The Hustle offers good old comedic escapism

More than a few moments in the film induce genuine chuckles and several instances evoke uproarious laughter. It might be graded as somewhat thin and lacking in real finesse – one gets the sense that the writers didn’t have enough time to work on the finer details of the script.

Writing aside, the comedic chops and wonderful chemistry between Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson undeniably elevate the film. For Wilson, as a veteran of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, comedy is an easy and expected space and she excels at it time and again. Hathaway, on the other hand, is fairly new to the genre and flexes her comedic muscles superbly with a worthy performance as the melodramatic master con-artist Josephine Chesterfield. Typecasting will never be a problem for her.

As a female-led remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, this film probably does not usurp the original. But then it didn’t try to. And yes, it’s led by two women but it’s not an attempt at any sort of feminist call-to-arms. It really just is a very funny comedy with a marvellous nugget for South African audiences to boot.

Screening courtesy of Ster Kinekor Baywest.