Rent The Sting (1973)

A great film, not a con! - The Sting review by Pete P

Although it's a little old, The Sting is an excellent film. It's well written, the acting is perfect and the attention to detail with costumes and sets is second to none. Add to that a ripping yarn with a fantastic twist right at the end, and you have a well produced, thoroughly enjoyable film. If you enjoyed Hustle on the TV, you'll love this!

The Best Caper Movie - The Sting review by GI

Winner of seven Oscars including Best Picture this is a hugely entertaining crime drama with comedy undertones due to the superb pairing of Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Brilliantly structured, scripted and edited it's one of the best American films of the 70s and is one of those that everyone should make sure they see at least once. Set in 1936 during the Great Depression Hooker (Redford) is a small time street con man but he's very good at it. When he and his partner steal from big time gangster, Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) they become hunted men. When Lonnegan has Hooker's friend murdered he wants revenge and goes to Henry Gondorff (Newman) who is reputedly the master of the Big Con. Together they plan to take Donnegan down but can they trust each other? This is riveting to watch as nothing is ever what it seems and you never know who is on whose side so it plays out like a 'whodunnit' style narrative. It's definitely one of the best 'caper' movies you'll ever see and it's yet to be bettered in that genre. The Chicago of the 1930s is wonderfully and authentically constructed for the film using mostly studio sets with a nostalgic feel even down to using the old Universal Studio logo at the beginning. This is one of those really entertaining films with two major stars at the height of their fame, in a cleverly plotted film that everyone will enjoy I guarantee.

Period Caper - The Sting review by Steve

This influenced the comedy caper for a decade, particularly the innovation that the sting is not only perpetrated on the mark, but also on the audience. Rather wonderfully, it is loosely based on real life criminals from the 1930s. Director George Roy Hill re-hires the old gang from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).

Robert Redford plays the small time grifter who is coached for the ultimate con by old hand Paul Newman. And their star chemistry combusts once again. Robert Shaw is suitable loathsome as their dupe, a Chicago gang boss who kills their comrade, a genial street swindler about to go straight.

So we are really on their side. The comic tone is drawn from Damon Runyon's folksy vignettes of the depression. The period costumes and set design are truly exceptional. The soundtrack of Scott Joplin's Ragtime jazz is evocative and led to a revival. It would be an advantage to understand poker, but not crucial.

The ten Oscar nominations and seven wins, including for best film and director, now seems like overkill. It's just a buddy picture. And the famous twist ending no longer induces whiplash. But it remains friction free entertainment with likeable stars and a meticulous period production.