Prepare to get Hustled.

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 2014)

There are no spoilers in my review:
I have never been so disappointed in a film. With all the hype, I expected another House of Games (1987) or Grifter (1990) or maybe a hard edged drama like The Departed. Instead I saw a very boring film that had no idea what it was. Before I went in, I read that it was a drama. Others said a comedy. Others said a dark comedy. It attempted to be all of the above and succeeded at none. The movie was so boring, after 45 minutes I started to watch the reactions of the viewers around me in the packed theater. It was very telling and far more entertaining than the movie. Over and over, we would be presented a dramatic scene with deep consequences to the plot and to the characters that is then immediately followed by what was supposed to be a funny scene. For example, we have a deep complex scene of someone worried he is going to get killed at anytime. Well done writing and scene. You'll be invested. It's then IMMEDIATELY followed by a housewife cleaning her house while humorously singing and dancing to the song "Live & Let Die." Do you laugh? What just happened? At the very end of the scene when you realize the director is holding up the "laugh" sign, you uneasily chuckle- just a little. In another scene, you have a character do harm to his superior. The superior is beaten badly. Not only is the subordinate not punished, it's played for laughs. Not knowing what reaction I was supposed to have (laugh, cry, be concerned, be worried) actually made my stomach queasy - and I eat habaneros for breakfast! I said several times to the people I was with that this is boring and bad and made no sense. This is not well done. They all agreed. The ending and wrap up will leave you in awe at its lacking.
So much talent and potential wasted.