Review of The Sting (1973) by Ryan C — 01 Feb 2011
Robert Redford and Paul Newman reunite after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) with director George Roy Hill for this entertaining tale of con artists in 1930's Chicago. It became one of the biggest hits of 1973, eventually winning 7 Oscars, it's still fresh and funny to this day, and deserved it's success.
It starts in Joliet, with small-time crook Johnny Hooker (Redford) who works with Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe). After one con, where they nabbed $11,000, ends up with the death of Luther, Hooker tracks down Luther's former partner and master con-artist Henry Gondorff (Newman).
They team up to bring down Irish-American mobster Doyle Lonnigan (Robert Shaw), whose men had Luther killed, Hooker and Gondorff devise one of the most complex, elaborate and amazing con jobs of all time.
An entertaining, funny, original and surprising little film, wonderfully recreating a bygone age, and with some wonderful performances to boot, Newman and Redford both put in brilliant performances, and Shaw makes a good villain, it's no wonder it won so many Oscars.
This review of The Sting (1973) was written by Ryan C on 01 Feb 2011.
The Sting has generally received very positive reviews.
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