Die Abzocker - Eine eiskalte Affäre

I rented this film because it starred Bobbie Phillips. I wasn't even sure what to expect as I've seen Bobbie in martial arts and comedies, so I didn't really know what category this film was. It was kind of a drama/comedy. This film was unique to me in the way the story was told. It would be dark and kind of sad but then it would have funny moments or reactions from the actors. Like life! I thought Bobbie did a marvelous job. It was a side I hadn't seen of her acting. Also, the other characters were interesting. It was hard to figure out who the bad guy was. I would recommend this film highly. Especially given the fact that it is on video and there are limited copies which would make you think it wasn't as good as it is.

Although I became a fan of Bobbie Phillips' watching her in action roles "Chameleon" and "The Crow", she proves to be an actress with extensive acting talent. She is superb in all the roles she plays in this film. The film, I thought,was okay but a little slow. Maybe because I'm a big action fan. Even so, I enjoyed watching Ms. Phillips' performance so much I have to give the film an 8 out of 10.

The plot, to say the least, is confusing: a man and a woman playing the old badger game get caught up in a web of sleuthing, multiple identities, and shifting loyalties that leave the viewer wondering what happened. It's hard to find a "good guy" character to root for. Nevertheless, the performances are quite watchable, especially Bobbie Phillips in the lead--she can act, and she's not afraid of a little nudity (full frontal, in fact), nor should she be, as she's drop-dead gorgeous, and has a wonderful set of breasts. (If that's a blatantly sexist observation--well, it's also a true one.) The other actor who compels one to watch is the always dependable Stephen McHattie, he of the evil grin, who shines as the "mastermind" of the whole weird mess. These two actors should be offered roles in far better films than this! Oh, and if you do watch it, you'll get the impression that Robert Wagner gets prominent billing due to his name, rather than his limited footage, and you'll be right, but he does have his moment, very near the end. Performances by the above actors: 8.5 out of 1O. Film as a whole: 4 out of 1O.

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.

This movie was quite a mess. There wasn't anything really going for it. The only character that had any appeal was Bobbie Phillips' Maya and she wasn't even worth it.

The plot is standard, double-cross the double-crossing double-crosser. With a few too many double crosses to make any sense. Sometimes that means it "keeps you guessing" in this case it "keeps you waiting". By the end I just wanted everyone to get thrown in jail or shot.