Copyright Columbia Pictures 2013
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
So, the narrowing down of what film to go see yesterday came down to this film and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; this one won out, but Smaug will probably be seen within the week since I’m off all week from work.
American Hustle takes place in 1978, and primarily follows the characters Irving Rosenfield (Christian Bale), a small time con-artist and dry cleaner owner, and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), his mistress and accomplice who mostly acts under a British alias of Lady Edith Greensly. After getting into a bind with the FBI, they agree to assist agent Ritchie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) on a small series of cons that eventually leads to hopeful nabbing of not only members of congress and popular Camden, N.J. mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), but also several high standing members of the mob. In the process, Rosenfield’s difficult wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), manages to get intertwined at all the wrong places at all the wrong times.
Director David O. Russell has definitely hit his stride with his past few films, solidifying himself as a writer/director to be reckoned with. This film expertly captures the gawdy era of the late 1970s, while carrying a very reminiscent feeling of a Martin Scorsese film from his heyday, especially Goodfellas and Casino. Hey, we even get a surprise cameo from Bobby D!
The script is strong and has some surprising twists, it is shot beautifully and smartly, but where the film really shines is in its performances. Bale and Adams are absolutely superb, and Cooper and Renner are excellent supporting characters. Even from a physical perspective, Bale has completely transformed himself gaining some 65 pounds, and his New York accent is very impressive, especially knowing this is a Welshman playing the part.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would highly recommend it. I think we’re going to see a lot of this one through the awards season.
notesonafilm 