American Hustle

Con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are coerced by ambitious FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) into procuring additional arrests. They concoct a scheme to bribe Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), the good-natured mayor of Camden, NJ, using a fake Arab sheikh (Michael Pena). As the scheme grows to involve more money and the involvement of congressmen and mobsters, Irving and Richie feud over Sydney, and Irving’s jealous wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) threatens to ruin everything.

Directed by David O. Russell and scripted by Eric Singer, this freewheeling take on the ABSCAM scandal boasts an impressive cast and an irrepressible sense of fun. Despite this, its bombast too often gets the better of it.

At its core, American Hustle is a study in contrasts. Irving may be an adulterous conman, but he operates with prudence and concern for those around him while DiMaso the crusading lawman is arrogant and unfettered. Both characters are done justice by their actors, especially Bale (who is nearly unrecognizable as a heavyset, balding New Yorker). Contrasts exist too among the female leads: the faux-English Sydney manipulates with class while wife and mother Rosalyn is ignorant and uncouth. While Adams’ accent is hit-or-miss, Lawrence continues to showcase her range, playing Rosalyn as abrasive and ditzy but not without sympathy. Other acting highlights include Robert DeNiro as a high-ranking Mafioso and Louis CK as DiMaso’s beleaguered boss.

While the banter between these combustible, diametrically opposed personalities is frequently funny, it also proves to be a distraction. ABSCAM was a complex scandal with massive ramifications. Amid the bickering and relationship drama, however, it occasionally comes across here as a mere background event. This makes the film’s infrequent moments of tense drama – such as Irving coming to grips with a broken friendship and marriage or DiMaso finally realizing just how badly he’s screwed up – tough to take seriously.

All told, American Hustle is a fun ride, but neither as well-crafted nor as memorable as its prodigious hype suggests.

7.75/10