IMDB Synopsis: AMERICAN HUSTLE
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 is a loose retelling of ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation in the 1970s to uncover political corruption. Loose being the operative word. The film opens with the text “some of this actually happened” and what follows is a fast-talking and playful tale of greed, ambition and love. David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook) has crafted a script and film that is seemingly a child of Goodfellas and Boogie Nights. Brash, loud characters, narrative voice-overs with a fantastically sexy ’70s setting combine with a stellar cast and the result is hilarious and captivating.
American Hustle tells of seasoned con-artist, Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale, The Prestige, The Dark Knight) and his partner in crime and lover, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams, The Fighter), a former stripper and savvy operator who becomes swept up in his operation. With his business savvy and her seduction and misdirection, making use of plunging necklines and a fake British accent, they plunder the bank accounts of gullible businessmen. One con turns out to be FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover), who with leverage against them and threats of prison, uses them to run bigger cons to catch bigger fish. DiMaso’s ambition plunges them into deeper and more dangerous territory as his ambition to take down big names in politics, notably New Jersey mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner, The Avengers) threatens their safety when the mafia become involved. Thrown into the mix is Irving’s young wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook) or as he calls her, “the Picasso of passive-aggressive karate”. A young, headstrong, small-minded woman with a brassy motormouth quality that threatens to derail everything they’re working for.
American Hustle is David O. Russell’s best film to date, there is something spontaneous and luxurious in the feel of the film, the cast and roles working together in this pressure cooker environment to create something really special. Bale delivers, as you would expect, a great central performance but perhaps something more understated and personal than anything before. A layer of pudge and comb-overs create this showman’s look and it is a delight to see him operate. But his exasperated encounters with his young wife and devotion to his son are what really makes it great. Renner is solid as the Mayor and his scenes with Bale are touching although I wish there had been more to show the solidifying of the friendship between the two, it would have made a very emotional scene towards the end of the film even more credible. Bradley Cooper is great as Richie, who although FBI, also puts up a front, from rollers in his hair to presenting himself as a tough-guy. His ambition and greed mirrors that of Irving and really he is the driving force of the scheme, determined to make his mark.
While Bale and Cooper impress, it is the women in the cast that are mesmerizing. Amy Adams turns in her most accomplished and mature performance to date. This isn’t in comparison of age to Lawrence, but her character has clearly suffered through more, aspired to more and the drive and hunger is shown in every line delivered. The manipulation and hunger is seductive and you can connect with the poor saps falling for her charms on screen as you in the audience are falling for her all the same. Jennifer Lawrence delivers probably my favorite performance of the year. As a petty, drunk young housewife, bored and just wanting to be loved; a brassy, almost-mob-wife unable to control her mouth. Every time she popped up on screen you couldn’t help but wait for her to speak and you knew it was going to be gold, every single time. Mean spirited but intensely vulnerable, from strutting to Live and Let Die while cleaning or a tearful exchange over lunch or the standout scene, the first meeting of Irvings’s wife and lover (Adams) in a restroom. She is a force of nature in this film and only solidifies her reputation and talent.
Special mention must be made for Louis CK playing Louis CK…I mean FBI Boss Stoddard Thorsen who oversees DiMasio’s operations and constantly tries to reign him in. From childhood anecdotes to blazing arguments, CK is a delight whenever on screen and probably the only one in the tale who sees how dramatically things are getting out of hand.
These characters are over the top and gaudy and play into a dysfunctional, loose, screwball-like comedy. The performances, while unsubtle, are committed and deep. As the film progresses the veneer is stripped from all the characters, exposing them; showing a raw quality and vulnerability that endears you greatly to the cast. For all the aspirations, schemes and greed, they want for simple things like respect and love. They just go about acheiving these things in very unusual ways.
There are some issues. While the soundtrack and music selections are fantastic, befitting both the era and mood of the piece, their usage feels a little intrusive at times. Also the pacing is a little lacking with regards to the plot and gravity of the situation the players are in. They get deeper and deeper into trouble and the drama and tensions within the group are conveyed brilliantly but the plot suspense and gravity of their situation is not solidified successfully. It could also be said the finale pulls some punches, the film gives us a surprisingly upbeat ending but after spending so much time being charmed by the cast I can’t really begrudge them that.