David O. Russell adds another prestigious film notch on his directing belt with “”American Hustle”, a story of a con, a double-cross , and a sting, all loosely based on the “Abscam” scandal that actually brought down several politicians, including a U.S. Senator. Russell has assembled an all-star cast from his past Oscar triumphs; an amazing Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld, the small time con man who’s in over his head, 50 pounds heavier than his character in “The Fighter”, with a comb over for the ages; Amy Adams, as his mistress and accomplice in crime, Sydney, a brilliantly nuanced character with a ton of baggage; her tormentor/suitor, Bradley Cooper, as a low level FBI guy trying to make a name for himself; Jeremy Renner as the mayor of Camden, NJ, an honest broker brought down by his desire to actually do some good; and Jennifer Lawrence as Irving’s young, impulsive, grasping wife, Rosalyn. Lawrence really inhabits any character she plays and this is no exception; plus a great cameo by Robert Deniro as (what else?) a mob boss. As the film’s opening note tells us, “some of this may have happened”, the viewer shouldn’t get too wrapped up in all the plot twists of the con and just enjoy the interplay between all these vibrant characters. Oh, and the hair and costumes are worth the price of admission alone. “American Hustle” will be a player in the upcoming award season, already seeing lot’s of love from the Golden Globe folks.
Rated R
My GPA: 3.8
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