You may not know his name, but you've definitely seen James Foley's films. Kick-starting his career with the Penn brothers in "At Close Range", Foley's helmed everything from Madonna vehicle "Who's That Girl?" to John Grisham thriller "The Chamber". he's best known for tough-talking ensemble piece "Glengarry Glen Ross".
What makes "Confidence" so different from other con movies?
What I liked about it was the way it involved a group of guys and the things that bind them together and pull them apart. I seem to be drawn to those situations over and over again, for God knows what reason.
Like in "Glengarry Glen Ross"?
I think of "Glengarry Glen Ross" as the inverse of this movie, as its dark side. I really do think of these things as nature documentaries: how do groups of animals come together and work toward a common interest, and how does that clash with the individual desire to get things for yourself? In "Glengarry", everyone is cannibalising each other for their own gain. In "Confidence" the guys are co-operating with one another as a group. That kind of interested me and, to be highfalutin about it, it has a real resonance in a country where the free market makes the clash between the individual and the collective good an important political issue.
Dustin Hoffman's a legendary improviser. Did he do much improv here?
We kept Edward Burns out of the rehearsals with Dustin until the day before we shot. So in the middle of the scene, Dustin just looked at Edward, cocked his head and said, "You're kind of cute aren't you?" Eddie was really caught off guard! Not everyone's able to use improvisation, but when it's Dustin Hoffman, the odds are that it'll actually be good.
How did Rachel Weisz cope with all the on-set testosterone?
She was a peach! I wouldn't call her a tough cookie, because that has a connotation that's not perfectly feminine, and she definitely is that. But if you had a new word for a feminised tough cookie, that would be her. Rachel can take care of herself.
So is George Bush the biggest scam artist in the world?
No, I think he's far too stupid to be a con artist. I think he's the most conned president in history. He's been conned by the Neo-cons! I really believe that historically this is going to be one of the most incredible palace coups where a group of people mounted a stooge and manipulated him for their nefarious ends. I honestly think that America is on the verge of a real political collapse that is as serious as Watergate, if not more so because a war's involved. There's a complete lack of confidence, if you like.
"Confidence" is released in UK cinemas on Friday 22nd August 2003.
