The Sting

558. The Sting
Directed by George Roy Hill
USA, 1973
IMDB | allmovie

Reviewed by Ally
First viewing

Description:

In Depression-era Kansas, youthful grifter Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) teams up with old pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to pull an elaborate con on mob boss Doyle Lonegan (Robert Shaw).

Essential Scene:

Gondorff plays Doyle at poker, expertly switching cards to win the game. A furious Doyle later complains to his bodyguard:

What was I supposed to do, call him for cheating better than me?

Thoughts:

The plot of The Sting is a thing of beauty, neatly conning the audience in much the same way the grifters swindle the mobster. The ending appears at first to be a damn squib. But then…