REVIEWED - CRIMINAL: Both of the remakes released today are US films based on foreign-language originals, and they adhere so closely to their source material that anyone familiar with the originals will feel a distinct sense of déjà vu as the movies go through the motions laid down in the screenplays of the earlier versions.
The more satisfying of the two, although that is no ringing endorsement, is Criminal, which is based on Fabian Bielinsky's clever and devious Argentinian thriller, Nine Queens. Produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh's company and marking the directing début of Gregory Jacobs, who worked as assistant director to Soderbergh on 10 films, Criminal transposes Nine Queens from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles.
Once again, virtually none of the characters is quite what they seem in a scenario that drops clues as liberally as red herrings over the course of a hectic day in the life for a couple of confidence tricksters. They meet in a casino where the older of the two men, Richard (John C. Reilly) spots young Rodrigo (Diego Luna) overplaying his hand as he pulls a scam on two waitresses.
In need of a partner, Richard invites Rodrigo to team up with him, and the two men get to know each other by showing off their individual expertise at conning the innocent.
The cool and slithery Richard is such a conscience-free zone that he has cheated his sister and brother (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jonathan Tucker) out of their rightful inheritance, while Rodrigo appears to have a vestige of scruples, drawing the line at swindling old ladies. When they are presented with an opportunity involving a rare 1878 bank note and an Irish multi-millionaire (Peter Mullan), the two men see it as an irresistible shot at the big time.
In Nine Queens, a significant supporting role was played by Argentina's own financial crises - and the pervasive corruption personified in a shady businessman about to be extradited to Venezuela. Criminal jettisons that firm political context and offers nothing fresh or interesting by way of compensation.
It is not as witty, clever or intricately plotted as Nine Queens, although it will likely prove much more diverting for audiences unfamiliar with the original, which had a limited arthouse release here. The well-matched leading actors are appropriately deadpan, and it is good to see Reilly in a leading role for a change. As he grows older, Reilly is showing a distracting resemblance to Harvey Weinstein and would be perfect casting if ever a movie is made about Miramax.
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