Hoffman shines as 'Confidence' falls hard

In a movie about how people con other people out of their money, "Confidence"'s biggest con is pulled off at the expense of the viewing public who was conned into thinking that this movie is some kind of brilliant cross between "Pulp Fiction" and "The Sting." It is really more of an overly complex and less entertaining episode of "Scooby-Doo." Narrated by Edward Burns, at the behest of the man standing behind him with a gun, "Confidence" feels like it was written by a second-grader using the "Hamburger" paragraph technique. Burns alludes to what will soon be seen, and we see it while Burns explains what is happening, and then Burns gives a wrap-up. \nThe film's tagline is the best I've seen for any film: "It's not about the money. It's about the money." That is exactly how Burns and his crew talk to each other, by using ambiguous buzzwords that have no meaning. The dialogue is a brilliant mesh of con movie clichés, and dialogue that was fleeced from other films, con and otherwise. \nMovies like this have to be carried by at least one of two elements: An ensemble cast full of memorable characters and slick dialogue, or a brilliant plot that brings the viewer into the world of conning. Do these characters say anything interesting, or look like they're having any fun at all? Of course not. This is one of those "Talk Slick" movies, where every character thinks that he is super-hip, not because he necessarily is, but because he thinks he is. \nThe only character who is not following some kind of herd mentality is The King (Dustin Hoffman), who is a funny, witty, short-tempered, dangerous and sexually ambiguous crime boss. Besides the sexy stripper sisters who lick each other while dancing, The King is the only character I will still remember by June.\nDustin Hoffman is always fun, so I suppose for that reason alone, "Confidence" is watchable, but he's only on screen for about a half hour. Fortunately, in those 30 minutes, Hoffman speaks the film's biggest truth, as he gives Burns advice about how to deal with being rich: "Sometimes style can kill you." Director James Foley should have heeded his film's advice, and given it a good script.