American Hustle (2013) Directed by David O. Russell. Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper. IMDB says: “A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.”
American Hustle landed a firm mention in my ‘Most Anticipated’ list from the moment its teaser was released. From the dynamite cast featuring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence to the dusty 70’s aesthetics, it looked like another winner from a director that has recently made an impact on me. I have a strong affection for David O Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. It placed number two for my favorite films of 2012 list and I could make a strong case to bump it to number one considering all of the enjoyment I’ve received from repeat viewings. With that in mind, I can’t quite put American Hustle ahead of SLP but it definitely deserves a spot as one of the best films of this year.
The film centers on Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) a con man that promises loans to people with the caveat that his $5,000 fee is non-negotiable and non-refundable. His business/con is furthered when he meets Sydney Prosser (Adams), a beautiful and mysterious woman. Going by the title Lady Edith Greensly, Sydney dons a fake British accent and concocts a story just convincing enough to succeed. They are good at what they do but eventually slip up and come to the attention of the FBI. The agent in charge of their case, Richie DiMaso (Cooper), offers to lighten their punishment if the duo agrees to help the FBI in four fraud operations. From there, the movie continues with a lively display of colorful characters ranging from sad to outrageous.
The performances in the movie are Grade A. Even though I still don’t understand Christian Bale’s weird commitment to taking roles that require radical shifts in weight, he does a nice job with his performance as the shlubby con artist. From a dramatic depth standpoint, Amy Adams gets to play the most interesting character in the film and she certainly rises to the challenge. My favorite characters in the film though are Jennifer Lawrence’s Rosalyn – a self proclaimed “life of the party” and Cooper’s frenzied portrayal of the amped up go-getter Richie. My favoritism might be a little unfair because both are easily the craziest and funniest characters in the movie. There are a few supporting characters that were actually fun little surprises for me as well, so I won’t spoil it here.
Working right along with the actors is David O Russell’s direction. There’s a particularly ineluctable quality to his work that is almost difficult to describe. He’s not a flashy or sleek director but he’s also not a full fledged cinema verite filmmaker either. His eye behind the camera always feels both simultaneously comfortable and manic. Scenes always seem to fall into place in a fitting but fresh way. His visuals and use of music in this film in particular really shine through as high points.
What I dig about O Russell’s recent films are their roots in humor and honest humanistic portrayals. It’s like watching a less melancholy and more openly endearing Alexander Payne film. American Hustle is no exception to this rule. It’s got a strong thematic heartbeat, hilarious characters and a some refreshing moments of reflection and honesty.
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