‘Wind’ is folksy, ‘Confidence’ is familiar, both are fun

‘Wind’ is breezy and warm-hearted

Christopher Guest seems to have found his niche in

pseudo-documentary comedy films. He co-wrote and acted in the classic

“This is Spinal Tap,” which mocked heavy metal bands. He co-wrote,

directed and acted in “Waiting for Guffman,” poking fun at community

theater, and “Best in Show,” lampooning dog shows.

Now, in “A Mighty Wind,” Guest takes on the world of folk music.

Irving Steinbloom, a legendary manager of 1960s folk music groups,

has died. His children organize a memorial concert, featuring three

of the acts their father managed -- the New Main Street Singers, the

Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean) and

Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara).

The storylines about the Folksmen and the New Main Street Singers

are a bit choppy and really could have used more focus. The Folksmen

are still a lot of fun to watch, mainly because Shearer, Guest and

McKean have worked together so often, their improvised humor is

effortless and natural. The New Main Street Singers provides one of

the best performances in the film -- Jane Lynch as Laurie Bohner

manages an unnerving blend of perky and creepy.

The storyline about Mitch and Mickey is the most cohesive and

actually ends up being quite touching. They were once partners

romantically and musically, until a bitter breakup that neither of

them has completely recovered from.

Levy (writer) and Guest (writer and director) obviously have a lot

of affection for folk music, because they have created such a

kind-hearted spoof of the subject.

“A Mighty Wind” could have used some more bite to its humor, but

there are still plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It would also have

been nice if there had been more full-length songs in the film, since

the few we get -- “Old Joe’s Place,” “Kiss At the End of the Rainbow”

and “Wanderin’” -- are great.

“A Mighty Wind” doesn’t reach the giddy heights of “Spinal Tap”

and is not as sharp as “Best in Show,” but is a funny, gentle take on

the folk music world.

* TRICIA BEHLE lives in Newport Beach and works as a software

validator.

‘Confidence’ is an amusing diversion

Using variations on themes from many other movies, “Confidence” is

a classic Hollywood crime caper flick. It dusts off the old formula

of a con game within a con game and leaves you wondering who is

really part of the scam and who is the victim. Beginning at the end

of the story, the screenplay uses a series of lively flashbacks to

reveal the twists and turns that brought the players to this final

situation.

The story centers on a team of con artists led by the very sharp

Jake Vig, played with snappy dialogue and voice-overs by Ed Burns.

Rachel Weisz is the sexy Lily, the team’s femme fatale and mandatory

“skirt” in the con. Two rogue cops working as undercover narcs assist

Jake in exchange for a cut of the action. Andy Garcia adds

complications as a mysterious federal agent on the trail of the whole

crew.

When Jake successfully defrauds $150,000 from an accountant who is

secretly working for a mob boss called the King, he finds himself the

target of dangerous and unwanted attention. The King, played with

sinister verve by a grizzled Dustin Hoffman, runs a strip club as a

front for his criminal enterprise.

To save his skin, Jake agrees to a $5-million scam on one of

King’s enemies. The rest of the story centers on the many

complications in the elaborate scheme to take down the mark.

If this all sounds familiar, it should. This movie is full of

elements seen before in films such as “The Grifters,” “Get Shorty”

and “House of Games,” but lacks their gritty edge. With a slightly

comic feel to its film noir pretensions, “Confidence” is more akin to

lighter fare such as “Oceans 11” or “The Sting.”

Slick and well made, it’s an amusing diversion for an evening,

even if it’s all been done before.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.