Saturday, December 14, 2013

American Hustle

Everyone in David O. Russell’s cinematic reimaging of the FBI ABSCAM scandal are trying to make good on a hustle. They dress up, they speak with fake accents, they play their parts, all for the endowment of a few dollars. That’s American Hustle. A film about how a dedicated con man and his talented mistress wound up working for an overzealous FBI agent, risking their lives in the process.

After Irving Rosenfield (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) try to con federal agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), they are quickly arrested and offered a deal. Instead of serving time, Richie proposes that Irving and Sydney entrap people of prominence (namely politicians) into taking bribes, so that Richie can arrest the people and take all the credit. Richie’s operation quickly (and dangerously) takes on a life of its own as a mayor in New Jersey (Jeremy Renner), Irving’s unstable wife (Jennifer Lawrence), and a host of intimidating gangsters all become entangled in the ordeal. Before long, the very existence and ABSCAM threatens the life of everyone involved, and they struggle to figure a way out.

The ABSCAM operation that took place in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s is very complicated to explain. First and foremost, it is essential to stress how well Russell and his co-screenwriter, Eric Warren Singer, have tackled the subject. They’ve taken a very convoluted issue and presented it in the form of a manic and rather entertaining piece of cinema. But good screenwriting and confident direction only go so far. As is often the case with Russell’s films, the actors in American Hustle are chiefly responsible for the film’s success. Everyone involved commands his or her respective characters with the utmost conviction. There isn’t a misstep to be found in their choices, and the film flourishes because of it.
Cooper and Lawrence reprise their expertise of playing neurotic, impulsive people that they both played so well in Russell’s previous film, Silver Linings Playbook. In American Hustle, both of their characters also suffer from wildly humorous delusions of grandeur, which Lawrence in particular fleshes out with spectacular fashion.

At this point, it’s hard to come up with inventive ways to describe Christian Bale’s talent. The man is simply one of the best actors of this or any time. As Irving, Bale transforms himself to play the part, gaining an incredible amount of weight and sporting a God-awful “hairdo” to sell it. But beyond external appearance, Bale plays Irving as a man always a moment away from crumbling; constantly leaving the audience to wonder if he’ll make it through.

The intentions of most everyone in the film are clear from the onset. While those intentions may be altered or heightened due to the circumstance of the situation, I was always aware of where the characters were going. Which is precisely what makes Amy Adams the showstopper of American Hustle. I never had the slightest clue what she was up to. For instance, throughout the whole film, Cooper’s character doesn’t know Adams as Sydney Prosser. He knows her as Sydney’s fake British alias. There are so many layers to Sydney’s con, that I was never sure when and if the real Sydney would fully reveal herself to us. It is a performance of tremendous trickery and skill; I so loved being captivated by her deceit.
Now for some slightly less favorable news. American Hustle is being promoted as a crime heist thriller in the same frenzied vein as Goodfellas. Well, Goodfellas this is not. Similarly to Russell’s previous two films, The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle is a revolving door of tone and emotion. The film switches from comedy to thriller to domestic drama without warning, frequently within the same scene. The camera is constantly moving and the editing never seems to stay with a moment as long as it should. This isn’t a fault of the material, but more with the directing style Russell has recently tapped into.

Before watching American Hustle, I went back and watched three of Russell’s films: Three Kings, The Fighter, and Silver Linings Playbook. I was saddened to discover that The Fighter and Silver Linings fail to move me in the way they once did. They are well made and superbly acted films, but I’ll have no reason to watch them again. Three Kings, with its slightly restrained style, is a masterpiece I revisit often. American Hustle is executed with the identical framework of The Fighter and Silver Linings, and, because of this, I fear that while I appreciate the film now, it won’t resonate with me as time passes. If you like the style David O. Russell has brought to his last two films, then I imagine you’ll enjoy American Hustle a great deal. Me? I suppose I wish his films were as strong and permanent as the performances they contain. B

34 comments:

  1. Well this was certainly an interesting review. I haven't seen this yet but from just seeing the trailers for this I was pretty sure it'd be a film I'd enjoy more for entertainment than anything deeper. I agree that Russel knows how to get great performances out of his characters and from your words I have no reason to doubt this one as well. I actually find myself still enjoying The Fighter quite a bit even all this time after it has come out, but I will agree with you that SLP has lost a bit of it's luster for me (though Lawrence is still a firecracker who I can always watch). Frankly I doubt this will be regarded as any masterpiece but can only hope it's as much fun to watch as the trailers make it look.

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    1. I feel confident in saying that this film is not representative of its trailer. It has moments of extreme manic glee, but as a whole, it is much slower and much more restrained than its trailer lets on. I'm actually glad to hear that I'm not the only person who doesn't consider SLP a masterpiece. If anything, the acting in American Hustle makes it all worth it.

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    2. That's interesting. I would have thought this would be a real romp, but it's actually more restrained that that you say? Would you say that benefited the overall film or was it to its detriment?

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    3. (sigh)... honestly, it's pretty hard to accurately describe the overall tone of the movie. "Restrained" may not have been the best word, but it isn't as consistently crazy as its trailer lets on, you know? I definitely think the film's never ending shift in tone is to its detriment. But I would say the same for The Fighter and SLP as well. It's all a matter of opinion I suppose.

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  2. I'm going to see this film next weekend w/ Nebraska as I hope it would be really good and maybe the chance for David O. Russell to finally release Nailed.

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    1. I would love to see Nailed. Someone really needs to distribute that.

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  3. Great review! I'm really looking forward to this one, and I'm glad to hear Adams is the center piece. I'm really holding out on a Best Actress nom for her, even though I haven't seen it. She's got 4 in supporting, she needs a leading one too!

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    1. Thanks! She is SO GOOD in it. Definitely one of my favorite Adams performances yet. And yep, it is certainly a lead. Now... what the hell does this poor woman have to do to win?

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  4. So good to hear all the praise for Amy Adams! I would have seen this just for her, even if this was a shithole of a movie. She continues to amaze me with her versatility. Can not wait to see this!

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    1. Dude, you'll LOVE her in this. Crazy smart, crazy sexy, crazy cool. She's the best.

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  5. I was kinda the opposite with Silver Linings - kinda didn't love it when I first saw it, and then I watched it again and loved it. I've seen it five times this year, and I can say on the fifth watch it kind of wore off. Anyway, so excited to see this! And I was really hoping this would be an Amy Adams show, because the role looks so different for her. I'm really hoping she gets a nomination, but that category is looking pretty tough this year.

    Also, I hate asking, but I'd so appreciate it if ya checked out my valedictory speech on my blog, since you're one of my idols and all!

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    1. When I rewatched SLP recently, I was stunned how much it did nothing for me. I think I gave it an A- in my first review - I'd give it a B- now. But oh well. Amy Adams is killer in American Hustle. She totally steals it.

      You don't have to hate to ask that kind of stuff! I'm so honored that you consider me an idol. I'm happy to check out your speech!

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  6. Nice review. I personally wasn't really enamoured of Adams' performance - I think her deliberately terrible English accent made it hard for me to appreciate her characterisation - but I'm on board otherwise: great performances, but Russell's direction is perhaps over-enthusiastic/erratic. I did wish that it explain the con a little less, though: I would've preferred to be a little puzzled than be inflicted to all the hand-holding, though I totally understand why they took that approach.

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    1. Thanks man. I got such a kick out of her awful accent, but I get where you're coming from. I too thought the exposition of the con was extreme at times. Russell seems like such a confident director, so I suppose I wish he didn't feel the need to spell things out so tediously at times.

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  7. while i didn't love silver linings playbook, i definitely thought it was better than american hustle. i still love the fighter the best though. american hustle lacked a whole lot of substance, but i did find the acting pretty decent. mostly entertaining, just not earth shattering to me.

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    1. Yeah, we're pretty much in full agreement here. I think in a year's time, I'll prefer SLP to Hustle, and The Fighter over both. Time will tell!

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  8. Interesting take, as always. I confess, I thought it was wholly alive the whole way through, and maybe I'm crazy but I also thought it was damn near a full-on comedy. Like, even when it was being serious, you couldn't necessarily take it seriously because of all the con games and because Russell kept subverting anything serious with humor. I dunno, this one really, really worked for me, even when it wasn't working, if you know what I mean.

    All that said, I agree 100% on Adams. She's terrific and as good as Jennifer Lawrence is and as deserving as she'll be of all the accolades coming her way, I think Adams is just as deserving. Her con with herself is sort of the movie's soul.

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    1. One of the main reasons I value your opinion so much is that, even when we disagree on films, you present your opinion in such a considerate way. I honestly think that is all too rare in the movie blogging world. People pick fights or call each other names just to get their point across. Damn childish.

      ANYWAY. I'm really happy this one resonated with you so deeply. That's good stuff. And Adams... man, she rocked this flick. I hope she has a chance at that Oscar. Tough year.

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    2. Thanks, man! And I agree whole-heartedly. I like that you & I can hash things out in the comments section. Agree or disagree, you always give me extra perspective and I really appreciate it. That's why I like reading your site. Cheers!

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  9. I'd really love to see this movie be as great as its being touted, and I know I shouldn't be led astray with youtube clips, but this just looks really bad - particularly Jennifer Lawrence. The cast looks more like caricatures than believable acting performances. The little glimpses I've seen, nobody fits except for Bradley Cooper.
    I'm curious - do you think their performances are Oscar worthy because they turn Russell's directing into something better or are because they are better than average? Nice review Alex - this gave me a little bit of hope it's not a D- worthy film but at least a B. :)

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    1. Thanks! I really, genuinely think all the performances in this film are solid. Adams in particular deserves an Oscar because she makes her character so captivating and confounding. I don't know if that has to do with Russell's direction, but, either way, everyone in the film is far better than average. I just wish I could say the same for the movie as a whole.

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  10. Man, it's so great you have recognized Adams in this! I couldn't quite articulate why she was so great in this but you've summed it up perfectly. Hope she can somehow get an Oscar nom too.

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    1. Hell yeah man, she rocked. Hey, after last year (and you so expertly picking Argo to nab Best Picture so early) I'll definitely be listening to YOU this year per the Oscars!

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  11. I actually like O.Russel's new stuff the best so I have high hopes for this one. Awesome that you praised Amy so much, she is wonderfully talented and for some reason she is always the bridesmaid never the bride during Awards season.

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    1. I hope you like it too. I suppose as a viewer I've grown tired of his frantic filming style. I know it sounds dumb, but his constantly whip-panning/zooming camera takes me out of the movie. Still, the man knows how to get great performances out of his actors, and Adams truly delivers a flawless one here.

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  12. You've been having a great week haven't you haha? I'm not O.Russell's biggest fan, but I was a big fan of Silver Linings Playbook.

    How would you rank the cast?

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    1. I have indeed! Everyone in the cast was pretty spot on, but of the five main players:
      Amy Adams: A+
      Christian Bale: A
      Jennifer Lawrence: B+
      Bradley Cooper: B
      Jeremy Renner: N/A (because he really isn't given that much to do)

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  13. This was a lot of fun, but I'd probably rank it beneath The Fighter and Silver Linings. Interesting to see your rankings of the performances. Cooper is best in show for me, followed by Adams, Bale, Lawrence, and Renner.

    Given Bale's range in this and OOTF, I'd love to see him get a surprise Oscar nod. What an actor!

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    1. Wouldn't it be great if he was nominated? Oh man, I'd love that. I dug Cooper in this, but I often felt like he was a tad too much. Probably didn't help that I watched SLP the night before. But oh well.

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  14. I came here to ask...have you done a, I'm guessing they are called profile of Amy Adam's career? Are you watching Inside the Actor's Studio tonight? She just made me cry. I'm not sure if I haven't watched it in a while, or if I'm really emotional but I can't remember the last time an actor brought me to tears like that on this show. I'm sure it has happened though. She is a beautiful person inside & out, & I think I'm a fan for life now. I definitely need to watch 'The Fighter'. I started watching it but it used to be a lot harder for me to get into films & movies that are that realistic & gritty.

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    1. I actually watched her on ItAS this morning... (sigh), so sad when she was talking about Philip Seymour Hoffman. She really seems like a genuinely good, intelligent, kind-hearted person, and that shines through in her work. I simply adore her.

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  15. By the scintillating end of director David O. Russell's utterly '70's flimflam flick, the only thing you can be sure of is that 'American Hustle' is flat-out one of the best films of the year.

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