A movie with plenty of self-assurance is attractive, and Confidence is plenty full of aplomb. It's hip, it's witty and has appealing stars. The dialogue is quick, it's snappy and it's cool, man, it's cool.

This is the opposite of the family feel-gooders that are heartfelt and sanitary and end with you dabbing your eyes with tissue as the theater gets dusty - but in a good way. Confidence is filled with a healthy dose of con games brimming with smarty pants and the seedy underbelly of society, but not the sweaty armpits. No, the players are too cool and conditioned to be nervous nellies.

Ed Burns is a con man leading a group of grifters who travel from town to town. He's slick, he's charming, he's the definition of composed and performs under pressure. It doesn't hurt that one of his fellow thieves is Rachel Weisz. Rowr. Babe City.

The movie reveals the end right off the bat, and tells the story in flashback. But don�t try to figure out the twists � because you can � so just empty your melon and enjoy.

Dustin Hoffman, a.k.a. The King, is a mob-like boss with ADHD (attention hyper-activity disorder) who was fleeced by Burns and turns the tables for a new con to get paid back. The owner of a dance club, he wants his strippers to be tasteful when doing lewd acts on stage, if that makes sense. I wasn't really listening, since the visuals were a little distracting, what with lingerie-clad babes licking each other. Hoffman smacks his gum open-mouthed and laughs snarkily all the time, and frankly I wanted to put a hit out on him.

The supporting cast is worth its weight in laundered money, such as Paul Giamatti and Brian Van Holt as part of Burns� crew. Luis Guzman is the Hispanic leader of �That Guys,� having been in movies like Anger Management, The Count of Monte Cristo and Traffic. Guzman is the dirty partner of Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life") as cops on the take. A bigger name in support is Andy Garcia, an agent on Burns' tail. He�s sloppy and out of style for this flick, but the perfect converse to the cool cats in the lead.

It�s a very superstitious bunch, seeing nothing good when birds fly anywhere near your house, when any red-head comes near them and make wishes when it's 11:11. I'm not sure what it all meant, but I'm sure you can read something into the luck factor vs. carefully laid plans of the con.

For these guys, lying, cheating and manipulating all come natural, but it's about the thrill of the chase and playing the game. It's all about confidence, and the itch for money. Obey your itch, and catch this snazzy little flick that racks up the cool points.