Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson in La La Land of Con Artists: A Comedic Misfire
Ah, the ever-enthralling ‘art of the con’—a genre as ripe as a banana left in the sun. Didn’t we all know it would eventually come to this? Movies like Ocean’s Eleven and its glittery all-female sibling, Ocean’s Eight, make it clear: the public is always ready for a fancier way to engage in petty larceny, especially when paired with subpar humor.
Enter the latest cinematic twist to this age-old narrative: a female-driven reboot of the 1988 classic, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, itself inspired by a film starring Marlon Brando and David Niven. Here, we find Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson cashing in on the role of mismatched con artists—think Butch and Sundance but with fewer chances of survival and more bad accents.
Sure, the film manages to elicit a chuckle here and there, a feat for which we shall applaud Hathaway, who gets to explore her vocal range while Wilson bounces around with her character’s cartoonish vigor. At least someone is trying! After all, who wouldn’t want to wear fancy outfits and roll their eyes dramatically at miscreants?
Wilson and Hathaway do their best but the film loses its way
Meanwhile, did I mention Wilson is a producer? This might explain why she snagged the juiciest lines and a romantic subplot. Who knew that con artistry could also involve getting the best roles behind the scenes?
The Hustle kicks off with an impressive introduction to our heroines’ diverse con techniques. Wilson’s Lonnie works the low end, showing men pictures of her stunning ‘friend,’ while Hathaway’s Josephine is more of a high-roller, swindling aristocrats out of jewels like a true professional.
But just as they start eyeing each other’s turf—cue the inevitable face-off—our entertaining escapades devolve into a series of forced training montages. Picture this: knife-throwing and fitness classes! Just what every aspiring grifter needs. Because nothing says ‘sophisticated con’ like six-pack abs.
The film suffers for a poor and predictable ending
The anticlimax comes when their partnership dissolves—because, of course, who doesn’t want to lose a friend over a tech billionaire? The film clumsily shifts to a battle of wits that has all the finesse of a schoolyard scrap. And lo and behold, what was once a brilliantly crafted con game turns into a slog through clunky narrative tropes.
In all honesty, while there are some gems amid the mediocrity, The Hustle eventually stumbles towards a conclusion that relies on all too familiar clichés—just like the film itself. Instead of aiming for the daring heights of originality, it opts for the comfort of predictability—certainly not laugh-out-loud funny, but you might enjoy it while scrolling through your phone.
