The Sting Review
Reuniting the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) dream team of Robert_Redford, Paul_Newman, and director George_Roy_Hill, The Sting (1973) showed that box-office lightning could strike twice, especially with a cleverly and lavishly produced comedy. Amid the meticulously recreated 1930s setting, with costumes designed by grande dame Edith_Head and shiny vintage cars, The Sting's elaborate con game is driven along by properly jaunty Scott_Joplin ragtime music, re-orchestrated by Marvin_Hamlisch, further adding to the period flavor. Even as film-school graduate David_S._Ward's script dealt with a corrupt world, the charming Redford/Newman chemistry and the period appeal lent the potential darkness a glossily entertaining surface. A few critics may have complained that the box-office formula was too obvious, but nobody could deny that Universal's money had resulted in a well-executed film. Produced by actor Tony_Bill and young newcomers Michael_Phillips and Julia_Phillips, The Sting appealed to audiences young and old, turning it into one of the biggest hits of the 1970s. Nominated for ten Oscars, The Sting won seven, including Director, Screenplay, Art Direction, Adapted Score, and Costumes, while Julia_Phillips became the first woman to win a Best Picture prize. Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
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