There’s a great fever-dream quality to David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” that instantly reels you in.
This terrific fact-fiction mashup revolves around the late 1970s-early 1980s Abscam scandal, in which FBI agents and con artists joined together to catch pols taking illegal cash. The movie itself works like a great shell game. No matter how closely you watch, “American Hustle” surprises you.
It turns out that comb-overs, cleavage, cocaine and kookiness are an unbeatable combo.
Christian Bale wears the first of those as Irving Rosenfeld, a balding, paunchy Long Island shyster whose two-bit schemes involve phony bank loans and selling forged artwork. Irving officially runs a string of dry-cleaning shops, but he sees himself as more than that.
Into his life walks Sydney (Amy Adams), a creature of reinvention. An ex-stripper and current striver, she sees Irving as access to the good life. Using a fake English accent and calling herself “Lady Edith,” she becomes a classy gal the suckers can trust. Smart but bloated Irving is in awe of her.
Sydney and Irving slip up and are forced into a partnership with rogue FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). After nabbing Irving and Sydney, go-getter Richie cuts a deal with the duo to help him bag white-collar criminals.
Then the curveballs start. First they inadvertently find congressmen ready to take money under the table, as well as a well-meaning New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner) who needs cash to set up casinos and create jobs. There’s even a dangerous Florida mobster (Robert De Niro) who smells the moolah.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/american-hustle-movie-review-article-1.1545755#ixzz2nLp4qIHQ
No comments:
Post a Comment