Posted on 04/18/2025 3:33:36 PM PDT by Starman417
The Sting (1973) is a classic crime-comedy film directed by George Roy Hill. Set in 1930s Chicago, it follows con artist Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and veteran grifter Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) as they team up to pull off an elaborate con against a ruthless mob boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). After Lonnegan's men kill Hooker's partner, the duo orchestrates a fake betting parlor scheme to swindle him out of a fortune. With clever twists, period charm, and a ragtime soundtrack featuring Scott Joplin's music, the film builds to a satisfying, surprising climax. It won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
I watched the remake this week. It featured Donald Trump as Gondorff, Marco Rubio as Johnny Hooker and Chris Van Hollen as Doyle Lonnegan. This time Gondorff and Hooker are cops.
In this remake, Lonnegan's gang has framed Governor Henry Gondorff and gotten him arrested twice for something he did not do but eventually Gondorff is acquitted. Gondorff would take his revenge in a brilliant ruse.
Now wanting him around, Gondorff allegedly sent a bad guy - one Garcia Vega- to prison out of the state. Everyone knew the guy was bad news - a criminal. He was said to belong to a terrible gang. It upset Lonnegan, who had a history of callousness toward women who have been raped and murdered by gangs. Lonnegan had also been known to push aside kids suffering from brain cancer as they begged for a nickel in the street, but for some wretched reason has taken a real liking to the criminal.
Rumors fly about suggesting that Vega and his gang might support Lonnegan in Lonnegan's campaign to be Governor. Lonnegan would to convince the local authorities that Vega was a morally good man and father of three. Lonnegan made the trip out state to try to pry Vega from the prison and discovered that Vega wasn't in prison after all. The two were seen sipping Margaritas but he was unable to extricate Vega.
While Lonnegan was out of state, Gondorff and Hooker sprang the trap.
They went to the newspapers with evidence that Vega was a serious criminal- evidence they held close to the vest until Lonnegan took the bait. Vega was indeed a wife beater and a human trafficker. He was proved to be a member of the MS-13 gang, who were engaged in drug smuggling, human trafficking, rape and murder. And it turns out that Vega had only one child with the wife he beat up.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net ...
The Sting comes across as one of the last films to come out of the golden era of motion pictures, before the New Hollywood class of Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma etc. A very solid and entertaining film. Haven’t seen it in years, I may watch it again soon.
Sting is the ultimate grifter movie.......fits in well w/ politicians.
Here, behind enemy lines in MD, that dork/moron is hardly known by the peasantry...
This episode, reminiscent of a bout of diarrhea, is the most “publicity” that he has ever received...
Unfortunately, even as described/ridiculed by everyone, it still shows him in a better light than when you see him here behind the lines...
He is best described as being similar to a urinal in the Grehound bus station into which someone vomited...
I also live in the people’s Republic. Andy Harris frequently does a full hour taking calls on WCBM. Besides Shemp Rankin, another dirtbag, I’m hard pressed to name any other members of congress.
If Van Hollen didn’t pull this stunt, the next time any of us would hear from him would be when he dons pressed jeans and a dry cleaned flannel shirt for his campaign video.
Go for it. We watched it a few weeks ago, and were thoroughly entertained.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.