An amazing phenomenon: no one likes real scammers, but almost everyone enjoys watching films about them. This is evidenced by the number of films annually filmed on this subject, and their ratings, and box office. Films about scammers and crooks with charming dodger characters and funny situations very often become a great way to relax, relieve stress and relax. About the most successful and spectacular crime comedies, dramas and melodramas will tell the material below.
Material Content:
Russian films about scammers and swindlers
At all times, Russian viewers loved crime comedies. Soviet megahits such as “Gentlemen of Fortune”, “Diamond Hand”, “Adventures of Italians in Russia”, “Twelve Chairs” became classics of the genre. Modern screenwriters and directors continue to develop this gold mine. The following films can be considered quite successful projects of recent years.
“Easy on sight” (2014).
It is unlikely that this picture is destined to become a classic, but it performs its simple function, and the plot has an original idea. Garik Kharlamov plays a dodger-realtor here, after another successful illegal transaction that fell into a fantastic situation. Now, as soon as someone thinks about him, the main character immediately appears next to this person. The problem is that no one thinks anything good about a scam realtor.
The Elusive Four (2007).
A film by the talented director Vladimir Moskalenko, who wrote the script for the already cult cult crime comedy Shirley-Myrli in the 90s. In The Elusive Four, he develops the theme of modern “robin buzzes,” seemingly hackneyed.However, despite the impressive timing (more than 2 hours) and a commonplace idea, the film looks at one go. Cheerful adventures of scammers who steal from the rich, protecting the poor, are served dynamically, mischievously, in the best traditions of the genre.
“Surprise Me” (2012).
Rather, it is not a comedy, but a melodrama on the same "Robingudian" theme. A police officer (Pyotr Krasilov) is looking for a fraudster who talentedly "throws" moneybags on large sums. The track leads him to a bar where he meets a beauty named Bagira performed by Svetlana Khodchenkova. A fast-moving romance ensues, but the detective does not even suspect that Bagheera is the criminal he is looking for.
Interestingly, in Russian films of recent years, swindlers are increasingly committing crimes for charity. Apparently, this trend arose against the background of the general humanization of our society.
American-made films
The United States, as before, remains the leader in the production of films about fraudsters. The following crime comedies are constantly present in various ratings.
The Gambit (2012).
A remake film that re-imagines the film of the same name from the 60s. The beautiful and elegant Colin Firth plays here the manager of a private gallery, planning to cheat his rude boss and make him buy a fake Monet painting. To carry out a scam, he attracts the broken Texas star Rodeo (performed by Cameron Diaz), who knows nothing about art, but can pretend to be a great connoisseur of painting.
"Heartbreakers" (2001).
The picture was released under the slogan "Take care of your wallets" and instantly became a classic of the genre. The brilliant duo of Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who played the marriage speculators, still makes the audience laugh for 123 minutes. Heartbreakers, mother and daughter, triumphantly ravage the bank accounts of men, until the latter falls in love for real.
"Maverick" (1994).
An old film that remains forever young, thanks to a well-designed plot, an unexpected ending and acting as Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson and James Garner. In addition, the film is not as simple as it seems. The story of a professional card player and a charming thief who wants to hit the jackpot in the poker championship contains a lot of reminiscences on classic westerns. And some of the features of this film can only be appreciated by Americans. For example, a character named Johnny Hardin is a clear reference to the real story of the Wild West, reminiscent of the famous brutal killer John Wesley Hardin.
"Shuler" (1998).
Remembering films about cheaters, you can not help but mention this picture with the young Matt Damon in the title role. But this is by no means a comedy. Gambling, poker tournaments and the world of crime are presented here in a dramatic context.
There are many noteworthy Hollywood scam movies. These are Eric Besnard's Otter Frauds and the Thomas Crown Scam remake with Pierce Brosnan, the touching and funny Big Scam under the slogan “120 notorious liars need a good doctor.” American directors are considering a variety of motivations, forcing a person to embark on dangerous adventures.
Films of European cinema
European audiences no less than Russians fall under the spell of cinematic scumbags. It is enough to recall the explosive popularity of the Italian painting “Bluff” with Celentano or the Polish “Wa-Bank” film that received many prizes. Of the modern European scam movies, the following are noteworthy.
"Sell" (1997).
Crime melodramatic comedy of British director Stefan Schwartz. The two guys who grew up in a shelter, dream of getting a million pounds to build a house that they never had.Frauds with sales of supercomputers, horse racing and all the places where rich people spend big money become objects of their attention.
“Knocking on Heaven” (1997).
German crime comedy with a dramatic finale and a great acting duet - Thiel Schweiger and Jan Joseph Lifers. Heroes, terminally ill with cancer, become involuntarily fraudsters. After drinking tequila, they escape from the hospital, stole a car. On the way, they rob a gas station, then a bank, and after that they also find a suitcase with money in the trunk of a stolen car. Everyone is hunting for friends - both the police and criminals. They have nowhere to go, nothing to lose, and friends embark on all the hardest on the way to the sea, which they have never seen. The finale of the painting is beautiful, tragic and enhanced by the cult soundtrack “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door ”.
“Bets made” (1997).
An excellent adventurous comedy by Claude Chabrol, who won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian festival. A pair of swindlers performed by Isabelle Huppert and Michel Cerro cleverly rob wealthy hotel guests throughout France. Once a girl comes to mind to hit a big jackpot in the form of 5 million francs. A lot of intrigue and mutual swindle twist the plot in a tight knot.
Filming adventurous films, Europeans more often than other directors decide to experiment. A striking example is the German crime drama Run, Lola, Run, which has earned more than 25 different awards. This expressive and unusual tape is like a puzzle, where over and over again you need to start all over again until you find the right solution.
Interesting movies about robberies
Within the multifaceted genre under consideration, there is a separate category, which can be called a "movie about a robbery." This group often comes across genuine masterpieces.
Ocean Trilogy.
Its creator is American director Steven Soderbergh. It was he who took the half-forgotten old film with Frank Sinatra and turned the adventures of the talented Danny Ocean, robbing a casino, into one of the highest grossing remakes in the history of cinema. The trilogy now includes paintings "Eleven Ocean Friends", "Twelve Ocean Friends" and "Thirteen Ocean Friends." And in 2018, another director, Gary Ross, shot a spin-off for this franchise called Ocean’s Eight Friends.
“The Illusion of Deception” (2013).
One of the most spectacular and spectacular films about the robberies of all time. A group of talented illusionists is carrying out a real robbery of a Paris bank under the guise of a show, and all this is right before the amazed audience and the police, who do not want to believe their eyes.
“How to Steal a Skyscraper” (2011).
A film with a brilliant cast - Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck. "Little People" rebel against the world business elite and not only plan to rob one of the bigwigs, but also take a series of frankly hooligan tricks, for example, the collapse of the windshield with a golf club.
Of the older films on this subject, already considered classics, one can name “Robbery” with Jean-Paul Belmondo, “How to Steal a Million” with Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn, as well as “The Fugitives” with Pierre Richard and Gerard Depardieu.
Real-Life Movies
Some films about fraud and scam are based on real events, and therefore are of particular interest to fans of the genre.
"PiraMMMida" (2011).
Russian picture, based on the autobiography of the infamous Sergei Mavrodi. The film tells about the realities of the “crazy 90s” and contains a lot of hints of real political figures.
The Mystification (2006).
The film, where Richard Gere plays the writer Clifford Irving, who in the 70s became famous for publishing a trumped biography of the famous hermit millionaire in the pursuit of royalties and went to prison for it.
“Plastic” (2014).
The British comedy film about a real scam, which was carried out by a group of young people who managed to get into the holy of holies of the largest credit card corporation working with plastic cards. The British themselves consider this crime one of the most high-profile and daring in their history.
Films about scammers and swindlers can be both easy and funny, and quite serious and even deep. But they are united by one important quality: they never let the viewer get bored.
