"American Hustle" review!

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrene, Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Louis C.K, Jack Huston
Production Year: 2013
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 138 minutes

Synopsis: A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.

I was a little apprehensive going into "American Hustle" I wasn't on board with the whole David O. Russell bandwagon I remember "Three Kings" being an enjoyable watch other than that his films don't stick with me. With the exception of "Silver Linings Playbook" which I haven't gotten around to watching.

Let me just get this out the way I am sick to death of films claiming to be "true stories"this cliché has been played out since the 70's, please stop!

Yeah so as I said I went into this film a little apprehensive expecting the film to have over-hyped it due to the success of "Silver Linings Playbook". Boy was I wrong the film was a great as people say the casting left a bit to be desired I personally think Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Amy Adams are awful actors on the other hand Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are on top of their game.

Bale plays flabby, balding con man Irving Rosenfeld one half a of the cunning double act with Adams' character Sydney Prosser a smart talking ex-stripper with an awful English accent making up the other half. Both of whom are making a decent living from an investment scam they have going on, enough to enjoy like an support Irvings beautifully crazy wife Rosalyn played by Lawrence who spends her days looking gorgeous, spying on her husband and setting the kitchen on fire, yes more than once ha.

Image courtesy of IGN

Their work however takes a very bad twist when overly ambitious FBI agent Richie Di Maso forces them to work with him for his complex undercover plan. An investigation into the corruption involving Carmen Polito New Jersey Mayor played by Renner who is a newcomer to the ever growing Russell contingent he has been creating.

The team - Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence

 Needless to say Di Maso uses his FBI pull to pull off one of the more elaborate plans you are likely to see based in a 70s movie. Irving not being comfortable framing his new politician friend Carmine after realising he is really a decent family guy. Like Irving the audience isn't really wanting Carmines downfall which in itself is the major downfall of the film because we are left with no true "movie villain" like you would expect in such a film.

The only really menacing person in the whole film is when De Niro makes his "cameo" as the Florida mobster's right hand man whom the FBI are hoping to get their hands on. In this one and only scene we see of De Niro we are given the most tense scene of the whole film when he comes within seconds of ripping the Keffiyeh (I hope that is right) off of Michael Peñas head.

The attempt at a love triangle with Cooper, Adams and Bale was wasn't very enticing it got to the point where I truly didn't really care who ended up with whom. I just kind of felt sorry for Lawrences character who is such a lovable bimbo.

Overall the film was a lot better than I had expected, I personally do not think it is Oscar worthy like some people are saying I can see this years Oscars mostly going to "12 Years A Slave". However, for fans of the actors and or fans of the era the film is a great watch and I highly recommend that you check it out but do not expect an emotional roller coaster like Russell given with "Silver Linings Playbook".

8/10