American Hustle
2013
***½
Director: David O'Russell
Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Alessandro Nivola, Michael Peña, Jack Huston
In 1978, Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser become lovers and small-time con artists. They're busted by FBI agent Richard DiMaso, who offers to release them if they help to entrap corrupt politicians. David O'Russell's overlong but entertaining caper comedy is driven by mad energy and larger than life performances. Christian Bale as Irving takes his physical transformation to a new level of ugly, Bradley Cooper is hilariously kinetic as the curly-haired FBI agent Di Maso, Amy Adams is great as the complex and conflicted Sydney, and Jennifer Lawrence as Irving's flamboyant wife Rosalyn is one of the few who doesn't pretend to be anyone else. This is a quite traditional con film, but not one of those smug sleights of hand that pulls the rug out of from under us at the last moment. The hair, make-up and costume departments do a great job with the big hairdos and colourful outfits. The music department does less well with the by-the-numbers soundtrack. I am not sure if O'Russell is going for the full 1970's authenticity, but his camera constantly lingers on Sydney's ass, tits, and legs. Loosely based on Abscam, a real-life FBI sting operation, which ran from the late 1970 to the early 1980s.
