Ah, the sheer thrill of spotting a life-sized cutout for an upcoming film starring two of my absolute favorite actresses, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson! My excitement skyrocketed upon receiving an invitation to preview the film just a couple of days before its theatrical debut. Because nothing screams high-class cinema like a sneak peek—right?
Enter “The Hustle”—a comedy that shamelessly parades two female con artists: one a refined diamond and the other a cubic zirconia in the glitzy world of scams. It’s like watching a high-stakes chess game between a master strategist and an enthusiastic novice, but instead of pawns, we’ve got men to swindle. How astute!
Surprisingly, the film does deliver some laughs—I’d even give Hathaway a gold star for maintaining her poise while sharing the screen with Wilson’s delightful chaos.
From what I’ve gathered, this delightful romp is a gender-swapped remake of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” itself a remake of a film from 1964 that had Marlon Brando trying to convince audiences that he was a handsome rogue. Talk about a legacy!
How wonderfully fresh and groundbreaking, I pondered, as I basked in the brilliance of two women finally breaking through the mold of lady-leads who either fall into romance or drama with their BFFs. Yes, indeed, this film was taking risks—like asking us to believe women can be con artists without needing a love interest!
Let’s set the scene: Hathaway plays a glamorous and devilishly clever con artist who siphons off a jaw-dropping $23 million from wealthy men in a French casino. Meanwhile, I personally found her take on the British accent charming—though other critics might disagree and chalk it up to a daring experiment best left unfinished.
On the other side of the con, we have Wilson’s character, Penny Rust, charming men out of their cash in a high-stakes game of emotional catfishing. These ladies rendezvous on a train, spar, and—spoilers ahead—they join forces, delivering twists that are predictably unpredictable.
While “The Hustle” does a commendable job of mirroring its source material and occasionally hits the comedic bullseye, it also offers moments that leave you pondering: Is this really the best we could do? Messages suggesting that women have to be ten times as cunning as men to succeed felt a bit too on-the-nose, like a poorly placed punchline. And let’s not even discuss the notion that being overweight makes one less desirable. Whatever happened to body positivity? Where’s the script that gives women their dignity back?
It’s 2019, folks! I had hoped for a grander celebration of female empowerment, but alas, it felt more like a cross between a con and a cautionary tale. So, if you’re looking for a film that allows women to thrive unconditionally, you might want to keep searching—or just embrace the madness. “The Hustle” officially opens on May 10, and good luck if you decide to take the plunge!
