American Hustle

 

American Hustle 2013

• Director: David O Russell
• Seen by this director: The Silver Linings Playbook
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner. Robert De Niro appears uncredited.
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Christian Bale – Out of the Furnace, The Dark Knight Rises, Public Enemies, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins, Equilibrium, American Psycho, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Velvet Goldmine, Prince of Jutland, Swing Kids, Henry V
• Amy Adams – Arrival, Man of Steel, Sunshine Cleaning, Catch Me If You Can, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Bradley Cooper  – A Star Is Born, Joy, The Silver Linings Playbook, He’s Just Not That Into You, The Words
• Jennifer Lawrence – X-Men etc, Passengers, Joy, The Hunger Games etc, The Silver Linings Playbook, Like Crazy, Winter’s Bone
• Jeremy Renner – Arrival, 28 Weeks Later, North Country
• Why? The cast.
• Seen: 30 November 2022 

       A fat bald Christian Bale with a really bad toupé? He’s conning us, right?

       Right. Irving (Bale) is a con man, partners with Sydney (Adams). They’re wildly in love and raking in the money conning greedy people.

       One problem. He’s married to Rosalyn (Lawrence) and has adopted her son, whom he loves dearly. Rosalyn however is passive-aggressive, depressed and determined not to get a divorce.

       Irving and Sydney set up a con with Richie (Cooper), only he’s an FBI agent who cons them into working with the FBI to con crooked politicians.

       Got that?

       It starts out looking like a comedy but it soon becomes a drama with zany characters, each one of whom is vulnerable and hurting and they’re all conning each other. Or are they?

       Bales, Adams, Cooper and Lawrence have seldom if ever been better. The music is good too. 

4 * of 5