Sucker (2015) - full transcript

Told any good lies lately?

Lying is a part
of human nature.

We all tell lies.

And those of you
who don't

are lying.

Who wants to play?
Who wants to play?

You can't win
if you're not in.

This one's a classic--

one of the oldest
street swindles in the world--

the three-card monte.

Find the lady.
Toss the broad.



The lady in red
will get you ahead.

The jokers black
will set you back.

See if you can do it.

Keep your eye on the queen.

Ten-to-one.
"Ten-to-one," the man says.

Those are the odds
and not the time,

unless it's time
to play!

Let me introduce the Professor.

The beauty of
the three-card monte

is that even though
people know it's a scam,

they still play.

Everybody wants
to beat the man.

In fact, no sucker will ever win
the three-card monte.

Ooh!



Unless he's in on the game.

Yep, that's me.

And I'm no sucker.

Three-card monte's
the name of the game.

A few years ago,
I learnt to tell lies

for profit and pleasure.

You would probably call me
a con man, a swindler.

I prefer the term

"professional liar."

So let me tell you the truth.

Come on, trust me.

And start.

You recognize this scene, right?

Final maths exam.

Chinese kid.

Nervous, but he's totally
gonna ace it.

Well, you'd be right
if you were talking about him.

But we're talking about me,

the good-looking one.

Aaah!

It's all fun and games,
Master Lawrence,

until someone loses an eye.

Can my son
still sit the exam?

Lawrence has brought great shame to the school.

There's also the injury to young Jeremy Fong to consider.

But no exam
means no university.

I'm afraid Lawrence must suffer
the maximum penalty.

Lawrence?

There are no short cuts.

Cheating will never
get you anywhere.

But, Mum, everyone's going.
There'll be girls.

You're not going to Schooler Paradise.
Surfer's Paradise.

You promised us
you studied.

You lied to your family.
Our entire family is full of doctors.

Don't we have enough?

What are you going to be then, huh?
I don't know.

My sister in China has bought a ticket to come to your graduation.

What am I going to tell her?
You can tell her about Schooler's Paradise.

Fine!
I'll pay you back.

Every last cent.

What did they expect?

The average person lies
six times a day.

And I only cheated
that one time.

I guess you gotta
start somewhere.

What the hell! You want a phone,
you need a job.

You want a job,
you need an education.

Chinese lucky money?
Call as soon as you get there.

With what?

Try to be a good boy.

Look at these monkeys.
They think they get something for nothing.

But they're just idiots
for us to laugh at.

You need to work hard
for what you want.

Life is not a game show.

Lawrence, just because your father sent you here as a punishment

does not mean
you cannot have fun.

I can put on my computer
for you to play on.

- Do you have a modem?
- No, Lawrence.

A Macintosh.

Uncle Sam loved chess.

I mean, really loved it.

Chess taught him everything
that was important in life--

discipline,
tradition, self-control.

I want to die.

Lawrence, Soo Jin
is our club champion.

Lawrence is very smart.

Make a good
Chinese boyfriend.

I will leave
you two kids together.

I'm sure you'll have
lots to talk about.

She's eight.
No, Soo Jin is 10, and I'm 52.

Anyone who can beat your uncle
in a game of chess

must have something
worthwhile to say.

That's the spirit.

Excuse me, sir.

If you're not here to play chess,
I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

My good man,
I am here to play.

A visitor's game
is five dollars.

Who's the president
of this fine establishment?

- I am.
- Oh, excellent.

You're a man of chess,
no less.

A yellow Kasparov.

I, too,
am quite the master

even if I do say so myself,
which I do!

I've not been beaten
for nine years.

This is a tragedy,
but I've come all the way...

to the antipodes
for a new challenge.

Mr. President,
I propose to you a wager.

Defeat me
in a single game,

and you can ram-jam ramabam
these 50 clams...

into your old skyrocket.

I don't play for money.

Oh!

So who is the best player
in the club?

Me!
Ah!

I won the club championship three times.

Oh, my.

Delighted to meet you,
young lady.

Enough!

In that case,
I shall defeat you all.

This is a serious club.

Very well. I shall defeat
at least half of you.

Gentlemen--
and young lady--

the terms
of tonight's wager.

I shall play you,
Chairman Mao.

In fact,
I shall play you all.

I stake my money that
A: I will defeat you, sir,

B: I will defeat
at least half of you,

and C:

I will play you all
at exactly the same time!

Hmm.

Hmm. Well.

Checkmate. Yes!

Gentlemen, thank you for being
so gracious in defeat.

But ruminate on this.

Next time,
I might play sober.

He's brilliant.

Yeah. Very clever.

Why would you be following
an old drunk down an alley?

I'm a good judge of character,
young man,

and you don't look
like a ruffian to me.

You forgot something.
Ah, my whiskey!

Thank you.

Your cold tea.

A harmless little deception

in order to lower the expectations of one's adversaries.

You're very perceptive for a young man who doesn't play chess.

Neither do you.

But you just saw me
play 10 games at once.

I'm the grand pooh-bah.

I haven't lost a match
in 12 years.

Nine years.
Well, time flies when you're having fun.

You didn't win 10 games.
You didn't win any games at all.

You played them
against each other.

You watched the move
one player made against you...

and copied it
on the opposite board.

Of course you would win
half the games.

And you beat my uncle

because you played him
against the club champion.

Checkmate. Yes!

Lawrence, isn't it?

Well, Lawrence,
you've busted my gaffe.

You're Joe hep.
You're hep to the game.

And your keen eye has earned you a pineapple here tonight.

Would you mind?

So you walk in,
steal their money

and walk away
just like that?

Lawrence, that hurts.

I didn't break any of
the Ten Commandments tonight.

I didn't murder anybody.

I didn't covet
my neighbor's donkey,

and I certainly
didn't steal anything.

You've just insulted
an old man who gave you $50.

My uncle's $50.

The lure of easy money...

clouds rational thought.

You cannot cheat
an honest man.

That is the first rule
of my occupation.

A con man.

I prefer the term
"professional liar."

Lawrence!
I should go-- Wait!

My money.
Easy come, easy go.

That also tends
to be something of a rule.

I need that money.

If you want to earn it back,
Sunday morning at the mall.

Good evening,
Lawrence.

Come on, mate.

Good morning.

Good morning, young man.

It's Lawrence.

What are you doing here?

You said you might
need a hand.

What kind of hand?

With whatever scam
you've got going on.

Do you think you might like
to speak up a little?

I don't think everybody
quite heard you.

Look about you.
What do you see, hmm?

Magazines.

For every
imaginable interest,

but they're all concerned
with desire.

People want
what they can't have.

Some are more obviously
concerned with desire.

Persuasion is about giving
people what they want.

I don't want this. Perhaps not,
Master Lawrence.

But ask yourself this.

Turn around.

What do you want, hmm?

Thank you.

- My wife is seven months pregnant.
- Excuse me?

A long-time customer
of this establishment.

A subscriber
to many fine magazines.

I'm sorry.
What was her name?

- And you send her this.
- Oh. Dear.

Perhaps we could just exchange it for the correct publication.

Yes, of course.
I do apologize.

No, no, no.
If there's anything I can do.

Not at all.

However--

she's always complaining about the lack of a good pair of scissors.

Ah. How much for
your very best pair?

Oh, please.

It would be
my pleasure, sir.

Oh, that is too kind.

Thank you. Good day.

Confidence is about trust.

Can I borrow $50?
You already have my 50.

Hmm, I suppose you might
see it that way.

Do you really think you've
got what it takes, hmm?

Sure.

Convince her
to take the money.

My $50?
Yep.

But you have to
keep the wallet.

Oh, sorry.
Is that your wallet?

Um, no. Is it yours?

No, it's a man's wallet.
Yes, um--

Anyway, do you want the money?
What? No.

I mean, I just thought I'd keep the wallet,
and you could have the--

Here.

See if there's
any ID in it.

Look, a family man.
Oh, and $50.

Don't you want it? No.
Isn't there, like, a card or something?

No. Wait.

All right.

Hello. Is this--

Yes, speaking.

Oh, really?
Oh, thank goodness.

What is your name?
Sarah. Oh, that's lovely.

Yes, I have a daughter
called Sarah.

Listen, anyway,
we've got your wallet, so--

Look, I'd like
to give you a reward.

Those photos mean
so much to me.

How does $200 sound?

That's not necessary.
No, not at all.

It's for your honesty.
It's such a rare quality.

- Hey! Give me the wallet.
- No, I found it.

Look, I want the wallet.
Keep the 50. I'm keeping the wallet.

It's a man's wallet. I want it for my dad.
You take the money.

The wallet's worth
more than $50.

Yes. So?

Take the money?

No, you idiot.
What are you doing?

Please take the money?
Oh, my God.

He's an idiot.

He wants to talk to you.

Hello?

You're supposed to say,
"How 'bout I sell you the wallet?

How much are you
willing to pay?"

This is the guy that busted
your chess swindle?

This is Lawrence.
He's no Laurence Olivier.

But he is damn cute.

Yeah. She didn't say that.

This is the guy that busted your chess swindle?
This is Lawrence.

I told you that scam was rubbish.
It's old, and so are you.

Lawrence, meet Sarah.

Come on, Dad.
We can do better.

We leave tomorrow night.

♪ Don't, don't

♪ Don't, don't

♪ Don't, don't

♪ This ordinary thing

♪ Can be more colorful
than you say it is ♪

♪ The cardinal sin

♪ Is to tell a lie,
but now you must give in ♪

♪ The storm came down on you

♪ Just like it was the end

I've never heard
of such a thing.

It's like a bus
with medical students.

We drive around to help out
country hospitals.

Medibus.
But you are not a medical student.

Not yet.

I need a job if I'm ever
going to pay back Dad.

Lots of driving.
Very dangerous.

At least if we have an accident,
the bus is full of doctors.

Hey.

It's a joke, Uncle.

Why don't you ever
speak Cantonese?

Thanks for everything,
Uncle.

Make sure to call
every few days.

I will.

Ah!

With a belly full of hot tea,
all is in harmony.

Confucius?
No, Lawrence.

Antioxidants.

I want to learn to do
what you do.

What do you think it is
that I do?

You're a con artist,
aren't you?

I'm a reader of people.

Ordinary people.

What about that man?
What do you think he does?

He's a businessman.
Mm-hmm.

A stockbroker or something.
How do you know that?

It's an expensive suit.

Cheap shoes.

The affectation of status.

That's his tell.

He's a salesman,
popular at school,

probably captain
of the football team.

He's married, but he's having an affair.
How do you know?

He has a mobile,
but he's using a pay phone.

His wife checks his bills.
The battery could be flat.

I used to have partners.

Long ago, far away.

We pulled long cons,
short cons, card scams.

We played the Melon Drop,
the Rainmaker,

the Fiddle Game, the Wire,
and even the Badger.

Always assume that the more sordid explanation is correct.

Hi, honey.

Yes. Still at work.

Yeah. Sure.

Lawrence,

the game is not a game.

You would have to follow my directions.
Of course.

I need to be able
to trust you.

There's no running back home the first time things become tricky.

It's not going to happen.

And another thing.

You must never tell anybody
about this. Ever.

Any of it.

Would you promise?

I... promise.

♪ Borders and horizon lines

♪ We're alone,
but side by side ♪

♪ We're yet to dream
We're yet to dream ♪

♪ Nothing here
is what it seems ♪

♪ There's an animal inside

♪ There's an animal inside

♪ Half awake and almost dead

♪ Keeping empty beds elsewhere

♪ We're yet to bleed
We're yet to bleed ♪

♪ All the time and energy

♪ Ah-ah-ah

♪ Ah-ah-ah
♪ In silence

♪ Ah-ah-ah

♪ In silence

♪ Could we try to reinvent

♪ Feed the head--

My parents would have killed me.

I wasn't even allowed
sleepovers.

And these people
were criminals--

but I didn't care.

I was exactly where
I wanted to be.

The first scam I learned
was the Lost Trinket.

We would look for
the worst pub in town--

with the dodgiest barman.

Someone with greed
in their bones.

I call these suckers
tin mittens.

You know I did drama
at school, right?

Shut up, Lawrence.
Do you want to go home to your stupid family?

- What can I get you?
- A drink for me and the lovely lady.

Just a beer, thanks.

There are five steps
to any good con.

First is roping the sucker.

We'd have a drink,
sit around for a bit, then leave.

Could you quit
the Hamlet routine?

What?

The next day,
I would come back to the same bar.

Hello, my good lady.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- My intended and I--
- My fiancée and I--

- were here the other day--
- And when she was dancing by the jukebox--

when she went
to powder her nose--

- we think she lost--
- she dropped-- - her pendant.

- I was hoping you might have--
- Wondering if you found it?

- No.
- It's really special to us.

- Family heirloom.
- It really means a lot to me.

- So if anyone finds it--
- could you ask them to call this number?

We're willing to offer you
a $1,000 reward.

Some time later,
the Professor would arrive.

His favorite routine
was to pretend to be drunk.

- Ooh.
- Look what I found.

Fuck me.

- That's mine.
- Oh, finders keepers.

It's worth a pretty penny,
I'd wager.

Mmm.

- Fifty bucks.
- A hundred?

Looks like gold to me.

200. That's it.

I think I'll just
hang on to it.

- 250.
- 300.

- 375.
- 400.

And a six-pack.

The most money
we ever made was--

550.

Hand it over, codger.

The final step
is the most important.

Come on, come on.

When the bartender calls the number-- Yes.
Hello.

Listen, I've found
your necklace.

The family heirloom.
What?

Huh?

- Shit.
- Fuck.

If he tried to sell
the necklace--

And best of all,
she can't tell the police...

because she took the money
straight from the cash register.

Sneaky fuckers.

Ah. Dodgy prigs.

Fuck this.

Where are you going?
I'm going for a walk. He could be ages.

Do you actually do that?
My record's two minutes.

I've never
been able to do it.

My mum taught me.
She can do it in 90 seconds.

Here.

She sounds like fun.

If you think it's fun
being a kid.

Where's your mum?

She left.
What do I do first?

Because
of the Professor?

He says the older I get,
the more I speak like her.

You know, I can see her face,
but I have no memory of her voice.

I wonder what
she sounds like now,

who she's talking to.

You're not the only one
who gets treated like a child.

We pulled all kinds
of different scams,

but what the Professor
really loved...

was cards.

No one knows exactly,

but it's believed
that cards were invented...

somewhere
in the seventh century...

by the Chinese.

What didn't we invent?

Cards were brought down
the Silk Road to markets

in Egypt and the Holy Land.

Originally,

they were used
to predict the future.

In the 15th century,
in Germany,

the printing press allowed cards
to be mass-produced.

Games of chance
flourished across Europe.

And of course,
the card cheats weren't far behind.

- Hold out your left hand.
- I'm right-handed.

Oh, really?

This... is your deck.

The cards must become
an extension of your body.

But keep them in your hand
even when you're asleep.

You must become intimate
with the weight, the feel,

the size of them.

Like the touch
of a lover's breast.

Wax on, wax off.

That's a bezique deck...

from 1910.

All 64 of them.

Cards used to be known
as pasteboards.

You just feel
the thickness of those.

There's over a hundred years
of grit on them.

It's the most valuable thing
that I own.

- What about me?
- I don't own you, my dear.

That much is obvious.

These are beautiful.

Where'd you get them from?

They were a wedding gift
from an old friend.

The only thing from that friendship that survived.

You never talk
about Riley.

Who's Riley?

We could have been brothers.

He taught me
how to play cards.

- He was a confidence man?
- He was no con man.

He was a thief.

You blame him
for everything.

He took something
very precious from me.

Maybe she was
just bored.

♪ You don't have to
fall in line ♪

♪ Life is such a crazy fight

♪ Live louder

♪ Uh

♪ Live louder

♪ Uh

♪ Hoo

Hey, look, I did it!

♪ Uh

♪ Live louder

♪ Yeah, ow

♪ Get up and dance like you dance when there's no one around ♪

♪ Sing a song the way you sing
when you're in the shower ♪

♪ Lose yourself, let your soul
redesign a new kind of cool ♪

♪ Redefine a new kind of

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la
♪ Louder

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la
♪ Live louder

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la
♪ Louder

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la

♪ Let it go

Don't ever let anybody tell you the hand is faster than the eye.

The hand cannot be
faster than the eye.

The hand is faster
than the mind.

Back in the pack, Jack.

♪ Go, go, go, go, go

♪ Dance like you dance
when there's no one around ♪

♪ Sing a song the way you sing when
you're in the shower ♪ ♪ I wanna hear you

♪ Lose yourself, let your soul
redefine a new kind of cool ♪

Sure, Uncle.
I'm making money.

Quite a bit, actually.

I don't have it all yet,
but I will.

♪ Live louder Anyway,
I have to go, Uncle.

Talk to you soon.

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la

No.

No. No.

What?
No!

- Excuse me!
- If you want to check the sign out there,

you'll see it's
"secondhand record store."

It's record.
Analogue.

A-N-A-L-O-G-U-E.

So if you want to listen to music on your telephone,
then I can't help you.

Ai-yi-yi-yi.

The chopsticks are
an extension of your body.

Very amusing. Yeah.

I thought you were supposed
to be good with your hands.

Well, I know
when I'm beaten.

Ah.
Charity.

Thank you.

Lawrence, this is
actually really good.

Mmm.

You have excelled yourself,
young man.

I would like
to propose a toast.

Yeah. In order
to welcome Lawrence

to our little family
of outcasts.

Lawrence.

I've had an idea for a scam.

Yes?
Oh, wow.

Very happy I am
you have this band.

I've looked
all over Japan for it.

I've looked on
worldwide super highway.

EBay. No can find.

How much you want it for?

Uh-- Mmm.
Minimal stylus damage.

Patina on the cover,
slightly foxed.

Let's say $15.

- Fifteen dollar?
- Australian.

Fifteen dollar?
Are you crazy in the mind?

All right. Ten?

I not pay you 10 or 15.

I pay you 50!

What the hell was that?

Japanese foreign exchange student.
Aren't you Chinese?

I've got range.
Great con.

So we're $50 down and holding
a piece-of-shit record called--

Oh, my God.
Telling the Tale.

Ah, excuse me.
Have you carry another album like this one?

Ah, no, no. Sadly, no.

Oh! Because
I need two album.

One album to take home to Japan.
I'm from Japan.

To put in picture frame on wall to show my high school friends.

And one to play,
to listen to it.

One album to play,
to listen to it,

and one to put in
picture frame on my wall

to show my high school friends,
in Japan.

I'm afraid I can't help you.
This is a very, very obscure item.

It's very rare,
and it's quite valuable too.

I know.
You not tell me this.

I looked on eBay.
Rory MacLachlan.

So popular in Japan.
That's where I'm from.

Listen, Jackie Chan,
you understand the meaning of the word "obscure"?

Tunnel of Sound is a rarities
and collectibles emporium.

We sell only the exceptional
and the uncommon.

Now fuck off.

Oh.

Mister.

You don't understand.
I'm a really big fan.

What?
A really big fan.

Please, listen to me.

I come back in one weeks.

If you have another album like this one,
I will pay you big money for it.

Top dollar.

He will believe me,
'cause I just spent 50 bucks on a shit record.

Okay. What now?

No fucking way.

Let's go over what you're going to say.
Can we?

Your boyfriend's dumped you.
You're upset, on the verge of tears.

He gave you these records,
but now you want to get rid of them.

Wipe the slate clean.

But when you get to-- I couldn't only sell it for 50 bucks.
I get it.

What if he recognizes
his own record?

He won't. He'll get
distracted by your--

My what?
Outfit.

Don't forget to upsell.
Lawrence, I got this.

This guy's gonna pay up big
for his own record.

Top dollar.

Did you want to sell those?
Yeah, sure.

I'll give you 20 bucks
for the lot.

Wait!
Thank God I found you.

Sorry. These are
my father's records.

- That's my sister.
- Your sister?

She's adopted.

Aaah!

Oh. Oh, Rory MacLachlan.

So cool in Japan.

No, he's not.
I looked it up.

The mark of a good con is
not how much money you make.

It's how clean you get away.

Well, you broke it,
you bought it.

The old china.

♪ Just as long as you
gonna get what you need ♪

It would have worked.
Don't worry about it.

I've seen worse.
You've seen worse?

No, not really.

Oh, my God.

Don't despair, Lawrence, my boy.
You've made a great beginning.

Oh, my first con.

♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh

♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh

The Professor loved
to play poker.

Even more, he loved
to cheat at poker.

After all, poker is a game
designed to be played by liars.

The ultimate form of the lie is the bluff.

Bluffing turns
a game of chance

into a game of skill.

But that's not the only reason
the Professor loved poker.

As far as I could tell,
it was across a poker table that he met... her.

♪ In my foolish lover's game

She was a small-time cheat,
a peeker.

She used shiners, tiny mirrors,

to get a glimpse of the cards
as they were dealt.

It's easy to spot
if you know what to look for.

The Professor
did know what to look for,

but he also liked
what he saw.

The Professor
was mucking back then,

introducing foreign cards
into a game.

He was good,

but so was she.

Or maybe he tipped his hand.

They became partners.

More than partners.

And together,
they became readers.

Readers use
a marked deck.

On the back of the cards are tiny dots or hidden patterns.

Readers switch the honest deck for their own.

This is called
cooling the deck.

Together, they could take on
bigger rooms, higher stakes.

But cooling the deck
is a dangerous game.

If someone suspects another player of being a reader,

all he needs to do
is demand a new deck.

♪ Take my breath away

♪ Take my breath away
But they were good.

They were very good.

There's no encouragement
like success,

and they wanted more.

Enter Riley.
♪ Take my--

Riley was a great cheat,
a card mechanic.

He was always looking
for an angle,

and he cheated
at every opportunity.

By the time Sarah was born,
it was over.

Maybe he should have
seen it coming.

But you cannot cheat
an honest man.

Hey, Lawrence.

Where did you get that?
Out of your bag.

Do as I do.

It's one of the oldest in the book.
Don't worry about it.

I'm not my father.
Keep your money.

- Did you bring me in here to scam me?
- What else?

- Do you have any friends?
- And what would I do with friends?

- Normal people sometimes have some.
- Have you ever had a girlfriend?

- Sure.
- Bullshit.

I've never
had a girlfriend.

I will drink to that.

To no girlfriends.

- To no boyfriends.
- To no fucking friends at all.

My father
has no friends.

What about me?

Has the old fucker
still not told you?

Oh, God.

Okay, okay.

Ah!

When something looks too good
to be true, it usually is.

Lying to people was really fun,

but being lied to,
not so much.

Forty.
Correct.

I don't know, about 30.
Ah, Lawrence!

Thirty-two.
Yeah, that's good.

Nineteen.
You're not concentrating.

What am I doing here?

You are studying
the art.

That's not what I mean.

Why are we here?
Where are we going?

We're going to Melbourne.

Melbourne? I don't want
to go back to Melbourne.

What possible reason could you have to go there?

A card game.

A big one.

Every year for the past 50 years,
a game's been played...

in the same kitchen
in Melbourne.

The Cook's Game.

Once played by
the head chefs of fancy hotels,

the Cook's Game is now worth
the kind of money

that attracts
serious gamblers

and dangerous men.

I don't intend to lose
the Cook's Game a second time.

It takes $10,000

and the right connections
to get a seat

at the green felt.

You aren't answering
my question.

It's called
the Little Red Riding Hood game.

I'm the brass.

If I win my deal,

the lambs know
I'm a mechanic.

So the old Professor

needs a secret partner.

I send a basket of goodies to grandma's house.

I need a wolf
in disguise.

So all this time,
you just wanted someone for a card game.

Did you think I was teaching you out of the goodness of my heart?

And afterwards?
You'll get your share.

What you do with it
is up to you.

Look, you asked me why I brought you here.
I told you.

But ask yourself,

why are you still here?

Because you love it.

Lying, cheating.

The gift of the grift
is inside you.

Always has been.

Now I told you you could leave whenever you wanted.

And so you can.

But you won't.

Watch me.

Lawrence, don't let him get to you.

Hi. You've called Leo,
Mai-Ling and Lawrence.

No one's home.
Please leave a message.

Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad.
It's Lawrence. Remember me?

It's noisy here.

I just want to tell you--

I just wanted to say--

But the Professor was right.

I did love it.

Every businessman knows
you need money to make money.

To get two seats in the Cook's Game,
we needed money.

Lots of it.

In a hurry.

Lawrence.
Can you come here a sec?

How old are you?
Nineteen.

Eighteen.

I can tell
when you're lying.

Seventeen and a half.

You haven't touched a girl before,
have you? Sure.

What's my tell?
A twitch? My voice? What?

Do you really
want to know?

Do you like me, Lawrence?
No.

And there's your tell.

I didn't see anything.

Let's see.

You come from
a leafy Melbourne suburb

with nice cars
and a public library.

You're a mama's boy.

Your father had
such high hopes for you.

What would he say
if he could see you now?

But what you really
want to know

is if a girl like me

could ever be
with a boy like you.

Could you?
I mean, do you like me?

No.

Aren't you gonna
call my bluff?

♪ And follow
your own heart now ♪

♪ Always

♪ I remember you

♪ Slow down

♪ And try to tell the truth

I have a good
poker face.

You act angry
when you're lonely,

which is most
of the time.

You don't want to play the Badger,
but he told you to.

Your mum left you
when you were little.

And one day-- One day you'll have the guts to leave too.

But not yet.

It's only business.

Come on.

The most lucrative con
we ever pulled was the Badger.

Sarah played the Mack.

The suckers were businessmen,

married and in town
for business.

All kinds of business.

Hit me.
What?

Hit me.

You fucking liar!

Don't call me a liar.
I trusted you.

So I lied to you.
Big deal.

I thought you loved me.
Grow up. People cheat.

Go back to the motel.
What if you need help?

Go back
to the motel.

The Badger followed
the five steps of a con,

but was different
in one important respect.

In the Badger,
the suckers roped themselves.

Hey.

The Badger doesn't rely
on a sucker's greed.

It plays on a different
instinct altogether.

You're in a hurry.

You are...
so beautiful.

Do you have
anything to drink?

Uh, yeah.
Yeah, sure.

When the moment was right,

the Professor
would barge into the room,

claiming to be her father.

The Badger was the one time
he told the truth.

Oh, no.

He'd tell some story
about how she was only 16,

threaten to talk to his family,
his work, the press.

And the sucker
would always pay.

Through the nose.
Guaranteed.

Please.

But the worst thing about the Badger was that it was so effective.

We played it
night after night.

It's only business.

Share the risk,
share the reward.

Hmm.

Dinnertime.

They grow up so quickly.
Mmm.

Hello, Henry.
Sarah, my dear.

You look more like
your mother every day.

Lawrence,
this is the Birdman.

Hello.

Are you sure you're ready
for this, Master Lawrence?

It's an international affair.
Elmsley's in again, and, um,

some serious gambling
junkie from Dubai.

And then of course
there's Riley.

Now what about the, uh--

Ah, let's eat.

I'll do what I have to to get you the cards that you need.

Bet big on my deal,
but do not try being creative.

For you,
this is just about good card playing.

- So I've learned it all for nothing?
- They'll carve you up.

At the end, it'll just be
you and me playing cards.

Beautiful.

Isn't she?

Who are you?

You know who I am.

And I know
who you are.

What do you want?

A drink.

You should stop following that old fool around.
It's got no future.

He's not a fool. He's always been a fool.
Now he's an old one.

He'll beat you.

Let me see.
The Little Red Riding Hood game?

Perhaps a little cold tea
in a hip flask?

You play your little game.
I'm going to win anyway.

Ever been in love, Lawrence?

No.

I knew it.

You have to work on
that tell of yours.

Don't worry.
Your secret is safe with me.

Love.

It can make a man do things--

things he will later regret.

I don't think the Professor's ever likely to forgive you.

Sour old bastard got
what was coming to him.

I'm talking about
that little baby girl.

My daughter.

That's right.

He hasn't told you that,
has he?

So, Lawrence,

is my secret safe
with you?

May the best man win.

Hey, stop!

Lawrence?
What are you doing here?

You're in serious trouble.
She's only 17.

I'm afraid the only course of action available to me, sir,

is to contact your family.

- No, Lawrence!
- That is, of course, unless

you can think of another way we can sort this out.

Get off him!

It's all fun and games

until someone loses an eye.

Sarah--
Shut up.

Here.

Nothing broken.

I've never been in a fight before.
It really hurts.

No shit.

I was trying to be normal
for one night.

Sorry.

You shouldn't have
followed me.

Just looking out
for a friend.

Lawrence,
you're not my friend.

I told you, we don't make friends.
It's not what we do.

It's just Dad and me.

He's... not--

He's not here.

You'll never
be one of us.

That's why I trust you.

We can do this,
Lawrence.

We have to.
We can leave him.

Together.

I know I look confident,

but I got pretty good
at pretending.

But pretending
is just another lie,

and the Cook's Game
was the real thing.

You look great, Dad.

Hmm.

This is it,
Lawrence, my boy.

I'll see you there.

Do me proud.

Don't move your eyes to the right when you're bluffing.

That's my tell?
It's that obvious?

Why couldn't I see it?

Think about it.

You can't see your eyes
moving in a mirror.

Time to go, Hamlet.

♪ Ah, what up, dog?

♪ Ooh, yeah, uh

♪ They say these songs
ain't the style no more ♪

♪ When these kids go wild, man,
I ain't so sure ♪

♪ Yeah, uh, check it out, uh

♪ They told me
live within your means, kid ♪

♪ I don't know what that means,
man I dream big ♪

♪ All day,
I got these scenes where we light the night up like gasoline ♪

♪ Turning average into magic
like a pocketful of beans ♪

♪ And it seems so simple But when I turn
the windows of my soul out the window ♪

♪ Point 'em at my kinfolk

What name, young man?
Jeremy Fong.

Good luck tonight,
Master Fong.

This way, please.

♪ Baby hate the mirror,
get her pretty face all modified ♪

♪ And I wish that
I could change it, love ♪

♪ But ain't nobody
plans this stuff ♪

♪ But it's gonna be all right
I'm crystal balling ♪

♪ Don't worry about that shit We'll work it out in the morning ♪

♪ Get your last call in

This is
Master Jeremy Fong.

Oh, you're younger
than I expected.

Welcome to the game.
Please, take a seat.

I don't recognize you, kid.

Where do you
normally play?

Shanghai. Macau, sometimes.
My father's casino.

I like him. If the kid pays,
the kid plays.

Macau?

Sorry.
I don't speak Cantonese.

Only Mandarin.

Gentlemen, some of you
may have met Mr. Riley.

Two-time winner of the game.

You've met Rashid.

This is Alex Elmsley,
Jeremy Fong and--

Hello, Vernon.
How's that little girl of yours?

Please, Mr. Riley.
Keep it nice.

All friends here, Alice.

Now--

let's play
some fucking cards.

♪ You ain't gonna
see me comin' ♪

♪ Got a quick draw

Poker is a game designed
to be played by liars.

But not all liars are equal.

What about you, Professor?

Have you grown a pair?

Two pair actually.

The inexperienced pretends
to have skill.

The skillful
pretends to be green.

Screw you, kid.

And so we control the cards.

The only variables
are the other players.

Motherfucker!

Something to remember me by.

Riley!

Get him out of here.

♪ You ain't gonna
see me comin' ♪

♪ So take your best shot

Ladies and gentlemen,
the Little Red Riding Hood game.

The Professor
stacks his chips dirty

to tell me
Rashid's number is up.

First, I signal
what cards I have.

This card is a queen.

He goes rabbit-hunting in the muck to get the cards we need.

Then he goes south
to stack the deck.

He false shuffles with a push-through or an up-the-ladder

so the deck stays stacked.

He crimps the bottom card
before he gives the deck

to the next player to cut.

And a classic pass
gets the cards back in order.

With the cowboys we dealt him,
he has to take the bait.

The flop turns both pairs
into trips.

And right now,
his three kings

beat my three queens.

Three kings--
the Christmas special.

The Professor bottom deals,
and there she is.

Rashid's money card.

Now he has the boat.
Kings over queens.

Almost nothing beats
a full house.

Almost.

Four queens.

The Village People.

Con men don't play games.

They play people.

And people are unpredictable.

To be honest with you,
they were happier times.

Salad days.

I remember them
with affection.

I remember
differently.

You've done a really good job
with Sarah, you know.

She's a beautiful woman,
just like her mother.

Though she has my eyes.

She's nothing
like her mother.

Really?

When she finds a man who gives her what you can't,
she's gone.

Hey!

It's only cheating when you get caught, right, Professor?

Get him out of here.

I trust that no one else
will insult the house.

She left me too,
you know.

I suppose
I shouldn't be surprised.

I was the card player,

but she was
a better liar.

What are you
doing here, kid?

I mean, really,

what the hell
are you doing here?

You sure about that?

Yes. Don't feel bad.

Honesty.

It's a good quality.

You little fuck!

♪ Mmm, mmm, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Oh, ah

♪ Whoa, yeah

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah

I can't do this.

It's our only chance.

I wrote a letter.

I should take it in.

I'll do it.

Back in a minute.

She finally did it.
Shit!

My little girl's grown up.

She's on her own.
Good girl.

Not on her own.

We planned it together.

This note,
it's for you.

I think you'll find,
my dear boy,

it's for you.

In a sweetheart con,

the suckers rope themselves.

Listen, anyway,
we've got your wallet, so--

To no fucking friends
at all.

We can do this,
Lawrence.

We have to.
We can leave him.

I wrote a letter.

I should take it in.

I'm sorry for leaving like this,

but it's all
I know how to do.

I can imagine how you'll feel,

but I just
couldn't face good-bye.

Not with you.

You know what they say--
"lucky at cards."

Thank you for everything.

Say good-bye to him for me.

"I will miss you
and think of you often.

Love always, Sarah."

You were great
out there tonight, my boy.

You're a real player.

I let the team down.
But--

The better man won.

Aren't you angry?

I'd have given it to her
if she'd asked.

It's only money.

Mine's a dying art,
my boy.

An art of grace and tact.

Nowadays, a chap in a suit can hit some keys in a machine

and rob honest people
of millions

without even
lookin' 'em in the eye.

We trick people
into giving us money.

We make them dishonest.

They're dishonest
to begin with.

Even you.

Chinese lucky money?

You might need it.

How about you?

I'll be fine.

You saw it coming, right?
This is a con movie, you said to yourself,

and all con movies
end with a scam.

Well, you're right.

But even though
it does end with a scam,

this isn't a con movie.

This is my life.

I can't do this.

Sarah, listen-- No, Lawrence,
you don't understand.

I was going to leave you both.

I'm sorry.

I didn't know what to do.

Sarah.

Children grow up and leave their parents.
It's what's supposed to happen.

He just needs to know
he's been a father to you.

But what about you?

You're the only friend
I've ever had.

Some things
are not quite lies

and not quite truth.

I'll be okay.

They're just
what people need to hear.

"I'm sorry
for leaving like this,

but it's all I know how to do.

I can imagine
how you will feel,

but I just couldn't
face good-bye.

Not-- Not with you.

You know what they say--
'lucky at cards.'

Thank you for everything.

Say good-bye to him for me.

I will miss you

and think of you often.

Love always, Sarah."

You were great
out there tonight, my boy.

A real player.

I let the team down.
But--

No, the better man won.

No.

He might be the better mechanic,
but you're the better man.

You raised her,
even though you knew she was his daughter.

You gave her a life.

You were her father.

I have confidence in you.

Thanks.

But I'm going home.

Hmm.

Chinese lucky money.

But you might need it.

What about you?

I'll be fine.

You don't always need
to beat the man.

Sometimes it's enough
to be the man.

I haven't seen the Professor
since that night.

I'm sure he's still
out there,

somewhere,

doing what he does best.

I haven't seen Sarah either.

Someone sent me
a photo one time.

But there was no name.

Perhaps she didn't want to lie.

Told any good lies lately?

Lying is a part
of human nature.

We all tell lies.

And those of you who don't...
are lying.

♪ It was summer
when I saw your face ♪

♪ Looked like
a teenage runaway ♪

♪ And God, I never thought
we'd take it that far ♪

♪ Some killer queen you are

♪ Now I'm running
and I can't stop ♪

The beauty of
the three-card monte

is that even though
people know it's a scam,

they still play.

Everybody wants
to beat the man.

So, who wants to play?
Who wants to play?

You can't win if you're not in.

The three-card monte.

Toss the broad, find the lady.

It's a story of two jokers

and a queen.

♪ And it's such
a roller coaster ♪

♪ Some killer queen you are

♪ We took the bones out
from the road ♪

♪ Those endless nights
that we traveled we stole ♪

♪ You let your clothes fall
to the floor ♪

Hey, man.
Hey, thanks.

So you know that thing about your tell?
Is that true?

No, it's all bullshit.
What about everything else?

Is that what
really happened?

Nah.

♪ The look on your face

♪ When you lie is something kind of beautiful,
beautiful ♪

♪ Babe, I get played

♪ Every time
you change your mind ♪

♪ Then I better watch

♪ Mark the space

♪ As something
kind of dangerous ♪

♪ Strange as it seems

♪ Where we lay

♪ Soul to soul,
this love was bound to break ♪

♪ Baby, the day you ran away

♪ Was like
a bullet to my heart ♪

♪ Why do we make
the same mistakes ♪

♪ Every time?

♪ And I know
there's nothing left to say ♪

♪ Somehow we always fall apart

♪ The shining sparkle
fades away ♪

♪ Between you and I

♪ The look on your face

♪ When you lie is something kind of beautiful,
beautiful ♪

♪ Babe, I get played

♪ Every time
you change your mind ♪

♪ Then I better watch

♪ Mark the space

♪ As something
kind of dangerous ♪

♪ Strange as it seems

♪ Where we lay

♪ Soul to soul,
this love was bound to break ♪

♪ 'Cause, baby,
the day you ran away ♪

♪ Was like
a bullet to my heart ♪

♪ Why do we make
the same mistakes ♪

♪ Every time?

♪ And I know
there's nothing left to say ♪

♪ Somehow we always fall apart

♪ The shining sparkle
fades away ♪

♪ Between you and I

♪ If the truth isn't true

♪ An idea is something
that you'd like me to ♪

♪ Like to believe

♪ But I don't

♪ When does love
become a state of war? ♪

♪ Cross the fire, little liar

♪ Something creatin' hate
in what we used to adore ♪

♪ We collide

♪ And I can't even
look you in the eye ♪

♪ 'Cause, baby,
the day you ran away ♪

♪ Was like
a bullet to my heart ♪

♪ Why do we make
the same mistakes ♪

♪ Every time?

♪ And I know
there's nothing left to say ♪

♪ Somehow we always fall apart

♪ The shining sparkle
fades away ♪

♪ Between you and I

♪ The shining sparkle
fades away ♪

♪ Between you and I

♪ Between you and I

♪ The shining sparkle
fades away ♪

♪ Between you and I