For the most part, the Nicolas Cage we get in Matchstick Men is pretty reserved. He plays a con man who suffers from mild Tourette's, OCD, and panic attacks. Throughout most of the movie, Cage appears to hold himself together well. He is a con man after all, and as such, keeping your cool is a necessity. But this is Nicolas Cage — he can only be contained for so long. The beast within shows its face when Cage is frantically working through a busy pharmacy line to get a hold of his much-needed prescription.
Cage works his way to the front of the line, Tourette's symptoms ticking away at his facial features while he battles a panic attack. He gasps for breath and fights to get his words out while stepping in front of a large line to talk to the pharmacist. While frantically explaining his desperation, a man behind him speaks up about his line-cutting, and it's in his response that all of Cage's neuroses attain beautiful symbioses with his rage. He turns to the man and screams, "Hey, have you ever been dragged across the concrete and beaten until you p****d blood?" It's a man at his wit's end. You feel his frustration, but you also need to fight back laughter by gritting your teeth. We feel you, buddy.
