American Hustle (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Movie Review: American Hustle (2013)


American Hustle (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

The sting operators.

Comb-overs, perms, cravats, disco, embezzlement and corruption — American Hustle has it all and then some. And like Scott Cooper’s film, “Out of the Furnace,” David O. Russell’s production features one of the best ensemble casts of the year. And like that movie it too utilizes Christian Bale to its advantage, but this time he is as a scheming, cheating Long Islander instead of a poor, revenge seeking brother from Pennsylvania.

Adding 43 pounds for the role (the man loves to gain and lose weight for his roles, apparently), Bale plays Irving “Irv” Rosenfeld, a smalltime, chary but ambitious conman who supports his neurotic, young wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), along with her young son, Danny. Dealing forged art and swindling desperate people of their cash is, it turns out, a brisk business, so Irv takes on a partner (and a lover) in Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams, “Man of Steel”), who chooses the stately alias of “Lady Edith Greensly” for their increasingly brazen business affairs.

Unfortunately, one of their “victims” is FBI Agent, Richard DiMaso (Bradley Cooper, “The Hangover Part 3”), a borderline sociopath with a lowly status but ambitions of crime fighting immortality. So instead of running Rosenfeld and Greensly downtown, DiMaso decides to use them to catch bigger fish: Powerful politicians on the take and the mobsters that have them in their breast pocket. Orchestrating an intricate, compelling scheme — having an Emirati Sheik come to the states to fund different projects to revive Camden and Atlantic City — DiMaso pledges to bring everyone down.

Dancing between farce and docu-drama, nothing in American Hustle is as simple as it seems on the surface. The deeper down the rabbit hole the players go, layers of the operation (which is very loosely based on an actual sting known as ABSCAM) begin to unravel. Irv develops a dangerous kinship with the Mayor of Camden and quasi-middleman behind the whole bribe, Carmine Politio (Jeremy Renner, “The Bourne Legacy”). DiMaso is enjoying the charade too much and wants desperately to sleep with Sydney. Sydney is playing DiMaso like a flute for her own gain or is she? The US Senators, local politicians and mobsters, like Victor Tellegio (Robert De Niro, “Last Vegas”) have other ideas than their downfall in mind. And what of Irv’s foxy wife Rosalyn — she may just have something to say about it all too.

American Hustle (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Appreciating the art.

To try keep his movie firing on all cylinders and on course, David O. Russell calls upon some of the major actors of his recent Oscar winning movies, “Silver Linings Playbook” and “The Fighter.” Bale and Adams are the strongest of the lot — he is eccentric, confident and immersed; she with her elegant English accent and powerful facial expressions, is steamy and manipulative (and let’s just say that her cleavage-bearing wardrobe will really steer the eyes of male viewers). Cooper and Lawrence are tight as DiMaso’s curls too — he espousing a reckless arrogance; she is hot and unpredictable (and gives Adams some competition in the plunging neckline department).

Where American Hustle falters is in its uneven delivery. It’s manic all the time but sometimes you’re left wondering whether a revelation is supposed to be comedic or dramatic. And the characters, while well-acted, are very over-the-top. I don’t want to label them caricatures per se, but they are the outrageous epitome of each individual persona type.

Then again, American Hustle is set in “The Swinging 70’s” so maybe everyone and everything was like that and I’m just nitpicking. Either way, David O. Russell has delivered a near perfect movie again. American Hustle is wildly entertaining and even more fun to look at (did people really wear clothes and their hair like that?!).

Critical Movie Critic Rating:
4 Star Rating: Good

4

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The Critical Movie Critics

Dan is an author, film critic and media professional. He is a former staff writer for the N.Y. Daily News, where he served as a film/TV reviewer with a "Top Critic" designation on Rotten Tomatoes. His debut historical fiction novel, "Synod," was published by an independent press in Jan. 2018, receiving praise among indie book reviewers. His research interests include English, military and political history.


'Movie Review: American Hustle (2013)' have 11 comments

  1. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 5:00 pm NewsFlash

    Shallowly, I first watched this strictly for Jennifer Lawrence. I watched it again because it is a fantastically fun movie.

  2. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 5:13 pm Inspector Shay

    Love the movie. It has complex characters, and an interesting story. David O. Russell is the goose that lays the golden egg.

  3. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 5:30 pm Patrick Burke

    Entertaining flick but there are two highlights. 1. Christian Bale makes it look effortless. This guy deserves an Oscar. 2. Amy Adams looks great in her lowcut braless dress.

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      December 26, 2013 @ 10:57 pm MechaPaul

      Bale won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “The Fighter”.

      Between this and “Out of the Furnace” he should get another nod.

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      December 27, 2013 @ 9:28 am General Disdain

      FTFY: Amy Adams looks great.

  4. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 6:19 pm eHarmony

    This makes it three in a row for David O. Russell.

  5. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 7:10 pm Spencer

    I wasn’t bowled over by it. If it weren’t for the big names and their funky dress this would be just another crime caper

  6. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 7:51 pm Zang

    I defintely liked the movie but have to agree with the reviewer the genre confusion made me like lit less than I would have had it’s tone been better defined.

  7. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 26, 2013 @ 10:32 pm Champ

    Good movie but you’ve got to see The Wolf of Wall Street.

  8. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 27, 2013 @ 2:42 pm Java Joe

    Groovy movie. Can ya dig it?

  9. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 28, 2013 @ 11:58 am Russco

    AH isn’t as good as every one is making it out to be. The storytelling is sloppy but no one notices because the wardrobes and hairstyles are so outrageous and the girls nipples are hard.

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