Actors: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
Directors: David O. Russell
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Run Time: 138 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
“American Hustle” was really not my cup of tea. I thought that the acting was quite phenomenal especially Jennifer Lawrence but overall, I thought it was long and switched too much from comedy to drama that I wasn’t sure when or if I should be laughing or cringing. Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper definitely deserves their Oscar nominations, no question. Cooper was a nutso in this film (poor Louis C.K.) and Christian Bale should have been nominated for Best Hair of the year. “Silver Linings Playbook” was easily one of my favorite films of 2012 but I was not a fan of “The Fighter” from David O. Russell, so I think him and I are hit and miss. Did I mention that Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in this film, I think more of her could have easily won me over.
Official Premise: A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, “American Hustle” tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting. Renner plays Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down. Like David O. Russell’s previous films (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook), “American Hustle” defies genre, hinging on raw emotion, and life and death stakes.
Since this film was only available for us to review on DVD, I will not go into the video and audio much but the film this isn’t really a film that NEEDS to be seen in high definition anyway. The DVD is delivered as a combo pack with an HD Digital Ultraviolet copy as well. When it comes down to the special features though, this film does not improve much either. There is only one feature to look behind-the-scenes at “The Making of American Hustle”, which is decent. Besides that there are some deleted and extended scenes. I thought when I first watching this film that maybe I would have enjoyed this a little more again with a nice commentary track to complement the film but I guess that is not going to happen.
