America has always been fascinated by con men.

The fact that the Bush Crime Family occupies the White House is defacto evidence that proves the point.

'Confidence,' directed by James Foley (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Corruptors) is a gem of a movie that celebrates what America does best -- fraud.

In L.A., one of the scam capitals of America, (the other being South Florida), Jake (Edward Burns) and his crew scam the wrong guy for $150,000. He's an accountant for a local crime boss called the King (Dustin Hoffman).

In his best role since the movie producer who creates the phony war in "Wag the Dog," Hoffman chews up the scenery in a brilliant performance as a gum-chewing Ritalin-popping sleazeball who talks Jake into scamming another guy higher up on the food chain for $5 million in a corporate loan fraud.

These small timers do not, however, have the sophistication of Ken Lay and his Enron Scam, the highest grossing Real Life corporate fraud in American history.