American Hustle (2013)
Certified: 15
Duration: 138 minutes
Directed by: David O’Russell
Starring: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Saïd Taghmaoui, Michael Peña, Shea Whigham
KRS release
Director David O’Russell re-teams with some of his cast from the excellent The Fighter (2010) and Silver Linings Playbook (2011) to deliver a film that mixes comedy and drama, is replete with terrific performances and simply nails down the 1970s in a stunning manner.
Russell then systematically opens up the film and its many layers, and that is when you realise that you have been lured into the hustle hook, line and sinker
American Hustle is loosely based on the Abscam sting operations carried out by the FBI investigating corruption of public officials in that era. Christian Bale is Irving Rosenfeld, a con artist in New York City in 1978, who is used to getting what he wants. He works alongside Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), who besides having a legal dry cleaning business, is now selling art forgeries among other fraudulent acts. This brings the two in the radar of Richie Di Maso (Bradley Cooper), an FBI agent who wants to strike big. After catching them, he brings them in on a sting operation in an effort to impress his seniors.
The target is Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), the mayor of Camden, New Jersey. He and his wife Dolly (Elisabeth Rohm) are hungry for funds as they want to get Atlantic City back on its feet. Enter Paco Hernandez (Michael Peña), an FBI agent who will masquerade as a sheik who wants to invest. Things escalate as it not only becomes a case of bribery – the Mob, who wants to keep tabs on the gaming world, also enters the fray.
These Mafia men include Pete Musane (Jack Huston), who is struck by Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), Irving’s wife. With the scheme complicating itself, Rosalyn’s jealousy of Sydney’s relationship with Irving and Sydney’s mixed feeling towards Richie can turn everything on its head.
The film starts with a calm demeanour that is almost nerve-wracking. It moulds the characters and slowly delineates them with their quirks and habits. The proceedings are kept under tight control and let viewers soak in the atmosphere, the 1970s vibe and textures. Everything helps to recreate the era, not the least of which are the hairstyles and the fashion.
Russell then systematically opens up the film and its many layers, and that is when you realise that you have been lured into the hustle hook, line and sinker. And he micro-inspects the characters, one by one.
The way the protagonists dress up for the scam is impeccable and captivating. Adams sports plunging necklines that give her an added dimension, Cooper’s care for his hair covers up his insecurity, while Bale’s glasses serve as a shield.
The schemes get more intricate, have a rolling stone effect and present one twist after another, all delivered with the minimum of aplomb. It all becomes an emotional minefield of who you can and cannot trust.
The performances are spot on and it’s very difficult to choose over the characters. Cooper is especially trippy while Bale is enigmatic; Laurence is unhinged while Adams delivers a nail-biting screen presence.
American Hustle delivers the scam and shows that behind its comic and romantic edge and underneath the clothes, hairstyles and music, there is a beating heart.