confidence

views updated May 21 2018

con·fi·dence / ˈkänfədəns; -fəˌdens/ • n. the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust: he had gained the young man's confidence. ∎  the state of feeling certain about the truth of something: it is not possible to say with confidence how much of the increase in sea levels is due to melting glaciers. ∎  a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities: she's brimming with confidence| [in sing.] he would walk up those steps with a confidence he didn't feel. ∎  the telling of private matters or secrets with mutual trust: someone with whom you may raise your suspicions in confidence. ∎  (often confidences) a secret or private matter told to someone under such a condition of trust.PHRASES: take someone into one's confidence tell someone one's secrets.

Confidence

views updated May 23 2018

Confidence ★★½ 2003 (R)

That would be “confidence” as in manner and game. Jake Vig (Burns) and his cronies are smalltime con artists who scam the wrong man—an accountant for L.A. crime boss King (Hoffman). To forestall any further unpleasantness, Jake goes to King and agrees to repayment by performing an elaborate con on King's rival. Let's just say that there's always another scam and things are hardly ever what they seem. Hoffman, with king-sized tics and quirks, veers into territory usually reserved for Walken or Pacino, but at least he's having fun. The movie could use a little more of that. Gritty and dark at times, this one's still an enjoyable entry in the scam/heist genre. 98m/C VHS, DVD . US Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Paul Giamatti, Donal Logue, Luis Guzman, Brian Van Holt, Franky G., Morris Chestnut, Robert Forster, Leland Orser, Louis Lombardi, Tommy (Tiny) Lister, John Carroll Lynch; D: James Foley; W: Doug Jung; C: Juan Ruiz-Anchia.