MOVIE OF THE WEEK #3 (12/18-20/13): AMERICAN HUSTLE
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Robert De Niro, Elisabeth Röhm and Miguel Peña
WRITER(S): Eric Warren Singer and David O' Russell (screenplay)
DIRECTOR(S): David O. Russell
WEB SITE: http://www.americanhustle-movie.com/site/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): Inspired by the "Abscam" scandal of the 1970s, American Hustle stars Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld, a dry cleaning chain owner who happens to have another talent: Conning people out of money. Along with his partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) a.k.a Lady Edith Greensley – a woman with "British banking connections" – Irving has a knack for taking desperate people for their money. And while he loves Sydney, Irving can't divorce his unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) for fear that she'll take away his son.
So, save for the inconvenience of Rosalyn being in the picture, Irving and Sydney are living the high life on other people's money – until they cross paths with FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who blows their scheme wide open.
Forced to work for Richie or go to jail for their hustling ways, Irving and Sydney think they will be off the hook after four simple busts; And while his mild-mannered boss Stoddard Thorsen (Louis C.K.) would rather do things by the book and tell ice fishing stories, Richie is looking for big fish – and Camden, New Jersey mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) is one prime for the hook.
But as the stakes get higher, so do the chances something terrible could happen ... And the question of who's hustling who still remains ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Amy Adams fans, Christian Bale fans, Bradley Cooper fans, Louis C.K. fans, people who love movies with 70s themes/fashion/color, fans of humorous, character-driven crime dramas
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: People unfamiliar with David O. Russell's previous works, people who would prefer to see non-fictionalized events of historical happenings, people who prefer to see Adams in more "wholesome" roles and/or find Jennifer Lawrence's annoying
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Very, very good from start to finish thanks to a mix of really engaging acting, tight script writing and solid directing.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: American Hustle is a very entertaining film. It features actors performing in roles you haven't seen them in before.
Adams excels in what is possible her best role yet as a seductive, strong woman who is determined to survive by any means necessary. She is one-part captivating, one-part whip smart and yet vulnerable at the same time, owning the screen as Edith/Sydney. Her performance is counter balanced by Bale's as a man trying to do right even as he's willingly (and occasionally forced) to do wrong at the same time but never, ever loses the panache that got him to where he was in the first place.
Surprisingly, Cooper as a rash, headstrong FBI agent really serves to work well in the film, showing a range of emotions when finding himself taken with Sydney and effectively comic when opposite C.K., in a role that finally allows him to act AND be funny in a way he hasn't exhibited before on screen as the ultimate abused boss. Add in Lawrence as a great know nothing-yet-thinks-she-knows-it-all housewife and it's really hard to single out any one actor as being better than the other as they all come together to create one of the best ensemble acting pieces of the year.
Of course, none of this work's without the great camera work delivered by director David O. Russell to make the most of the script he co-wrote with Eric Warren Singer. Russell, like many directors, has a developed a rapport with his actors, hence the reason Cooper and Lawrence are so effective in their roles despite hardly interacting with each one on screen. Russell knows how to tell a story, he knows how to shoot a movie and he knows how to mix humor, drama and romance – those three skill sets enable to deliver a movie that will make you laugh, care about its characters and offer you a few surprises along the way.
American Hustle possesses those qualities, which is why it will likely be enjoyed by critics, award nominators and audiences alike.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
Comments
Post a Comment