Perhaps phishing emails have taken the romance out of con artistry, but “Sharper” feels downright quaint in
its Russian-doll plotting of elaborate scams. That’s no crime in itself, but the movie also confirms that
stories about con artists might require more panache, or at least a sense of danger.
The movie opens with a rom-com coziness, as Sandra (Briana Middleton) meets Tom (Justice Smith) in his
tastefully appointed Greenwich Village bookshop. Their goo-goo-eyed dating ends badly, with the extraction of a
large sum of cash. Each chapter of the film then pulls back the curtain on one of the characters. We learn that
Sandra previously crossed paths with Max (Sebastian Stan), a smooth operator who is close to the Fifth Avenue
habitué Madeline (Julianne Moore).
Madeline in turn is dating a billionaire (John Lithgow), who’s about as safe in this setup as a chicken in a
shark tank. The false fronts of the plotting are the film’s only reliable kick, and so they’re best left
unexposed here, but the general modus operandi hinges on triggering protective impulses and panic responses.
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