American Hustle

I am outraged at the negativity toward a brilliant film. Not only does this movie nail the 70's in so many ways, but mirrors current events (New Jersey) in such perfect concordance, that it seems completely predictive of a thousand news stories circling the planet. How current does a movie have to be when it looks deep in the heart of darkness in American politics and then it all plays out right in front of us?American Hustle is an excellent and entertaining Comedy/Crime Drama that combines great direction,a terrific cast,a wonderful script and a fantastic soundtrack all of those elements make American Hustle a great film that has to be seen.Set in New York City in the late 1970s,American Hustle tells the story of two con artists,Irving Rosenfield(Christian Bale)and Sydney Prosser(Amy Adams)who have been forced by FBI agent Richie DiMasso(Bradley Cooper)to participate in a FBI operation called ABSCAM,a sting operation to set up corrupt politicians including Camden,New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito(Jeremy Renner)and gangsters. As the stakes become higher and with danger coming at every corner Irving and Sydney have to figure out how to get out and survive.Throughout the history of cinema,con artists and Grifters have been covered in movies ranging from The Sting(1973),The Grifters(1990)and now American Hustle,an amazing film from beginning to end that keep your attention with fantastic movie making that never stops. Right from it's weird and offbeat opening American Hustle is a movie that combines Comedy,Crime Drama and a true life tale that is funny and quirky and at other times serious and intense giving viewers a movie that plays by it's own rules and creates it's own world. With American Hustle David O'Russell gives us a movie that is dazzling bringing viewers into the crime world of the 1970s showing the personal and professional lives of con artists,federal agents,politicians and gangsters never knowing where the story or it's characters will go and even though AH is a fact based story the movie is not too dark. When you look at AH you will see that the movie was obviously influenced in many ways by Martin Scorsese's classic Gangster epics such as Goodfellas(1990)and Casino(1995)with the way the camera moves,the style and look of the film and the use of narration replacing Gangsters and Mobsters with con artists but O'Russell takes the style and makes it his own. The Comedy in AH is great and hilarious because the laughs are never forced on viewers or telling them when scenes are funny but lets the viewers figure out when scenes are funny whether it's in some of the scenes or in the main characters dialog or actions. The Comedy is balanced out by the Crime Drama elements as well which are done with attention and detail like a other Crime Dramas and you are gripped with every scene that involves cops and crime. But the Crime Drama element isn't always serious and is entertaining. The beautiful photography by Linus Sandgren and amazing production design by Judy Becker truly add to the film and give AH a realistic look and feel of the 1970s with vibrant colors and sets that pull you into the world that AH wants to portray and it's one of the reasons the movie succeeds. The main characters in the film whether it's the con artists,federal agents are fascinating and interesting with laughs and depth because with each main character everyone wants to succeed at what they do whether it's good or bad. Also,with the characters there is no black and white but a gray area that is complex and real and you will relate to some of the characters in some ways. The screenplay by Eric Singer and David O'Russell is impressive and well-done with dialog that is a mixture of funny and serious. The ending of American Hustle is wonderful,surprising and unexpected and fits with films about con artists and Grifters. An outstanding conclusion to a great movie.The whole cast is amazing. Christian Bale is excellent and at his best as Irving Rosenfield,with Bale bringing intensity and emotional(and physical)depth to the role. Bradley Cooper is brilliant and funny as FBI agent Richie DiMasso,with Copper being offbeat and dramatic. Amy Adams is terrific and beautiful as Sydney Prosser,Irving's partner in crime and has great scenes with Bale,Cooper and Lawrence. Jeremy Renner is outstanding as Mayor Carmine Polito,a New Jersey politician. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and sexy as Roselyn Rosenfield,Irving's attractive but overbearing wife. Also,lookout for a great uncredited appearance from Robert De Niro in a great performance as Victor Tellegio,a high level gangster. Louis C.K(Stoddard Thorsen),Jack Huston(Pete Musane),Michael Pena(Paco Hernandez),Shea Whigham(Carl),Alessandro Nivola(Anthony Amando)and Paul Hermane(Alfonse Simone)give good performances as well.The direction by David O'Russell is brilliant and stylish,with O'Russell always moving the camera with tracking shots,close-ups and a nice visual style. Terrific direction,O'Russell.The score Danny Elfman isn't always used but good when it's heard. The film has a great soundtrack with songs by Elton John(Goodbye Yellow Brick Road),Wings(Live And Let Die),The Temptations(Papa Was A Rolling Stone),Duke Ellington(Jeep's Blues)and more. Outstanding soundtrack..

This is such a great movie!!

I had been looking forward to seeing American Hustle since it was announced. I almost saw it on release day, but I have an aversion to watching movies with people who are more concerned with noisily eating their weight in popcorn than watching what is on the screen. Yesterday's viewing was still pretty packed, but I am glad I didn't wait any longer. The movie is a lot of fun.There's something a little jarring about David O. Russell's movies. I think it's the amount of conflict present between his characters. Have you ever been to a party or a gathering where people are all talking at once? It can be chaotic. There might be little gems of information hidden in the cacophony, but it's easy to miss. If you have seen The Fighter, you'll know that Russell's characters were often at each others throats. In Silver Linings Playbook, the central romance wasn't fully realized until the participants had survived numerous arguments. American Hustle feels similar in many ways to both those movies, although the canvas is broader and more colorful.The movie opens with the statement, "Some of this actually happened." Well, the 1970s certainly happened, but I doubt that many people resembled the main characters in this story. The opening scene sets the tone by showing Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) fixing his hair. This is an elaborate process involving glue and a comb-over. IMDB states that Bale gained more than 40 pounds to play the role, and herniated two discs while perfecting his slouching posture. It's quite a transformation. That opening scene is a clear statement that American Hustle is not going to be a serious drama, and the movie rarely deviates from that initial statement of intent.Rosenfeld is an interesting character. He spends most of his time conning people out of their money, promising loans for those who can make a down payment of $5,000. He meets Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) at a party and the two form a partnership and are attracted to each other. The plot becomes more complicated when an intended mark turns out to be FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). To avoid going to jail, Rosenfeld and Prosser agree to help DiMaso convict four corrupt officials, starting with Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner).What follows is a complete mess. Does Rosenfeld really love Prosser? Will he ever leave his wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence)? Is Prosser in love with Rosenfeld, DiMaso, both, or neither? The story contains a delightful cameo from another Russell regular, a science oven, a fake sheikh, great music from the 70s, fantastic performances from the main cast, twists, humor, intrigue, and plenty of laughs. Is it coherent? Not completely on the first viewing. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely.Jennifer Lawrence isn't in many scenes, but she's fascinating every time she appears. Bale and Adams dominate most of the story, and are ably supported by Bradley Cooper, who has become a much better actor than I once imagined. It's interesting to see these Russell favorites make fun of themselves. Lawrence is borderline crazy, Bale almost unrecognizable, Adams more manipulative than most of her former characters, and Cooper willing to act like a fool. Is this the sort of chemistry that develops when directors continually use actors that they have worked with in the past? I love seeing directors such as Lynch, the Coens, Darabont and Tarantino going back to the same actors repeatedly. I think it adds something to the performances.Like a Tarantino movie, American Hustle is more about style and the journey than the actual plot. It's simply fun to watch these characters interact. Don't expect a clever scam along the lines of The Sting. Just enjoy the wild ride. I already can't wait to see it again, despite its imperfections. I have a feeling that I will end up loving the movie once I have allowed it to sink in and with repeat viewings. The same was true for Silver Linings Playbook and Jason Reitman's Young Adult.If you're perceptive and still reading, you might have noticed that I haven't talked much about the plot. This is one you need to experience without knowing too much going in. If you're a fan a Russell, or the main actors, you'll come away with a smile on your face. If you're not, this movie might just convert you.For now, the overall score is 4/5.

Good movie

This is a good movie. There's a reason why it was nominated for 10 Oscars.

Excellent and speedy service

The film has certainly got an all-star line up fronted by 'Christian Bale' and 'BradleyCooper'Talented Con-artist 'Irving Rosenfeld' and his equally talented partner 'Sydney Prosser'rather than go to jail are forced by ambitious F.B.I agent 'Ritchie Dimaso' to help himexpose some high-rollers in the hustle-business in the shape of 'New Jersey' power-broker 'Mayor Carmine Polito' who's dealings include the Mafia and many leadingpolitical figures.The situation the two hustlers are walking into appears to be way over their heads witha high-risk scenario, these guys do not play games.'Sydney' initially knew very little about 'Irving's' wife 'Rosalyn' or the existence of hisyoung son.'Rosalyn' isn't always predictable and could easily blow the op' wide open, putting 'Ritchie''Sydney' and her husband in danger (a woman's scorn)The film is for long periods pretty slow-moving, because of it's acclaim you are expectingit to suddenly take-off.'Jennifer Lawrence' won best supporting actress for her role as 'Rosalyn' (rather she'd wonher Oscar for 'Hunger Games')'Christian Bale' plays 'Irving' 'Bradley Cooper' F.B.I agent 'Ritchie' and 'Amy Adams' plays'Sydney'The film based loosely on one or two real events is set in the 70's for which there is one ortwo mainly great 70's sounds to enjoy along the way.Special Features :-* The making of 'American Hustle'* Deleted and Extended Scenes.* Film run time 138 minutes

The soundtrack was indeed a marvel to behold! The story-line was okay but could have done with less emotional garbage and relationship hassles and more slick hustling. Intelligent and clever twists and turns would be better. Christian Bale's character was excellent proving his ability to play diverse roles. Jennifer Lawrence is so beautiful she could do anything but the constant use of the 'F' word was a unnecessary addition. Swearing and cursing is I always feel a defamatory use of the English language particularly so when we have a wealth of other words to use. Directors and script writers should learn to use other sources of impact instead of cursing being the climax of a scene. Bradley Cooper was fantastic and always brings a creative energy to his roles as he did in Limitless. Amy Adams was excellent but I would like Hollywood to make a new version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with her as the lead role that would be brilliant!!! Overall I enjoyed the film but I think script writers can do better particularly with such acclaimed actors and actresses.

After all the hype around this movie I thought I would buy it. And yes it is a good film with a nice "con" but the story wasn't amazing and I was a little disappointed by it. I might watch it a second time to see if I like it more than the first. What was excellent though was Bradley Cooper, he really took charge in this film and made it very good to watch. If you like his acting then it is well worth getting.

Like "12 years a slave" this was an Oscar nominee, and was also based on true events. However, somehow, in an attempt at hyper-realisism the director has allowed each of the cast to create a distinct and isolated character. The result is something that is hard to believe, even allowing true events to be stranger than fiction.

I loved this movie. The characters are such fun and I would say its got a sort of 'Trainspotting' construction with the story weaving with a constantly moving view point. Don't think it falls into the trap of being too clever. For me its exciting, slightly surreal and doesn't take itself too seriously. Don't feel its overly predictable and it takes us into a bizarre world of smoke and mirrors. I like the pacing and the, at times, helter-skelter feel and I also think we've got some fun and believable characters. I also liked the look/ production and the editing camerawork.