AFTER VIEWING THE GRIFTERS

·       David Mamet’s House of Games

·       The Sting

·       The Killing (also a pulp tale set around a racetrack)

·       Psycho (in its similarities to the Arizona motel scenes and the male lead’s “mother” issues)

·       Dangerous Liaisons (both movies feature three characters trying to locate a moral anchor yet finding emptiness)

·       Angel Heart, in how the two “elevator descending into hell” endings are similar

OTHER FILMS BY DIRECTOR STEPHEN FREARS

·       My Beautiful Launderette

·       Dangerous Liaisons

·       High Fidelity

·       The Queen