With Confidence Under His Wing, Screenwriter Doug Jung Takes Off For Hollywood By: Anna Mai You try to work it all out in your head. You watch entranced and attempt to connect every single incident together in the barrage of action that occurs in the first five minutes of the film. You sit on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out who the real bad guy is, thinking you know. But by the end, did you know? Finally, you walk out of the theater verbalizing the logic of the film with your best friend just to make sure it all makes sense, but neither of you really know for sure. In this popular film genre of organized chaos and confusion, audiences watch a con unfold before their eyes on the big screen, but the real con is on them. With so many crime-caper flicks out there, it takes something exceptional to make a film truly stand out. A bit of “Confidence” is just the thing and it’s screenwriter Doug Jung that delivers. In this latest addition to the con film family, the creation of richly textured characters and skillful manipulation of situation fits right in with its predecessors “The Usual Suspects” and “The Sting,” but its Jung’s witty dialogue that sets “Confidence” apart from the rest. Characters move fast and talk fast in an intelligent screenplay that impressed director James Foley. A crew of con-men led by Jake Vig (Edward Burns) scam unsuspecting “marks” like most of us walk and breathe, until they end up swindling the wrong person -- a bagman for notorious crime lord, The King (Dustin Hoffman). Instead of returning the money, Jake and his men agree to pull off the biggest heist of their careers in order to get The King his money. Like the inevitable “itch,” that greed for money mentioned in the film, the large sum at stake leads to a complicated scheme that gets the group in some major trouble. When asked where he got the idea for this script, Doug refers to his own fascination with the genre. “I really liked the opportunity to do a movie that had a lot of twists and turns. I love those kinds of crime thrillers where the bad guys are the good guys. The puzzle of the story is always really great to me.” And Doug pieces that puzzle together like a pro. With an interestingly intricate plot, “Confidence” will intrigue you with its quick quips. Actors Edward Burns and Andy Garcia both recognized Doug’s witty dialogue when they agreed to do the film. “He writes really great, fun dialogue,” said Burns. After graduating from New York University Film School, Doug started writing for television dramas. He worked on “Breaking News” and “So Weird” before he leapt into the movie scene. “Confidence” is his first feature film script and a very successful one at that. A newcomer to the world of feature film, Doug’s experience was very positive. Whereas most screenwriters get shoved to the sidelines while directors and producers tear up their scripts with character changes and plot adjustments, Doug was right there with Foley for the numerous adjustments made to the original script for “Confidence.” “I actually made them [the changes]. It was nice; I had a good relationship with Foley and we worked on all the things together, so all the changes were collaborative. I never really felt like it wasn’t mine,” said Jung. Due to the success of this collaboration, Doug says he is currently working on another script with Foley. No hints yet on what they have in store for us. But, one thing’s clear -- Doug Jung’s transition to film is taking flight and his talent will be keeping him busy. He is also currently working on screenplays for Universal and Warner Brothers Pictures. In the meantime, we’ll just have to wait for another one of his intelligent scripts to land in a theater nearby.