American Hustle

Cast of Characters:

Irving Rosenfeld - Christian Bale

Agent Richie DiMaso - Bradley Cooper

Mayor Carmine Polito - Jeremy Renner

Sydney Prosser - Amy Adams

Rosalyn Rosenfeld - Jennifer Lawrence

Stoddard Thorsen - Louis C.K.

Paco Hernandez - Michael Pena

Anthony Amado - Alessandro Nivola

Director - David O. Russell

Screenplay - Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence

      Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence and Oscar nominees Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in Oscar nominated director David O. Russell's American Hustle. Boy, I really hope this inexperienced cast can pull it off.

      Sweet mother of God, Batman really let himself go after retirement. Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a brilliant conman who, along with his partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), is forced into working with FBI Agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). If Rosenfeld is willing to cooperate, DiMaso won't charge him and Prosser for the crimes they committed.

      Now thrust into the world of corrupt politicians, Jersey powerbrokers and the mob, Irving must bring his A-game to sell the con, all the while keeping his unstable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) from derailing the whole operation.

      While David O. Russell has never been known for his direction like Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, Nolan, etc., there's no denying Russell has always been a marvelous storyteller with the way he creates richly complex characters and sharp, witty dialogue. Clearly influenced by Scorsese and a little bit of the Coen brothers as well, American Hustle may not be Russell's best film, but it's pretty close and it's his best directing effort as he takes us into the world of a 70's con gone awry where not every character is as black and white as you might initially think they are. Christian Bale once again disappears into another phenomenal performance as beer-bellied, comb-over from hell Irving Rosenfeld. This guy looks like a complete joke, but looks prove to be deceiving in some cases. "Who's the master: the painter... or the forger?", he states. It's another great turn from Bale, who my thoughts of were blurted out by the guy sitting across from me at the end of the movie. "Man, I can't believe he was..." - well, I was gonna say in Newsies... but you could also say Batman. Amy Adams - this generation's Kate Winslet: four Oscar nominations so far, no wins - is equally terrific in a turn that may earn her a fifth nomination. In one of the more empathetic roles of the film, Jeremy Renner shows why I'll take his dramatic work over "Renner the action star" any time of day. Hey, sure, he did a solid job as the least memorable character in The Avengers, but come on. Compared to what he did in The Hurt Locker, The Town and now here? Bradley Cooper, by far and away, is the scene stealer here. When you stack him up next to just how great Bale and Adams are in this film, and take into account that he's stealing the show in every scene he's in, it just shows you how far as an actor he's finally come. As DiMaso, Cooper's funny, intimidating, driven, yet at times also insecure and vulnerable. I just wish we could get a bit more of the All About Steve Bradley Cooper. Ha-ha. I'm just kidding. That film was crap. Following his Oscar nominated turn in Silver Linings Playbook, this year's The Place Beyond the Pines and now another strong turn here, Cooper's becoming the type of talented actor I would've never expected after seeing The Wedding Crashers for the first time. Then we have the lovely Katniss, Miss Jennifer Lawrence, who - as much as I hate to admit it - is the film's one, small weakness. Don't get me wrong, Lawrence gives a strong performance. Hell, she somehow made The Bill Engvall Show just barely watchable (I could just picture Engvall watching last year's Oscars at home going, "Yup, I taught her everything she knows. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's your sign!"). The problem is she's only 23, playing a character that seemed more fit for someone a bit older and experienced. It's like she's playing dress up and acting more "grown up" than she is in order to fit in with the rest of the cast. I wish it wasn't the case. I adore Lawrence and I would rush out to see her in Jennifer Lawrence Eats at Denny's. That's not a metaphorical artsy take either. I would watch a literal take of Lawrence eating at Denny's. For a complete performance, though, I believe there are two components: the individual giving the performance, and the individual fitting the character. She pulls of the performance easily, she just doesn't fit the character, so overall it's an unfortunate mixed bag of goods with her for me. It doesn't take much if anything from the movie though, considering she's not the main character or even the second or third main character in the film.

      I don't want it to seem like I'm bagging on the movie 'cause of that one nitpicky weakness I saw. This is still one of the most entertaining films of the year. Between the costumes, superb writing, strong direction, electrifying lead performances, sizzling score featuring the likes of Steely Dan, Wings, Elton John, and America, and a smaller yet very effective supporting turn from Louis C.K. (who shares some of the film's best and funniest moments with Cooper), this is an exciting, hilarious and sometimes suspenseful character driven con-story that is pure fun from beginning to end. Plus, winning a free American Hustle T-shirt during a pre-film contest didn't hurt either (Seriously, I was probably one of the youngest people in the audience and I still was somehow the only one that knew the Bee Gee's released Spirits Having Flown in 1979?). I give American Hustle an A (★★★★).