WATCHING gross men fall for blatant tricks will make anyone laugh, but watching Hathaway and Wilson orchestrating these wacky plans just sends me rolling with laughter.
Based on the 1988 comedy film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – which was a remake of the 1964 classic film Bedtime Stories starring Marlon Brando and David Niven – The Hustle offers a female perspective on the art of conning dishonest men for cash, all in the beautiful French Riviera.
Small-scale con artist Penny (Rebel Wilson) catfishes and cheats men for her next meal ticket (or fun water activity), leveraging on a made-up sob story about her non-existent hot blonde sister.
Meanwhile, millionaire Josephine (Anne Hathaway) targets the high society in her town of Beaumont-Sur-Mer, where she has in her employ a butler and a local policewoman to help work her schemes.
While evading authorities, Penny finds herself in Beaumont-Sur-Mer, a town filled with potential targets.
In a bid to prevent the newcomer from ‘working’ on her turf, Josephine tries to get rid of Penny, but the latter soon discovers there are bigger fish to hook – initially, thinking Josephine is the legendary con artist Medusa.
I love how both women deliver laughter with so much gusto.
LOL at their ‘Lord of the Rings scheme’, when Josephine’s more refined character tries to groom Penny for higher clientele.
But, while Penny is eager to learn, the girl is not afraid to retaliate with crude humour.
Besides the European setting, the movie shows Hathaway’s goofier side reminiscent of The Princess Diaries (which I liked), while Wilson does not disappoint with her IDGAF humour and, at some points, with emotionally raw scenes.
And don’t waste any sympathies on the people they choose to con.
As Hathaway’s character puts it, “you can’t cheat an honest man”.
