Who doesn’t love a good comedy? Sadly, The Con Is On proves the old saying, “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.” Everything in this movie seems off kilter. And that really surprised me. I didn’t think anything could go wrong because of the film’s great cast. Just look at these names: Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Parker Posey, Maggie Q, Alice Eve, Stephen Fry, Sofia Vergara, and Crispin Glover.

And the plot does have potential. It focuses on a British couple, played by Thurman and Roth, who fly to Los Angeles hoping to pull off a jewel theft there in order to pay off a huge gambling debt to a very dangerous mobster. But each scene involving the planning and execution of their plan gets spoiled by silly antics and ridiculous dialogue.  

Thurman is the beauty and brains of the duo; Roth (The Hateful Eight) just tags along in an alcoholic stupor most of the time. It’s a shame that none of these fine actors make us laugh while watching this misguided offering.      

Talent galore signed on for this.

So how could it be such a miss?

“The Con Is On” offers no fun.

Speaking of con, could it be one?

Thurman and Roth as daring thieves,

play roles in which no one believes.

Still, Uma looks quite dazzling

while feigning class. It’s her big thing.

Roth’s role demands he drink a lot,

which adds nothing to this film’s plot.

He spends his time with booze and drugs.

Not funny, folks. He evokes shrugs.

Each scene gets worse as show goes by.

All I can do is heave a sigh.

It’s over now, and that’s good news.

Then why do I still have the blues?

On the bright side, Thurman (Kill Bill) oozes so much glamour playing her morality-challenged character that she holds our interest in all of her scenes. Plus, Maggie Q (Divergent) makes a very relentless villain.  

Sequences involving the crazy relationship of Crispin Glover’s (Willard) and Parker Posey’s (Waiting for Guffman) filmmaking-obsessed characters disappointed me the most. I have enjoyed both of them in many movies, and believe they deserve much better than this.   

Sofia Vergara (TV’s Modern Family), Stephen Fry (Love & Friendship) and Alice Eve (Before We Go) portray an ambitious actress, a fake priest and Roth’s wealthy ex, respectively. They try hard to be funny, but it just doesn’t work.

(Released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment; not rated by MPAA.)

For more information about The Con Is On, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.