Clare Beezhold
Staff Writer
While the trailer for “The Hustle” caught viewers attention and seemed to create some positive buzz among moviegoers, the low movie scores earned during the opening weekend on Rotten Tomatoes unfortunately seems to have more accurately hit the mark on this female-centric comedy.
Going into the theatre this past weekend, viewers had high hopes for this movie namely because of the appealing headliners; Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. However, this comedy remake feels largely subdued and dreary. Both the highly anticipated slapstick sequences and verbal banter between the two female characters included in the trailer generally fall flat and are uninspiring.
Released on May 10, “The Hustle” is directed by British comedian Chris Addison and is a female-centered remake of the 1988 film “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which was itself a retelling of the film “Bedtime Story” released in 1964. Unfortunately for Hathaway and Rebel, the third time is not the charm in this case.
In the film, Hathaway’s character, Josephine Chesterfield, is portrayed as a glamourous, sophisticated and seductive British woman while Wilson, who plays Penny Rust, is a loud, fun-loving Australian. Both are two con artists who join forces in what is to be a luxurious seaside town in the south of France. Under Josephine’s well-ordered and meticulous training, Penny learns the tricks of the trade on how to defraud gullible wealthy men. While the two mistresses of the swindle initially experience success in taking jewels of multiple unsuspecting men, they seem to have met their match when they unsuccessfully try to swindle a naïve tech billionaire.
Even though this comedy has two strong female leads, their performances are not compelling, as they do not appear to share a strong chemistry, which is essential for this “teamwork” type of movie. Throughout the film, the timing and pace of witty exchanges between Josephine and Penny seem off and are extremely predictable. While Wilson shows viewers that she has a knack for physical comedy, the slapstick sequences contained in “The Hustle” leave the audience feeling empty as the movie is very similar to other modern films. However, not all the blame sits squarely on the shoulders of these leading ladies, as some blame should be assigned to the movie’s lackluster script, which includes many mundane jokes.
Although “The Hustle” seems to contain a unique storyline in the trailers, it ultimately leaves viewers uninspired and does not offer any fresh takes on the films it attempts to imitate. Due to the film’s lackluster plot, audiences seem to bolt from their seats in an attempt to put as much distance between themselves and the film as possible. Viewers who spend a ridiculous amount of $13 for a ticket are fooled by the tease of side-aching belly laughs portrayed in the trailer. At no point in the film do any of the audience members encounter what would be considered a truly hilarious comedic scene.
“The Hustle” is rated PG-13 and is now playing in theatres nationwide.
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