Film Review: The Hustle Remakes The Scoundrel Comedy

Remade after Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, with the lead roles now held by women, The Hustle was painted as a “feminist heist.” This time it was the ladies that swindled men through their sexual mindlessness; something the film sets up from the beginning. Yet, its ending, though a twist, slightly undoes its desire. 

From the beginning, Director Chris Addison sets up men to be idiots. Rebel Wilson’s Lonnie and Anne Hathaway’s Josephine feel righteous in their duping of men that, in a way, have cheated women. From the husband using his wife’s wealth to gamble to the “lonely guy” at the bar who solely wants to have sex with busty women, The Hustle brings up how “skeevy” men can be in terms of women’s bodies. Rare is the man, in this picture, that tries to see women as hearts with feeling. That is until we meet Alex Sharp’s Thomas.

Waltzing in as the haphazard, but heartwarming app developer, Sharp makes Thomas completely sweet and oddly refreshing. You watch him as proof that not all guys are bad. THERE MUST BE ONE GOOD ONE! Yet, as the film begins its “remake twists,” you become slightly disappointed. Soon, the addition of Thomas kills the promised feminism of the film by making him the smartest guy to out wit our conniving, intelligent gals. The film makes you want him to be genuinely kind, but men in this film always have ulterior motives. Still, such storyline turns do not kill that The Hustle is, actually, funny. 

Rebel Wisdom is HILARIOUS as Lonnie. From her physical comedy to her quick-wit, she makes this slacker grifter a careless charm. She is so rude, abrasive, and dryly intelligent that she matches is well for the brilliant, elegant Josephine. Hathaway assures Josephine embodies every Audrey Hepburn film in existence. She is a graceful chameleon; dripping fabulosity as she changes accents and wardrobe. From fashion to her fierce plots, Josephine makes you cheer for her as a thief. Hence, when she genuinely works with Lonnie, not against her, the film truly thrives in humor and its purposed message; ladies can play men’s games and win. The Hustle Comes Out May 10.