Friday, April 4, 2014

American Hustle 2013


American Hustle


     This film is fictional but based on a stunning scandal in the United States.  Irving Rosenfeld teams up with Sydney Prosser to hustle people out of $5000 with the promise they will give them a $50,000 loan.  Sydney claims to British Lady Edith Greensley with ties to London banking.  They are caught by the FBI and forced to work up a scam to bring in some New Jersey power brokers and mafia members.  They need to nap four white-collar criminals to keep Sydney/Edith from doing time.  One of the key figures is Carmine Polito, he is a political operator caught up in their scheme with an Arab sheik.  Irving’s wife almost blows their carefully crafted cover to one of the scam victims.
     This starts out slowing and then builds.  There are so many moments that are hilarious, especially the hair of both the men and the women.  The cars of the 1978 period are wonderful.  Bale, Adams, Cooper and Lawrence nail their roles and you can see why there were all nominated for Academy Awards.  4* (I really liked this movie)
138 min, Crime directed by David O. Russell with Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K. Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Shea Whigham, Allesandro Nivola, Elisabeth Rohm, Paul Herman, Said Taghmaoul, Matthew Russell, Thomas Matthews.
Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 93% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*.
Special Note:  A better life and dissatisfaction with their current life is the drive behind all the characters in this film.  Each person is working it out in their own way.






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