Ever wonder what a sandwich made out of a few ingredients from Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson would taste like? MOST people would be intrigued about this sandwich.. Would it taste good? Great? Or would it be too much to swallow? In this instance, personally I lean toward the latter. American Hustle, the newest film by David O. Russel almost immediately tosses you into a world that feels very familiar. A little too familiar at times. Think of a bastard love child between Goodfellas and Boogie nights with all of the fun sucked out of it. That's not to say it isn't good but it definitely isn't great.
American Hustle starts out with the words "some of this actually happened" which I thought was intriguing because most film based on real life events will normally hand you a "based on a true story" or something incredibly vanilla of the sort. Honestly, I like this approach but once you get into the film.. bribery, con artists, FBI fuck ups ETC... it's OBVIOUS that yeah some of that actually happened. Many times in fact. So I think the intro could have gone without that line entirely but that's just me.
The film has an incredible cast which is what drew me to it in the first place. I am a huge fan of the 70's dirty deeds lifestyle and hustle and when you add names like Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Louis C.K. and for the love of god..Robert De Niro, it's hard not to think to yourself "there is not possible this is about to be terrible in any way". In no way does the film disappoint in regard to the cast but ultimately the heavy weight of the script and cast starts to peek it's evil eye in at about halfway through the journey that is American Hustle.
The film is about a brilliant Con man and his beautiful accomplice who hustle and deal the rich out of their money and eventually get stuck in a situation where they have to work with the FBI in order to keep their freedom. The plan seems simple at first.. Catch a few politicians taking bribes and then the job is done. Ultimately things go a little further than expected and then they both end up being stuck way in above their heads as they try to figure out a way out.
American Hustle is simple in it's idea... the American dream. To live that dream always comes with a consequence but haven't we all seen this story before? That is where the film begins to trip over it's own pace. Unfortunately, Bradley Cooper is the weakest link which surprised me because I was positive I would be saying that about Jennifer Lawrence. The mocking jay herself being cast in such a role as this seemed a bit out of place but I was dead as shit wrong and she really pulls it off. Unfortunately Louis C.K. was poorly used but there are a few very redeeming and funny instances involving him periodically throughout the film. I can't ignore the more than incredible performance of Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld, possibly my favorite hustler in any film. This guy can do no wrong and it feels very good to see him on screen playing a comb over laden, overweight con man and not in a bat suit for once. As a matter of fact the makeup was done so well that De Niro kept asking David O. Russel who Bale was because he did not believe it was even him until they got to talk to each other on set.
Overall, the film is solid but I think it's a little overrated and the praise for the film is very surprising for me. Maybe it's the cast and director.. Maybe Hollywood is changing and the standards for what makes a great film are changing drastically or maybe it's just me.
I'll give American Hustle a 3.8 out of 5. It could have been better but who am I to say how I would do it since I am not writer or director.
I will give them this, they definitely got the feel of the 70's spot on and I love when a period piece can pull that off flawlessly.
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