The ending, I'm sure, packed more of a punch three decades ago, but I have to admit that all of the, well, conartistry prior to it had me more than a little surprised. Cool, clever film.

Though the dialogue can grate at first, once I adjusted to the rhythms and mannerisms of Mamet's writing, I found it fascinating. It's a delightfully elaborate structure - twists and turns every which way - with some very interesting character developments and a highly effective (if arguably arbitrary) ending.

Great film. I usually don't like traces of theater in movies but they made this better. Top-notch acting.

Awkwardly acted, strangely cast, and with twists that anyone who's ever seen a con artist movie before will see coming from miles away. What's the point?

Mantegna and Mamet, perfect together.....

Lean and smart and slyly ferocious. Mamet builds plenty of twists and turns into his script, though it's worth noting that they undoubtedly worked better twenty years ago when movies weren't so commonly concerned with "gotcha" endings. Mamet's reputation is a factor in that, too. Like a guy who's already bested you once or twice, you watch a little closer, convinced that there's another trick up one of those sleeves of his.

The intrigue in the middle doesn't make up for the hilariously stilted dialogue and criminally unsatisfying payoff.

Another Mamet film about confidence artists. It feel like one long intense poker game.

Sometimes Ebert is just wrong.

not my favorite mamet really but its p good

I can't say I quite understand what's so great about this one. Among other things, it was impossible to get past that Margaret was so incredibly stupid. I mean she's like the mark of all marks in this movie, the super mark, a borderline retarded person (this impression isn't exactly negated by her line readings of the stilted dialogue) with lots of money and a real powerful hankering for some two-bit hustler dick.

If you like the art of the con then you may enjoy this. Though not fast moving, it is more a study in characters and perception that allows grifters to do what they do.

Excellent film. David Mamet is a talented screenwriter and his directorial debut lives up to that talent. Granted, he's a misogynist, but somehow that is okay in this film.

Kinda hokum (too much Mamet stuff).

well written film

Fascinating and highly entertaining, it gives a detailed and rich look into the mechanics of con-men, and when it turns into a multiple-twists movie, it still remains believable and well thought out.

I'll watch anything with Ricky Jay, and the more ridiculous the cons got, the more fun I was having. More excellent Mamet dialogue, but the actress (Mamet's significant other) was pretty terrible.

It kept me guessing all the way through and had me entertained. Like all Mamet films the dialogue gets a little tiring, but if you get past that it was very well constructed.

Very nicely done "game" of a film, of highly civilized and practiced chicanery

Cons and cons within cons and then some other cons to boot. Mantegna's good, the psychiatry stuff is fairly dull, but on the whole it's all right. Ebert ranked this as one of the best movies of the 80's, so there's a chance you might really, really like it. Yeah, that's pretty vague.