The thriller Criminal is the cinema equivalent of the old street-scam shell game.

Even if you scrutinize those three shells being manipulated, you'll likely get tricked -- it's all sleight of hand.

The same is true of Criminal in which a veteran petty scam artist takes a younger crook under his wing.

Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) spies Rodrigo (Diego Luna) trying to trick a casino waitress into giving him extra change.

Gaddis promises Rodrigo there are far better scams when two people work together.

It's essential in watching Criminal to remember most things are likely not what they seem. A few are and those are the red herrings that will trip up even the best armchair detective.

The film is based on the 2002 hit Argentinean film Nine Queens. What made that so taut was a true sense of danger and menace.

The Gaddis character was a thug among thugs while the Rodrigo character was a true innocent.

There was a genuine feeling Gaddis would kill Rodrigo at any moment but not so with Reilly playing Gaddis.

He still looks and acts like the pathetic husband he played in the musical Chicago -- he's a big teddy bear not a killer grizzly.

Luna is more convincing as the innocent, but his Rodrigo is also no dunce, which brings some of the tension back into the scams.

Criminal will work best for people who've never seen Nine Queens. It will take them on a serpentine journey.

But those who've seen the original will be bored.

(This film is rated 14-A)

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