The Hustle (2019)

The Hustle should have been a no-brainer. Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway are both damn funny and making them rival con-artists should have worked no matter what. I guess The Hustle proves no premise is fool-proof.

The Hustle is mostly not-very funny. It's filled with grifts which aren't very clever. The frenemies mixed with a hamfisted love story just never comes together. The whole thing feels like an awkward misfire and it makes you wonder how something like this gets so far along without someone fixing it.

There are moments in The Hustle which made me laugh out loud. The sheer talent of these two leads is enough that they will make you laugh regardless of how bad the movie is. But there are also times when you laugh because it is so awful, like we're laughing at them more than with them. What could have been a fresh take on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels ends up being sad watching two actors, both with real talent for comedy, just not pull it off. It made me sad more than laugh.

The Hustle
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway, Alex Sharp
Director: Chris Addison
Writers: Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, Jac Schaeffer