Rating: 
Summary: One of 1990's very best movies. Angelica Houston amazes
Review: In my opinion after Good Fellas, The Grifters was by far the best movie of 1990. Unfortunately both movies came out in a year that members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided that Kevin Costner's over praised Dances With Wolves was the best thing that had happened to the film world since the money making PG-13 rating.Readers of my reviews may know that I hate to give away even the smallest detail in trying to express whether I liked a movie or not, so all that I will say is that the movie involves three characters involved in different types of con games, a theme that was explored in a wickedly delectable fashion in Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liasons. What makes both of these movies so exciting is that although they all have elements of violence, the most potent weapons used are the brain and the heart. All characters are flawed in one way or another, their actions are believable, and most of the time the consequences of said actions will lead to something that cannot be stopped. The three leading performers are John Cusack, Angelica Houston, and Annette Benning. Both Huston and Benning were nominated for the Oscar, but both were robbed of the gold by more showy performances by Kathy Bates and Whoopi Goldberg, in Misery and Ghost, respectively. John Cusack and the movie itself were not even nominated. At least Stephen Frears finally received a well-deserved nomination for Direction as he was ignored for Dangerous Liaisons. Angelica Houston gives one of the gutsiest and most unsentimental performances ever filmed. Annette Benning has never been better. She's like a cat in this movie and uses her body and intelligence to create an illusion of what she wants people to see. John Cusack, who rarely if ever has hit a false note in his career, brings surprising humanity and a defiance to create a character that is hard to forget. Every single supporting performance, especially Pat Hingle and J.T. Walsh, make a strong impression and serve to give the movie a strong base to take its challenging path without ever feeling like it has cheated the audience in any of its multiple surprises. In a nutshell, although the story is very well crafted, it's the direction and performances that make this movie resonate. It's simply a joy to watch actors at the top of their game, and for me it was a hoot to see Annette Benning to her thing as this was the first time that I had seen any of her work. When I see a movie like this, which I just saw for the first time since it first came out, I am reminded of how much I love movies made for adults and made without the commercial tie-ins, focus groups, and ratings considerations that seem to rule the industry with more frequency. Don't get me wrong, I too enjoy a well made pop-corn summer flick, but it is movies like The Grifters that stay with you long after you see them. More recent examples include 1997's underrated The Ice Storm and Jackie Brown as well as 2000's Memento. If you like movies that look into the dark places of the mind, are unapologetically unsentimental, and focus on characters who are not cardboard stereotypes, this one is for you. One note, it's not a movie for kids as there are some scenes and ideas that are already hard to watch as an adult.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Addition to the Con Genre
Review: Just like in The Sting where the audience is ultimately the victim of the scam/plot of the film, The Grifters finally makes the viewer challenge what they know about the three main characters in the film. Since the three leads played by John Cusack, Angelica Huston, and Annette Benning, are all in the business of deceiving other people for profit, we have to treat what they say with more than a little skepticism. In fact, by the end of the film, we have to wonder if these characters are so immersed in their world of "the grift" that they can't even be truthful with themselves. Is Lily really Roy's mother? She thinks so, if it will help her survive.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Note to previous reviewer - yes, it is just you. This film is overflowing style, sharp writing, and standout performances. A movie such as this is hard to beat.
Rating:
Summary: FIVE, Not Just Three Great Performances
Review: Of course, the star trio (Huston, Cusack, and Bening) is flawless, but veteran "heavy" Pat Hingle, late as Commissioner Gordon of the "Batman" films holds his own as "Bobo Justis," Huston's "sugar daddy," to say the least. His malevolent character does not warrant any sympathy and his abuse of Huston is quite disturbing. However, one won't forget him, either. "The Grifters" also sports a great Elmer Bernstein score, subtle but highly effective.
Rating:
Summary: ELEVATOR TO HELL
Review: Produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Stephen Frears, THE GRIFTERS is a winner. With three top actors, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening and John Cusack, Frears invites us to a non-stop ride to hell. Caught between his mother and his girl-friend, John Cusack will have a hard time to survive and become a man. You can almost touch the hate those two women feel for each other. Their last encounter is really a scene you will remember : set in Phoenix, in a motel, in a subtle variation of PSYCHO's first murder, it is a moment of great cinema. Cusack is outstanding as the gentle grifter, Frear's cinematography is first class and Anjelica has never been so devilish. No doubt about it, THE GRIFTERS is a masterpiece of the film noir genre. A DVD that bleeds.
Rating:
Summary: raw and priceless
Review: Reading the back cover of the tape I was pretty sure I would not like the movie. I rented it, saw it, and had to decide I was right. "The Grifters" can be appreciated and valued for the spectacular dialogue and acting -- but the subject matter prevents such a bland reaction as 'liking'. Personally, I was downright fascinated and absorbed! There is absolutely no moral center to the movie, no leading lesson, and that allowed me to concentrate not on so much on the action as on the interactions among the characters. Incidentally, the scenes between Anjelica Huston and John Cusack, from the very beginning to the end, are probably the best I have ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Vastly overrated
Review: Sleazy things happening to three sleazy characters neither I nor my girfriend could muster any feeling for. The highlight of the movie for me was "the lady or the loot". I'm a fan of John Cusack and I've liked Frears' other films. I simply could not see what the fuss was about this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film, good DVD...
Review: Small complaints re: the DVD are the sound quality (a restored 5.1 audio would have been nice), director Stephen Frears' rambling and almost entirely uninformative commentary and Annette Benning's [Myra] absence from the project (making it feel incomplete). That said, the features are good, short but informative and the commentary by Donald Westlake [screenwriter], Anjelica Huston [Lily] and John Cusack [Roy] provide interesting details of their work and the film itself.
Rating: 
Summary: Huston Shines, but the rest of cast mediocre
Review: Some say The Grifters is "neo-Noir", but the film lacks intrigue and characterization, except for the role played by Angelica Huston. She really carries the movie. The director tries to give the 3 leads equal time, but the film is interesting only when Huston in on screen. Annette Benning is a bit over-the-top and John Cusack is boring. It is difficult to envision the audience being sympathetic with these two low-life characters. Huston's mom, however, is complex and engaging - she is unfathomable and vulnerable at the same time. This would have been a better film, if it just concentrates on Huston's character, especially her involvment and interaction with the mob.
Rating:
Summary: Who is a boy going to talk to, if not his mother?
Review: The best crime film around.
Adapted by Donald Westlak, of Bernie Rodenbar fame, from a book by Jim Thompson, Get Shorty.
Don't come expecting 'Better off Dead' John Cusack!
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