feedingbrett’s review published on Letterboxd:
Review In A Nutshell:
Entertaining! That was the first thing that came on my head after watching this film. The Sting is pure fun, detailing a story of a small con-man, who lost his partner, is looking for revenge and has decided to work with a con expert to even the score.
The film features extremely delightful characters who take on a job that is feels too good to pull off. It was exciting just to watch and listen to them plan it, and seeing them execute it was even better. Just watching that poker game, with its twists and turns, it kept me on the edge, not knowing whether or not Gondorff is able to pull it off. It is moments like this that makes The Sting such an enjoyable film. I was really impressed with the amount of detail that went into pulling this con, and George Roy Hill doesn't shy away from showing us all aspects of its creation. The film even gives us unexpected events that require the con-men to change their plans a bit in order to pull them back on the main course. My only problem with the script is the lack of exploration on the relationship between Gondorff and Hooker, as they both have certainly developed a friendship but the film doesn't give us a defining scene that at least establishes that. At least the film provided a final act that had me going "whoa" at least twice. It was handled so well, that not a single drop of it was predictable.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford were great in their roles, keeping their performance light and at times comedic, keeping in line with the film's tone, without changing distracting us from the fact that the story is quite serious. They showed this playful and charming quality in their performances, making them easy to like. It was quite fun watching them switching back and forth personalities when in and out of the con, and the fact we are aware of these changes made it all the more entertaining. Robert Shaw is the film's antagonist and he does pretty average with his character here. There was just too many times where I felt he was just breezing through this film, showing very little effort but there are times where he does convince me and made me think casting him was a good choice.
The Sting is a sweet and fun heist/revenge film that definitely sticks with you after it's over.