Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Pluskylang Great Film overall

JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

tomsview In his autobiography, "Wide-Eyed in Babylon", Ray Milland told about witnessing a performance by Charles Laughton while co-starring with him in "Payment Deferred".First Laughton rolled his eyes until only the whites showed. Then his lips twitched and quivered, and then he began to slobber. This went on until Milland was convinced Laughton was having an epileptic fit. Finally the director called, "Cut."Milland discreetly asked the director whether he considered what he had just witnessed to be fine acting. The director assured him that it wasn't, simply sheer self-indulgence, but that Milland shouldn't start feeling superior because he would be doing it himself if he lasted that long. The director considered it an occupational disease with most actors.This goes a long way towards explaining Nicholas Cage's performance in "Deadfall".The film is about con men, involving the same con that was the basis of "The Sting". "Deadfall", made in 1993, predates 2003's "Confidence" in 'paying homage' to that great movie. Joe Dolan, played by Michael Biehn is involved in a sting that goes wrong when he accidentally shoots and kills his father, Mike Dolan. With his dying words, Mike sends his son to find his Uncle Lou. Mike and Lou are both played by James Coburn. Lou decides to bring Joe in on a life fulfilling "long" con and teams him up with Eddie, his right-hand man. Eddie, played by Nicholas Cage, becomes stressed by Joe's presence and this leads to increasingly excessive behaviour. Cage's performance is startling. To portray Eddie's anger management issues, Cage must have felt that tantrums along the lines of a child experiencing the terrible twos would be about right. After a fight with his girlfriend, Cage lays on a bed kicking and screaming. Cage also adopted a false nose for the role as though he knew he was going to cut loose and possibly felt he needed a little anonymity. One is forced to ask if the director, Christopher Copolla, had any control over Cage at all? The answer could lie in the fact that Nicholas Cage is Christopher Copolla's brother – his little bro' in fact. Joe becomes involved in his uncle's scam. The mark is one Dr. Lyme, who has a taste for beautiful diamonds. Distractingly, the doctor wears an artificial hand that features a large pair of scissors not unlike Edward Scissorhands' in hedge trimming mode. This arresting prosthesis gives his character a cartoonish quality – just another odd element in a movie that lacks a consistent style. The scam goes down, and the movie ends with a series of twists that are too contrived to create much impact. "Deadfall" is unbalanced by some extreme characterisations, and is so derivative that there is not much originality left in the film – other than Nicholas Cage's performance that is.

Lee Eisenberg I watched "Deadfall" on the TV channel FearNet, which usually shows horror flicks. I spent about half the time watching the movie trying to understand why anyone considered it a horror movie; in my opinion, there's no reason to classify it as anything. A loosely constructed story of a man (Michael Biehn) trying to reclaim family heirloom from his con artist uncle (James Coburn), this is one truly low movie. It seems as if they were trying to make several different movies at once. Nicolas Cage plays his role as if he's getting pumped full of air, while Charlie Sheen, Talia Shire and Peter Fonda all get wasted (as does Mickey Dolenz in one scene).Overall, as far as I can tell, this movie has no purpose except to show Nicolas Cage overacting. Just because the movie apparently constitutes a family get-together for the Coppola clan (aside from starring Nicolas Cage and Talia Shire, it is directed by Christopher Coppola), that doesn't count for anything. My advice is to avoid it. Although I gotta say that Sarah Trigger looked pretty hot in some scenes.

Lt_Coffey_182 What is everyone's problem with this film? It really isn't that bad. I can not believe how many people have given this film a 1. This is a very low budget, very B movie that manages to turn out a fairly average film. Considering the cast, it should be much better but that doesn't justify the unfair criticism. Nicolas Cage is awful in this film, probably spoils most of it with his over acting. Hard to believe that it is the same man who was such a star in The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off! Michael Biehn has been much better but he is very likeable and believable, especially with his fears over the final con. The best scene in the film no doubt belongs to Biehn and Charlie Sheen. I headed for the snooker club afterwards and felt the need to sniffle "Damn, I'm good!" Needs to be given a chance.

KjetilG Yes! When that man is Nicolas Cage. I've seen this film many times, and it is terrible. I mean, the story is not very original and Biehn is incredibly boring. That man has no personality at all. But from Cage's first appearance to his last breath of air, the movie is lifted up to the level of pure pleasure. The big hair, the ludicrous moustache and the very strange voice... What can I say. Probably Cage's best performance, or at least equally funny as his part in Vampire's Kiss. If you believe that Cage's finest hours are Wings of Desire and Con Air, please check this movie out. Then you will see Hollywood's finest comedy actor make magic with nothing but his own unique personality. If you bought this on videotape there is one thing you must do after the first look-through: Save time by cutting out all the scenes before and after Cage. And to all of you who borrowed this film to see Charles (sic!) Sheen: Ha-ha...losers.