The Sting

The Sting (1973)
Director: George Roy Hill
Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw
Memorable Line(s): "Your boss is quite a card player, Mr. Kelly; how does he do it? (reply) He cheats."

Caper films have always fascinated viewers and “The Sting” is the grand-daddy of the caper movie.

Redford is a mid-level con man who pulls a small con on the wrong person. Chased throughout the film, he links up an expert con artist (Newman) and they decide to go for the long con. The plot becomes twists within twists as the pair work on a tough crime boss (Shaw). The question is will they be able to pull it off without someone getting killed in the process?

The script is the star of the movie. Even actors with lesser talent could have pulled off this movie, but skilled director Hill and the talented cast elevate this movie to become an almost immediate classic.

The movie is enjoyable and engaging. As a side note, this movie was attributed with a small revival of ragtime music.