| Product: |
Hustle - The Complete Seasons 1 - 3 (DVD) |
| Date: |
17/01/08 (92 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Entertaining, innovative and fun
Disadvantages: It can be a little tame
Originally screened on BBC1 from 2004 onwards, drama series Hustle is about to launch into its fifth season. The show follows the escapades of a group of London con artists, who (one episode at a time) attempt to con wealthy individuals out of large sums of money. Following its success on the BBC, the show is now also broadcast in America, and the region 2 DVD compilation of series one to three was released in the earlier part of 2007.
The format of the series has changed very little across the three seasons contained here, which is almost certainly a good thing, given that it works rather well as it is. Initially feeling not unlike a small screen version of the Ocean's Eleven trilogy, the show is actually far more enjoyable than its big screen counterpart, given only that it lacks the inherent smugness of a Hollywood production, packed full of famous names, each vying for a starring role. Each of the eighteen episodes here is self-contained, with an hourly format that crams in a suitably convoluted tale of conspiracy, coincidence and mischief, with only one guaranteed outcome; that our heroes will come out on top. Like most BBC productions these days, most episodes feature a guest star, normally a familiar name from film or television. Fay Ripley, Mel Smith and Tamzin Outhwaite have all cropped up in one series or another, as either the "mark" (target) or corrupt police officers waiting to be taught a lesson.
One of the show's most successful assets is its leading cast, a crew of five members with varying skills and personalities. The leader of the outfit is Michael Stone (Adrian Lester), a suave, intelligent con man who believes that anything is possible and is always one step ahead of everyone else. Lester is initially not the most convincing of the crew (he seems very young to have developed such a cunning way with things) but as you settle into the series, you can't help but be charmed in much the same way as any of his targets ends up falling for it. Danny Blue joins the team in the first episode, having decided that he wants to learn their various ways and is certainly the liveliest of the bunch. Marc Warren's cheeky air of mischief works really well here although his chipper banter is a bit of an acquired taste.
The female of the team, Stacie Monroe, adds a certain elegance otherwise lacking in the proceedings. Jaime Murray is certainly very beautiful and generally ends up in an increasingly ridiculous variety of disguises. Albert Stroller (Robert Vaughan at his best) is the distinguished gentleman of the crew, more able to convince the more suspicious members of the community that he is what he seems to be. Ash Morgan (Robert Glenister) is the more reserved of the bunch and is portrayed as one of those experts in everything (explosives, combinations, banking systems, film-making). Ash is by far the least plausible of the bunch, but the show thrives on his ability to pull rabbits out of hats.
In terms of style, Hustle is most famously known for the way in which it "breaks the fourth wall." This means, in simple terms, that the characters interact with the audience or the other characters in an unusual way. Very often, for example, Mickey's team members will turn and wink at the audience as if they know you are watching. Action is sometimes frozen, whilst Mickey and his crew move around the frozen scene changing details or discussing what to do next. In one episode, Mickey and Danny break into a full song and dance routine, tap dancing around the frozen inhabitants of a casino; in another, all the leading cast members break into a full Bollywood song and dance routine on the set of their latest "con". It's all entertaining stuff and certainly gives the series a fresh, innovative feel that sets it out from other conventional TV series. Hustle doesn't take itself too seriously; and it doesn't particularly want you to either.
As a premise, this does eventually break down. It's worth bearing in mind that Mickey and his crew are generally dealing with some of the wealthiest, least scrupulous and nastiest business people around. Somehow, week after week, they manage to con these individuals out of large sums of money, with few consequences. (You'd expect them to end up dead.) The script dictates to the audience why this isn't the case, but it's a sketchy excuse at best and it soon becomes clear that you have to suspend any disbelief if you are to gain any real pleasure from the series. Not only do these guys rip off one London bad guy after another, they do it time and again, with seemingly few repercussions.
Additionally, because we're supposed to see the crew as the "good guys" there's an inherently hypocritical air about the whole piece. Allegedly, they only steal from those who deserve it and have some sort of moral code to guide what they will / not do. Nonetheless, in various episodes, we see them stealing money from hospital patients, doctoring cash points and conning innocent tourists. It seems that the Robin Hood mentality is only a part-time principal.
These things aside, however, Hustle is hugely enjoyable television. All eighteen episodes of series one to three are contained here, with some stand-out favourites to recommend. "Faking It" tells the story of a casino owner who beats Albert up when he catches him cheating at cards, leading the crew to exact their revenge. In "The Last Gamble" the crew sells the London Eye to a greedy fat cat and in "Gold Mine" a similar con takes place to convince an old time grifter that a worthless piece of land actually contains a gold mine. But my favourite is "The Bollywood Con", where a wealthy and egotistical Indian business man is conned into financing a fake Bollywood movie, but things go slightly awry. The Bollywood dance routine towards the end is really, really funny. The pace and plot of each of the episodes is nearly always spot on, with the eventual revelation at the end proving time and again that the audience has been fooled as much as the mark. In reality, the formula can become slightly predictable, and it's advisable to watch this in short bursts, rather than long sittings.
Hustle is, however, one of the best things to come out of the BBC in recent years and this DVD collection is a good investment. Expect to pay around £40 for the set, but don't expect any extras - this is just a cheaper way of buying the individual discs.
Recommended
Summary: Collects the first three series of the succesful BBC1 show
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