Poor Man’s Ocean’s 11 – Oceans benefits from The Sting being in the public consciousness for decades, but the student has become the master
★★★☆☆
The Sting is one of the quintessential classic Hollywood con-man movies, featuring starring turns from Robert Redford (who you might remember as angry man on boat from my second review) and Paul Newman. It was released in 1973 and won 7 oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. I normally don’t talk about the awards a movie has won, but I think it is important to remember that movies exist both at a point in time and in perpetuity. When The Sting came out, it was an innovative masterpiece and one of the best con-man movies of all time. But 42 years is a long time and a lot of movies have built off the foundation The Sting left behind.
The Sting is set in pre-WWII Chicago. Redford plays Hooker, a small-time grifter with a gambling problem. Hooker and his partners con a bank courier out of his drop off of just over $10,000. What they don’t know is that it is a mob bank. (Author’s note: you should never steal from a mob bank.) Hooker and his partners are all eventually tracked down. Hooker escapes his pursuers, but one of his partners, Luther, ends up dead. Hooker sets out to find another con-man, Harry Gondorf (Paul Newman), who was fond of Luther to help plan his vengeance and finally pull a ‘big con’. The two set out their plan and begin working their mark, the mobster who owned the bank Doyle Lonnegan.
If you recall my Dirty Rotten Scoundrels review, I gave a couple of checkboxes for con man movies. Winning smile, unlikeable mark, and turning tables. Check, check, check. It’s no surprise that a movie this well regarded and loved by many would hit all of those points. Redford and Newman are as great as they always are. And while, I didn’t love the movie as most much as some, I finally fell in love with Redford. I haven’t seen a lot of his movies, but this makes it clear why he is a star. His charisma wasn’t quite able to save me from ruining this movie for myself. I’ve seen so many cons in movies that I found myself putting the pieces together before I was supposed too. That’s what ultimately led to my lukewarm feelings on this movie.
Even in 1973, this movie felt like a throwback to earlier Hollywood. The theme music feels like it was pulled from the days when there was an actual piano in the theatre providing the score to movies. The movie has distinct sections with their own title cards that reminded me of watching early Chaplin movies. The sections had names like ‘The Hook’ and ‘The Shut Down’. I suddenly started remembering other movies, like The Prestige with its Pledge, Turn, and Prestige sections. Another layer of meaning was added every time someone swiped their nose as a signal. I was retroactively picking up on references I had missed. Movies that beloved (especially by filmmakers) make ripples through pop culture for years. Everyone who claims to love movies should see The Sting. It’s the movie equivalent of required reading. Even if for no other reason than to better understand all of the modern filmmakers who grew up loving it.
The Sting is available to rent on Amazon for 3.99
Next week, David is reviewing Enemy at the Gates. I’ve been throwing a lot of tougher movies at him for the past few months and decided to give him a little palate cleanser with one of my favorite war/thriller movies. Jude Law is very underrated, just in general.
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