AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)

Directed By: David O. Russell 
Written By: David O. Russell & Eric Warren Singer 
Cinematography By: Linus Sandgren 
Editor: Jay Cassidy, Alan Baumgarten & Crispin Struthers 

 Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Shea Whigham, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Rohm, Louis C.K., Said Taghmaoui, Colleen Camp, Anthony Zerbe,


A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld , who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

The film is a fictionalized telling of the ABSCAM scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s, an FBI operation that began as an investigation of trafficking in stolen property, but was later expanded to include political corruption.

For a generation of filmmakers Martin Scorsese will always be the king and GOODFELLAS will always be a masterpiece and a mystery to them as to how to make a masterpiece and getaway with so many classic set pieces and what could seem like throwaway moments and make then legendary. It also seems that this new generation of filmmakers I always looking for it's own come story to make their own masterpiece. This seems to be the approach of this film.

Even though it wasn't seen under the best circumstances nor the greatest audience. Though appreciative of the friends I saw it with.

The script was originally titled "American Bullshit" and came in eighth place on Hollywood's 2010 Black List, which ranks unproduced screenplays.

David O. Russell wrote the part of Rosalyn Rosenfeld specifically for Jennifer Lawrence to play her.

Director Ben Affleck was originally considered to direct but he dropped out to direct an adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand".

Christian Bale achieved the physical traits of his character by gaining over 40 pounds, getting a comb-over and slouching his posture and ended up herniating two of his disks in the process. According to Christian Bale much of the movie was improvised. So, during the shooting of the film he noted to David O. Russell, "You realize that this is going to change the plot greatly down track." To which the director replied, "Christian, I hate plots. I am all about characters, that's it."

The whole cast is great. It finally made me like Bradley Cooper as an actor. He is getting better and this is the second time Christian Bale really made an impression on me as an actor. I always thought he was a good actor. Here I was mesmerized. -

he film was Scorsese-esque, but more emotional when it came to actions and decisions. David O. Russell is fast becoming a modern master director.

Jennifer Lawrence what can I say she can do no wrong in a performance that is needed for the films events, but is more comedic belief then anything.

Plus a great soundtrack of semi- familiar songs and great cameos and character actor supporting roles. From the soundtrack to truly iconic set pieces and visual introductions. This film strives for bigger and better things

And as is custom when it comes to the films of David O. Russell along with hard horizon emotional scenes and drama there is a comedic looseness. More comedic then we might expect. As this is one of the most comedic of his films since I HEART HUCKABEES. A warning at least to the audience with the title card that informs us that at least some of this stuff is true. A throwaway at first that seems set up to set itself apart from the yada yada yada of this is based on a true story. Instead by the end you truly understand that while this film Is fact based it plays fast and loose with some details to fit it's own structure and set up more comedy. Before his films were more madcap with a sense of dramatic set pieces.His current films are more dramatic with comedic dressing.

Bradley Cooper's role is truly more of a sociopathic comedic nature that is threatening and scary and all too human at times

At first the film feels like a game of dress up letting the look and costumes do all the acting and telling you all you need to know about the characters and define them. As he film goes on though the actors inhabit the characters more and soon seem to use the looks to fully morph into the characters.

Jeremy Renner here finally gives a performance that lives up to the promise he showed in THE HURT LOCKER as he finally gets a role to put more of a human face onto and slowly becomes the heart of the film a politician with a heart of gold finding himself doing illegal things to truly help the community and not necessarily line his own pockets.

This is one for the home library,  See in theaters

Grade: A-