Absolutely Fantastic

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

"Hoodwink" isn't exactly what it's advertised to be. It's supposedly a crime/con man film, but it takes an abrupt 180 degree turn about half the way through and becomes a more straightforward drama. It's hard to say if this works or not. But I can say that both halves are very well acted and directed. Just don't expect to end with the same film you started with. If you do, there's a fair chance you'll be disappointed.John Hargreaves is a very charismatic actor. As soon as you see him, there's something about the character of Martin Stang that draws you in. He is manipulative, intelligent, and complicated. Much to the point of never quite letting the viewer know who real he's really being. Judy Davis plays what is, for her, a very atypical role. She's very convincing. I suppose what really makes "Hoodwink" such an immediately engaging film is how true it feels. Director Claude Whatham and cinematographer Dean Semler create a very solid world together. It feels real, it captures the subtleties of human interaction without a lot of nonsense getting in the way of things. And that's just too hard to find these days.