"People are fascinated with con men like they're fascinated with mobsters - at least the fictional kind," says novelist Eric Garcia, whose manuscript for Matchstick Men was being considered for the screen even before Random House could schedule its first printing. "There's something mythical about them that draws us to them and makes us want to watch them operate.

"Maybe it's the idea that they're using their wits to make a living while everyone else is accomplishing the same thing through toil and effort," he muses. "I think the lifestyle appeals to us because the day may come when we get laid off or the mortgage is on the line and we'd like to imagine that, given the opportunity, we have the potential to make a quick buck the 'easy way' -- if only to see if we could do it."