Review of American Hustle (2013) by Calvin T — 30 Aug 2014

This was my first venture into the world of David O. Russell, I understand that the fighter claimed much success with the box office and critics alike, so when this mind bending epic came along, I thought id pucker up and get in on it.

Now I've heard a lot about this movie, none of it story based, more just critiques of it, about either how amazing it is or about how unbelievably boring it is. Now I can fully understand this is a long film, it has a plethora of dialogue and monologue text that can bore viewers and yes there is very little to no action going on.

However where this film succeeds and boy does it succeed so well at it, is within its continaully twisting plot, its fully commited and well layers characters and the continual movement of camera, continually shifting focus on the smaller clues or mannerisms that matter most.

This films not for every one, but if you like this style of film, its fucking one hell of a piece of cinema. Usually I would give a brief of the story, however going into this film on the unknown, made it all the more intriguing and magical while watching.

To sum it up briefly, Christain Bale plays a worn down but very successful con artist, who soon falls madly in love with Amy Adams, who plays the role of Sydney, a very good actress with a talent for double bluffing.

Its small time stuff, but they go around conning people for money and living off it behind Irving, Bales, wife Rosalyn, played just... oh my god... by Jennifer lawrence. Soon The couple end up in a continual spiral with a man named Ritchie, Played by Cooper and Polito, played by Renner.

That's it, thats all im saying. And even thats too much. First of all, whoever cast this movie is a genius. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro and Louis CK are but to name a few of the wonderfully skilled actors enveloping the characters, that are so fleshed out, so complex, so full of actual character.

Bale naturally blows the screen apart with his methodical performance, but the rest of the team do not bend over and take it, noooooo, they give it right back at him. Cooper does extremely well at becoming some maniacal, frustrated and twisted individual.

Amy Adams plays is sexy and straight, adding a layer of danger to the whole piece. Its good to see De Niro show up and hand out De Niro standard dialogue and Louis CK does a wonderful job of adding a hint of soul and comedy into the mix.

Renner gives a power and mesmerising performance as the good major, trying to clean up the streets. However its Lawrence, who almost runs away with the entire movie, she has become something of a wonder these past few years but here not only is she the comic relieve, she also adds a sadistic and stupifying side that cant help but make you love her.

Everyone is on their A game. The script is written very well, I also get the feeling that some Improv was designed to enhance scenes. The films continual flowing camera points not at the dialogue but at what matters, little things from hand movements to the tedious process of fixing a toupe onto a head.

Steadi Cam mixed with tracking shots continually add an edge and real sense of pace. Its a long film but its paced really well, it has a definative beginning, middle and end, which are all satisfying, however getting between all three of those points is a roller coaster.

At times your not sure who's bluffing who. Its back stab galour and it shows a horrid side to people as the deeper in shit they find themselves the further their willing to go to save their bacon, even if it means dropping your best friend in it or hitting your boss, repeatedly, over the head with a telephone.

The soundtrack is a wonder to behold, Danny Elfman does a great job with the score but using the songs from the time, the classics, may sound typical but it works so well. A rendition of Live and Let Die, while Jennifer Lawrence cleans the house will lay testiment to this.

In conclusion its not for everyone. It can at times be confusing, its chatty, very chatty and its not conventional big budget cinema. But thats its charm, its fresh, its something different. It sits in between the indie flick and the blockbuster but manages to achieve strong attributes of both.

Russell reminds me of Paul Thomas Anderson and at points I can see nods to some of Anderson's work, in some instances Boogie Nights, but he also dips into Scorsesse territory from time to time. Its fun, its a roller coaster and apart from Wolf of Wall Street, you will be hard pressed to find a film quite like this in the market at the moment.