Die Abzocker - Eine eiskalte Affäre (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Stuart Cooper

Writers:

Michael Capellupo (co-writer)
David Howard (writer)

Release Date:

May 2001 (USA)

Plot:

Maya and Tony are grifters. They do well at their small time cons...until they get in over their heads.

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14

2:00 AM

SHOW

Cast

Bobbie Phillips	...	Maya / Corinna
Benjamin Sadler	...	Tony
Robert Wagner	...	Felix Baumgartner
Thomas Heinze	...	Martin
Stephen McHattie	...	Pierce
Russell Yuen	...	Gordon Chan
Ellen-Ray Hennessy	...	Vivian
Nicu Branzea	...	Rumsen
Julian Richings	...	Detective Walsh
Vincent Bruni	...	Detective Maretti
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
François Klanfer	...	Old Boy
Parm Manhas	...	Clothier
Dina Morrone	...	Jeweler
Billy Otis	...	Nalls
Rami Posner	...	Clerk
Jon Stroll	...	Piano Player
Nicholas Vrettakos	...	Phillip

Also Known As:

A Sordid Affair (Europe: English title)
The Hustle (USA) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Germany | Canada

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R | Germany:12

Company:

Gemini Film

Entirely forgettable con artist flick

I bought 'The Hustle' as a part of a 'but 3 for £5' sale, so it cost me roughly £1.67, and even though I wouldn't say I'm happy with the purchase; the film is just about worth £1.67. I'm actually a big fan of films where people get conned, and that and the fact that the rest of the films in sale were even worse were what made me decide to buy this one. However, films about con men have seen a lot better days; and Stuart Cooper's film is one part useless, one part extremely unlikely and three parts boring; and all this stuff combines into a film that isn't worth bothering with. The script takes influence from the Demi Moore miss 'Indecent Proposal' as well as a number of other films about grifters, and follows the fortunes of a pair that box describes as 'a modern day Bonnie and Clyde'. Personally, I'd say they're more like those cheats on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. Anyway, their scam is for the lady to take a man back to her room, while the boyfriend drains the credit card. This is all well and good, until someone pulls a gun on them and offers them a chance at a bigger scam. Sorry, I mean 'score'.

The script makes sure it gets all the terminology right; 'mark', 'score', 'hit' etc; but forgets to tell an interesting story with characters worth remembering. Bobbie Phillips is sexy and seductive in the lead role, but everyone else is awful. Benjamin Sadler is phoney and boring, while it's easy to forget that Thomas Heinze and Stephen McHattie are even in the film, despite the fact that they have big roles. Robert Wagner rounds it all off with a small appearance near the end, and like the rest of the cast; isn't worth remembering as he clearly only took the role for the money. The plot features a lot of surprises, but many of them are extremely unlikely and silly - the main plot involving Bobbie Phillips is a big culprit in this respect. The silly plot is offset by a distinctly serious tone, and perhaps the worst thing about this film is the fact that the cast and director obviously thought that they were making a good piece of drama. The score over the top and irritating as well, and while this isn't a complete dead loss; it certainly isn't very good. Avoid, unless you're getting it for £1.67.