63
Philadelphia Inquirer by Carrie Rickey
Best of all is Hoffman, who hasn't had this much obvious fun since he played Hollywood producer Stanley Motss in "Wag the Dog."
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
40
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
If Confidence was made by people who have seen too many movies, it seems to be aimed at people who have seen too few. It offers up stale lessons in vocabulary and technique, all of them easily gleaned on a trip to the video store, as if they were choice bits of inside knowledge.
20
Hordes of good actors evidently lined up to appear in Confidence, which wastes Weisz, Guzman, Logue, Forster, and Paul Giamatti, among others. Midway through, a grizzled Andy Garcia shambles in, chewing on a cigar, as an FBI agent; he's so fatuously hammy that his true narrative function is never in doubt.
25
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
The film is as tricky and superficial as its low-life characters, using visual flimflam to mask its lack of substance.
60
Paul Giamatti steals the picture as a sardonic grifter with a phobic terror of dirty toilet seats.
60
Despite its handsome cinematography, slathered in thick, neo-noir shades of red and blue, the film has no one to root for. Place your bets on Hoffman’s terrific portrayal of a weasely, wisecracking pervert, however, and you’re sure to get your money’s worth.
80
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Peter Rainer
By the end of the film, everybody has been triple- and quadruple- and even quintuple-crossed, but the characters still standing all seem to be very pleased with themselves for a job well done. If only we could figure out what the job was exactly.
50
Miami Herald by Rene Rodriguez
A stale pastiche of crime-caper dramas that goes through all the usual reversals, betrayals and triple-crosses with a sense of weary obligation.
50
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
It fails to make us care, even a little, about the characters and what happens to them. There is nothing at stake.
80
Washington Post by Stephen Hunter
Yes, it's a hyped, hip "Sting" for our times, with goatees, mousse and attitude as part of the update package. It's also Burns's best film since "Saving Private Ryan."