Hustle

Aldrich and Reynolds team up once again/for the last time in Hustle, an ambitious Chinatown-lite crime thriller that is also painfully misrepresented by generic-looking cover art. I mean, seriously, the back cover makes it look like a Bond movie. And don't even get me started on the front cover's variation of Blown Away. Still, anyone who picks this up expecting a run-of-the-mill B action film may be pleasantly surprised.

Lieutenant Phil Gaines (Reynolds, in an appropriately understated performance) finds himself wrapped in a puzzle that involves a dead teenage hooker/porn-star/dope-fiend, her unstable/Korean War vet/vigilante father (Ben Johnson), Gaines' high-priced call girlfriend (Catherine Deneuve) and one of her corrupt, powerful, high class clients (Eddie Albert).

The film certainly has its flaws -- Deneuve failed to persuade me that she's a genuine whore, high-priced or not -- and could have been trimmed by about 15 minutes. There is one shootout scene in particular that seems to be here only to provide a taste of action and excitement. Okay, there's also an exploding car but they already blatantly used that on the cover.

Aside from Deneuve, all of the performances are pretty top-notch. Reynolds opts not to go all Smokey and the Bandit on us (no disrespect to Smokey and the Bandit, which I love). Another thing I admire is the humble cinematography, as it never distracts or overwhelms the story. There's one clever, trippy flashback sequence that stands out but the less-than-elaborate indulgences are also appreciated.

There are no extras to speak of, not even a trailer. However, the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks superb. The English mono track is also very serviceable, rounding out the great a/v. For the right low price -- which is what it's going for -- this may be worth picking up. Plus, it never hurts to have another Aldrich or Reynolds film in your library, as long as it's not Meet Wally Sparks. -- Neil Karassik