Movie Review: "The Hustle"

"The Hustle" stars Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson in a light-hearted comedy about con artists. The movie is set in the beautiful South of France, but it’s so forgettable that you might as well watch it on an airplane. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either.

The Plot

The story is a remake of the 1988 comedy "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (which itself was a remake of a 1964 movie). This time, it features two female con artists. Anne Hathaway plays Josephine, a sophisticated scammer who has been living the high life in the French Riviera for years. Rebel Wilson is Penny, a loud and brash Aussie who arrives to get in on the action. The two women decide to team up to con a tech billionaire out of $500,000, but of course, they don’t trust each other and end up competing to see who can pull off the scam first.

Performances

Hathaway and Wilson are both committed to their roles. Hathaway swans around in elegant dresses and uses various accents, while Wilson delivers physical comedy and deadpan lines. However, they seem to be acting in different movies and never really click as a duo. Their chemistry is off, which makes the comedy less effective.

The Comedy

The movie is full of slapstick humor and ridiculous schemes. There are some funny moments, like a joke involving a hotel suite that might make you giggle. But overall, the humor feels random and disconnected. The scams aren’t built up piece by piece like in an "Ocean’s" movie, so it’s hard to get invested in whether they succeed or fail. If a scam works, great; if not, they just move on to the next one.

Missed Opportunities

"The Hustle" misses a chance to make a meaningful statement with its gender-swapped premise. The characters claim they are conning men to get back at a world that has exploited women, but this idea is never fully explored. Instead, it feels like an excuse to dress Hathaway in fabulous outfits.

Conclusion

In the end, "The Hustle" is a forgettable comedy that wastes the talents of its stars. Hathaway and Wilson are clearly game for anything, but the material lets them down. The movie is fine for a few laughs, but don’t expect it to leave a lasting impression.