A female-led remake of the 1988 movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that itself was a remake of the 1964 movie Bedtime Story, The Hustle is a shockingly bad and largely unfunny movie that had great potential with its casting of Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson but somehow the filmmaker and screenwriter failed miserably to use their proven acting and comedic talents. The plot revolves around a first-rate con artist living in the south of France named Josephine, played by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway with a fake and annoying accent, who uses her sexuality and wits to swindle wealthy men. Her work as a con artist is interrupted by a foul-mouthed Australian small-time con artist named Penny, played by the usually funny Rebel Wilson, who is also preying on the same gullible targets. They enter in a competition to see who can convince a young tech millionaire to give them half a million dollars. A majority of the movie is filled with the stupid and gag-worthy antics the women use, some of which are borderline offensive by using humor about the blind. Eventually, they discover that they themselves are possibly victims of an even more elaborate scheme and must find a way to work together to avenge their losses. The only part of the film that is somewhat enjoyable is the beautiful scenery and fancy houses and cars that are stereotypical for the wealthy enclaves of the French Riviera. Overall, I found the film to be rather disastrous for a project featuring two normally talented actresses and would not recommend people waste their money at the theaters but, if you must see it, wait until it is released for free at home.
KEITH on Reels 