One of the best of the 70s - The Sting Reviews

A lot of movies made in the 1970s simply can't stand the test of time, because of a truly messed up culture. You could go to Shakespeare in the Park, and see Hamlet wearing tie-die. Most of the period pieces of the decade used 70s hairstyles and 70s influenced costumes, so you can tell in an instant when the film was made, even if you can't tell what era the film is supposed to be portraying. This film, thankfully, isn't like that. There is an authentic feel of Depression Era Chicago, and a soundtrack straight out of Prohibition. The cast was stellar, beginning with a couple of leading men you may have heard of, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Both give magnificent performances. The supporting cast was equally impressive. Robert Shaw was quite menacing as an Irish mob boss. My Favorite Martian, Ray Walston, was quite believable as the brains of the operation. Harold Gould was the ultimate smooth talking operator. Robert Earl Jones, (father of James Earl), was very sympathetic as Redford's mentor. And Charles Durning played the corrupt, and slightly bumbling, cop nearly perfectly.