The Hustle

The third time around is not the charm for this tale of dissimilar con artists who clash over territory, which began as Bedtime Story in 1964 and returned as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988. In this gender-reversed version, supremely suave Josephine (Anne Hathaway), who lives in the South of France in a modern seaside mansion, fleeces scummy rich guys. Meanwhile in America, Penny (Rebel Wilson) engages in small-time scams until one of her marks turns to the cops and she decides to decamp to France, where she meets Josephine and blackmails her into a partnership. Before long they have a falling out, and agree to a bet: whoever succeeds in conning a geeky American tech whiz (Alex Sharp) can stay on the Riviera, while the other must leave for good. Naturally, both go to great slapstick lengths to outdo the other; unfortunately, the farcical goings-on are not uproarious, but poorly thought-out and limply performed. Hathaway comes across as stilted and uncomfortable, while Wilson simply does her customary raucous, abrasive shtick. About all that filmmaker Chris Addison’s The Hustle has to offer is lovely locations. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Chris Addison, and the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Con Artists” (7 min.), “Comedy Class” (6 min.), and “Hitting the Mark” (5 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing remake.] (F. Swietek)