Fakers (2004)

Undescribable Perfection

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

hyped garbage

Best movie of this year hands down!

Not a classic, but lots of fun. Matthew Rhys is rather adorable as a man who owes money to a mobster (this situation is completely unexplained, but the movie clearly doesn't depend on an explanation), and comes up with a scheme to forge a famous drawing and sell it to multiple galleries in order to raise the money. Absurd, of course, but that's virtually required when all the usual descriptors apply - romp, caper, etc. Yes, there are ridiculous holes in the plot, and yes, the entire enterprise depends on most characters being completely clueless, but none of this detracts from the viewer's enjoyment. I've spent 2 hours of my life in much worse ways than watching this little charmer.

I have a certain affection for indie films. Occasionally you'll find a diamond amongst the rough, and I was hoping to find something similar in FAKERS. Although I didn't find a gem, there were some shining moments that made it worthwhile.Matthew Rhys plays down-on-his-luck Nick Edwards, a man with a cash-flow problem. He needs $50,000 to pay off a debt he owes to a rather dubious London gangster boss played by Art Malik (the terrorist from TRUE LIES). Nick's time on Earth appears to be drawing to a close, as he sees no way to make that amount of money in the necessary time-frame (one week). But then he stumbles across a sketch by a famous early 20th century artist and his mind begins to work through his problems. Not worth enough to cover his debt, he devises a scheme to make multiple copies of the sketch and sell it to several local galleries on the same day.Kate Ashfield (SHAUN OF THE DEAD) plays love interest Eve Evans, a hardworking bartender who's love of money may overshadow her affections for Nick. She decides to help Nick with his problem ...but only if she can benefit, too.Tom Chambers plays Eve's brother, Tony, the sketch artist who will make the forgeries. An introspective and talented artist in his own right, he eventually learns how gifted he truly is as the film comes to its climax.The acting was great. This was the shining portion of what could have been a rare gem. All of the characters were quirky, misguided, and fun to watch. The dialogue was equally entertaining as we watch Nick verbally joust with the London boss ("I spend most of my time in the company of intelligent people so when you come round it's a real change.") The script was a hodge-podge of too many story lines trying to connect too man characters. The multiple introduction of several gallery owners as prime players toward the end of the film lent a serious lopsidedness to the finale. The ending itself seemed to indicate more to come but was cut short without resolution, which made it very frustrating.As a whole the film was an okay picture, but it needed some polishing to make it truly shine.

Unlike some people who have commented on this film, I have actually seen it and therefore feel more qualified to add my own comments. Considering the age of the director, I think this is an excellent effort. The story is fast moving and amusing. There is plenty of action without unnecessary violence or profanity. There is a definite similarity to the old and highly successful Ealing comedies. The film was made on a limited budget as are many films of this genre but this certainly does not have any adverse affect on the enjoyment of the film. Please let us have more positive comments on our British made films from the younger generations, our film industry needs as much support as it can get.

With multiple twists and a skewed comedic narrative, this art forgery crime caper keeps itself interesting even though we have seen the genre. The crime boss may steal the show, but a lot of work goes into setting everything up. The main characters have their own quirks and history which makes them more believable as movie characters although not with enough individual development to make us really sympathize with them. The third level characters continue the pattern of individual variation which makes for some more comedy and uncertainty as to the next event. The whole very large audience of over one thousand people was laughing loudly and frequently. Definitely worth checking out if you get the chance.