A Crooked Somebody

This one will keep you hooked. There are no good guys and bad guys just people making the wrong decisions and trying to fake an angle. Well worth watching for the story.

I liked the premise and the acting but it never blew me away. These people who "talk" to the dead do seem like scum to me and it was nice to see a guy getting his karma in a roundabout way. I was interested the whole way though.

Although let's keep God out of it. It is more a spiritual journey ... or a crooked one as the title suggests. You may know the lead actor from Mad Men, but even if you don't his seemless nature and his acting are impeccable in the movie. As is Clifton Collins and the others who are in this (always nice seeing Ed Harris, even if it is just in a small role). The story itself would have given material for more. Saying that, it doesn't mean that the movie we get is bad. I just feel there was potential for more. Especially with the tagged on twist towards the end. But it is what it is ... and it's a neat thriller/drama with great performances overall

About halfway through it started to grip, and it never let go. Anchored by excellent performances, this little gem delivered. Good soundtrack, good direction and a very good story.

Loved that line. This film is about Michael Vaughan, a self-proclaimed psychic, who is searching for fame and fortune. He, in reality, has no ability but he has picked up a few tricks that help bolster his ruse with the desperate people who are hoping to reach their loved ones through the abilities he claims to have. He finds himself in a sticky situation when he is kidnapped by a man who struggles with guilt stemming from a girl being left an orphan after he killed her father. When Michael learns the identity of the girl, he realizes that case had been one that garnered nationwide coverage many years ago. He thinks he can use this situation to help himself reach fame and fortune and begins manipulating the situation. However, his father has tried to warn him that it is better to be a straight nobody than a crooked somebody. I liked this film. It was decent as far a lower budgeted films go. The story was interesting and the actors did a good job with their characters. It would've probably been much better had there been more depth to the story. I'm glad I came across it.

One way to expose the workings of a medium/clairvoyant team. You know it's great acting when our lead villain elicits both sympathetic & disgusting feelings. Good insight into the "how" technique of presenting bits of information gleaned from the dead (and the living). Quite twisty, could have ended a number of ways.

"A Crooked Somebody" is a sleeper with a great set of quirky characters and offbeat humor. On one level, the film is a satire of psychics, as the focal point is the character of the charlatan Michael Vaughn. Michael and his sneaky partner Chelsea prey upon those gullible souls who attend his seminars and seek to commune with the dead. Michael is always looking for the right angle, and he keeps doubling down on exploiting people until he reaches the endgame. The showdown comes in the sleepy community of Lone Valley, Nevada. It is there that Michael seeks notoriety and riches in a sensational interview of an orphan with her deceased father. Michael is working in cahoots with a shady character named Nathan, who killed Stacy's dad, but became tortured by guilt over the years. Nathan at first kidnaps Michael to help him seek atonement, then is duped into believing that Michael is a genuine psychic. The most intriguing relationship in the film is that of Michael and Nathan. Michael tries to turn the tables on Nathan by exploiting the murder and leading a news crew to the site where Nathan buried the body. Chelsea becomes a player when she appears to be working in league with Michael to promote the fantastical story. Ed Harris's small role of Michael's father, a pastor, who considers Michael to be the prodigal son, is one of the many carefully crafted small roles in the film. The father delivers the moral message of the film when speaking the following words to Michael both as a minister and a father: "It's better to be an honest nobody than a crooked somebody." Of course, Michael does not heed the advice. Other well crafted roles include a pair of wily police officers working the beat in Lone Valley and a sassy motel proprietor, whose character nearly steals the show. It is a great cast and a noble effort in creating a clever dark comedy. Kudos to the producers of this modest but creative film!