19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lock, Stock and 5 Conniving Criminals., April 20, 2001
If the like a movie with Twists and Treachery, Deception and Double Crosses, then "Circus" should be Right up your Alley.
John Hannah and Famke Janssen star as a Husband and Wife in Debt up to their Criminal Eyeballs. Their plans to become Debt Free, Decent Citizens are Marred by a Bunch of Shady Characters, including Peter Stormare as a Computer Hacker / Blackmailer, Fred Ward as a Bank Robber / Hit man, Brian Conley as a Casino Owner / Mob Boss, Tiny Lister Jr as a Henchman and Eddie Izzard as a Loanshark.
The Performances are Great all round, not One Actor Hogs the Screen or Bogs its down, but no one really Stands out neither. If I had to pick one performance that I liked best, I'd have to choose between Izzard and Conley. They both play their Tough guy Thug roles to a Tea. (excuse the lame "tea" pun)
"Circus" has been promoted as another "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" Rip-off, but that is Misleading. It rarely shoots for Comedy, but when it Does, it hits the mark. It is Darker, more Mature, more Americanised and it has a more "Film Noir" feel.
Some may feel that the film gets Buried under a pile of Illogical Twists, and Dim-Witted Double crosses. Many Critics have said that, but I disagree. If you get into the story, and keep track of whose who, you'll most likely Enjoy yourself.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Izzard Blizzard, October 29, 2002
Fairly soggy with enjoyable aspects. Has the feel of an initial effort by a smart and creative director who hasn't yet gotten his storytelling chops honed. Feels like the director loves con films enough to savor the details saying to his viewer "but I don't have to tell you how that works..." without quite having the panache to pull off the genre. John Hannah - charming but poorly directed. Famke Janssen is implausibly beautiful and not charasmatic enough to be paired believably with Hannah. Brian Conley as mob boss cliche stinks up the screen and Eddy Izzard is wasted in a ill-concieved bit part but still burns up the celluloid.
To fix this movie: Break the screen into four panes ala the DVD cover. Put Eddy izzard in one and let him do his act. Put John Hannah in a second and show him smoking a cigarette. Put Famke Janssen in a third alternately laughing fetchingly at Izzard and batting her eyes at Hannah. In the fourth panel run The Sting...
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A witty and intelligent caper!, May 28, 2001
Con man Leo Garfield can't seem to get a break in life. Seems like everyone in the world is after him to settle a score in the movie "Circus," one of the best capers I've ever seen in my life. There's so much going on at one time that confusion will set in, but don't give up on it, because everything comes together in the end of the film. The mysteries and attention-grabbers have a nice way of keeping our interest, while the husband-and-wife combo do more than just set up the plot twists.
To try and sum up the plot of the film would require a second viewing directly after the first, as well as reveal some of the shockers that come along with the story. But here's a simple taste: Leo and Lily are connected to just about every shady character known to man. There's Bruno, who seems to be in charge of everything that goes on, but may not be as in control as he thinks. There's Caspar, who tries everything he can think of to hold his enemies under his power.
Then there are the pawns in the mystery game: there's Elmo, whose past involvement with Lily brings him into town with a score to settle. We have Moose, whose loyalty to the person in charge is as shifty as a summer breeze. And then we have Julius, who ends up playing on the most important roles in connection with the main characters.
The first thing about this movie that must be made clear is that nothing is what it seems until the end. Trying to solve the mystery will get you nowhere, because once you think you have it, a scene will reveal one person's interaction with another character that completely tosses your theories and suspicions out the window. At times, it weaves such an intricate web...that you can't help but think that it can't possibly have a plausible outcome.
But you're wrong. The ending is not only the best of endings for a movie of this sort, but it remembers the previous actions and twists and binds them all together to make more sense to the viewer. Like any good suspense caper, upon seeing the climax, you'll recall earlier scenes that you once thought were obsolete or hard to follow, and they make sense.
The two main characters, Leo and Lily, are intriguing to watch interact with one another as well as other characters onscreen, mainly due to the superb acting of John Hannah and Famke Janssen. Hannah is able to possess a certain slyness to his character, and his thin form and way with wit fit the role perfectly. It's kind of ironic, in a way: the small, lightweight guy is able to defeat the burly, powerful men chasing him. Famke Janssen is a knockout as Lily, her sarcastic way with words and her...demeanor certainly fitting the role of femme fatale her character requires. The romance between these two characters is just right: believable while never becoming too banal or sappy, and never overpowering the story or taking away from its focus.
There are movies like "The Cell" which take us on visionary journeys into surrealistic realms, and then there are movies like "Circus," a movie for those of us in the mood for a plausible mind trip. The logical outcome of the films many different plot twists is a satisfying climax, and the acting ability and suspense are all to boot. This is one of the best capers ever made! I loved this movie!
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