AMERICAN HUSTLE

AMERICAN HUSTLE Review

By Darin Skaggs

     While you’re clicking through the channels trying to figure out what you want to watch you sometimes run into a movie trailer.  Most of them at some point list every “famous” actor they can to try and sell you to watch the movie.  David O. Russell’s American Hustle which stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner does just that.  It does that with not having a fully realized story.

     Russell is a smart director.  He made several amazing films like last year’s Silver Linings Playbook, Three Kings and The Fighter.  So it is clear he knows what he is doing.  So why did he not seemed focused during American Hustle?  The film is about two people, Irving (Bale) and Sydney (Adams), who fall in love over conning people over by taking their money and promising more money but never following through.  They get caught by Richie (Cooper), who plays a FBI agent and takes Sydney to jail.  Irving comes to get her but Richie says if they help con these mobsters to get caught by the authorities then he will drop the charges.

     This film ends up being one of those films where you can’t trust anybody and you hope no one gets caught.  Everyone in this film is amazing, all of them being Russell’s usual cast.  They all work well together even new comer Rennor.  Jennifer Lawrence does well and at times is over doing it, though the blame cannot be given to her because her character is not fully developed.  The script suffers from this same problem, it is not fully realized.  Moments are not fully explained and maybe a second viewing is needed for this film but the performances do not keep your interests enough for the film.

      The performances do help the humor in the film.  This film is hilarious with people like Cooper, Bale and even Lawrence at times.  There is an especially hilarious performance by Louis C.K., who is a real high point.  The film is set in the 1970’s and the film takes full advantage of it.  Everyone’s hair makes enough laughs for the film.  There is a great scene with a microwave and others as well.

     The hustle of the film is there but unfocused.  Fortunately the humor is part of the focus.  It makes for a fun watch but nothing that would stand the test of time.