Hello
Everyone :-)
‘American
Hustle’ by David O’Russell. Rhyming Film Titles and Directors is just funny, I
don’t care what anyone else says.
I
found myself in the rare situation of having heard almost nothing about
‘American Hustle’ before I went to see it the other weekend. The only thing I
knew was it’s the same guy that did ‘Silver
Linings Playbook’ and has a super impressive cast list. Here’s how I
got on with it.
Set
in 1978 ‘American Hustle’ follows Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney
Prosser (Amy Adams) who begin an affair and make a living by scamming people
into applying for fake loans. When they’re caught the pair are made to work
with FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) or face going to Prison.
A
scheme is devised involving a fake Arab Sheikh looking for potential
investments in America in order to entrap Mayor Carmine Polito
(Jeremy Renner) who is campaigning to revitalize the gambling industry
in Atlantic City. The trio go ahead with the plan but will Richie's
over-eagerness to catch Carmine or Irving’s Pyromaniac Wife Rosalyn (the
ever-wonderful Jennifer Lawrence) derail their operation?
‘American
Hustle’ is a strange beast. To invert a common adage, it is less than the sum
of it’s parts.
The
performances are definitely the best part of ‘American Hustle’. As the ever
lovely Mad
Prophet Mark has said ‘American Hustle’ is a case of “Five-star
performances, three-star film”.
Christian
Bale puts in the kind of committed performance we’ve now come to expect from
him and is excellent as Irving. Amy Adams successfully makes a character
that could so easily have been deeply dislikeable very sympathetic. Jeremy
Renner plays it well; his relationship with Irving is one of my
favourite things in the movie. Bradley Cooper is fantastically batshit and his
conversations with his long suffering Boss Stoddard Thorsen (a browbeaten Louis
CK) are excellent.
The
film is never more alive than when Jennifer Lawrence is on screen. She gets the
smallest amount of screen time out of the main players and I found myself
trying to will her onto the screen in places where the story was dragging.
One
thing this film isn’t lacking is design. The period sets and
costumes are spot on. From Bradley Cooper’s hilarious perm, Jeremy Renner’s
massive collared suits to Amy Adam’s seemingly endless wardrobe of cleavage
flaunting dresses it looked great. Also the soundtrack was fantastic. Never
were the two elements better matched than when Sydney and Richie go to a disco
and dance to Donna Summer’s seminal classic ‘I Feel Love’. Someone has taken a
lot of time and care in getting ‘American Hustle’ to look and sound just so and
they have done a fantastic job.
With
all this fab styling and brilliant performances it’s all the more of a shame
then when the plot doesn’t deliver. I couldn’t for the life of me tell you why
David O’Russell has made the decisions he has. The story is based on the Abscam
operations of the late 70’s early 80’s and when you read about the actual
investigation it’s far more interesting than the story with which we are
presented.
In
the real events Mayor Angelo Errichetti (on whom Jeremy Renner’s character is
based) had a reputation for committing crimes and during the Abscam operation
offered to get the fake sheikh into illegal businesses such as money
counterfeiting and drug smuggling. O’Russell, however, has made Carmine far
more of an innocent who is doing all this for the good of the people. This
makes the denouement all the more frustrating because Carmine doesn’t deserve
what’s coming to him. What is this supposed to achieve? Is it trying to make us
sympathise with the plight of politicians? If it is I wouldn’t be the first to
say you’re fighting a losing battle. Is it trying to make us
dislike Irving for ratting on his mate who gifted him a “Science
Oven”? If it’s the latter why the hell have you spent all that time (and, even
though it’s 40 minutes shorter than ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, it feels
excruciatingly long) trying to make us like him and rehabilitate him after he
cheats on his Wife?
Also Sydney,
O’Russell pushes that character to the very edge of tolerable. We already don’t
like her because she’s wrecked the home of Rosalyn (easily the most likable
person in the film) but then she does this weird thing pretending she has an
English accent and trying to win Richie over apparently for the hell of it, in
the hands of a less capable actress that character would’ve been a complete car
crash. You’re sat there trying to fathom all this out and then the simple truth
dawns on you; none of it makes any sense.
For
all it’s impressive costumes and awesome cast ‘American Hustle’ left me cold.
It's uneven and it isn't up there with 'The Fighter' or 'Silver
Linings Playbook' but it is worth seeing for Jennifer Lawrence alone.
Funny in places, boring in others 'American Hustle' is entertaining... but only
just.
Now
I think I fancy some...
Reasons
to be Cheerful :-)
1.
So the 'Muppets: Most
Wanted' Super Bowl slot was pretty awesome :-) The film is out on 21st
March 43 days to go!
2.
In part 1 of a bit of a Shailene Woodley news round up here's the trailer for 'Divergent'.
I think this looks cracking :-) Drum banging feminist that I am I LOVE that
this is another female lead action thriller. MORE OF THIS PLEASE!
3.
Finally for today, tissues at the ready because the trailer for 'The Fault
in Our Stars' has landed! I am a huge fan of this book, to me it is
practically perfect in every way. I know that sound like I'm setting it up for
a fail but I think the trailer looks fantastic. I bawled my eyes out so god
knows what I'm going to be like come June. If you haven't already, read the
book, it's wonderful.
That's
all for today!
Goodbye
till next time :-)
x
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I couldn't agree more with your analysis! The performances were outstanding and my favorite part of this film, as well.
ReplyDeleteThe performances are definitely the best part of ‘American Hustle’. As the ever lovely Mad Prophet Mark has said ‘American Hustle’ is a case of “Five-star performances, three-star film”.
Christian Bale puts in the kind of committed performance we’ve now come to expect from him and is excellent as Irving. Amy Adams successfully makes a character that could so easily have been deeply dislikeable very sympathetic. Jeremy Renner plays it well; his relationship with Irving is one of my favourite things in the movie. Bradley Cooper is fantastically batshit and his conversations with his long suffering Boss Stoddard Thorsen (a browbeaten Louis CK) are excellent.
The film is never more alive than when Jennifer Lawrence is on screen. She gets the smallest amount of screen time out of the main players and I found myself trying to will her onto the screen in places where the story was dragging.
Thanks :-)
DeleteI just found it really frustrating, you're sat there watching all these brilliant people in great costumes against a brilliant soundtrack and all you can think is "Why am I not enjoying this?". Always a treat to see J.Law though!