American Hustle (2013)

After the masterpiece that was Silver Linings Playbook, I eagerly anticipated director David O. Russell’s follow-up and entry for the 2013 awards season. The buzz surrounding American Hustle has been constantly strong, add to that it’s recent Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination, and moviegoers are definitely anxious to catch what exactly the hype is all about. I’m also sure that Filipino cinephiles are currently very thirsty for a film that deserves their attention and money after the annual atrocity that is the Metro Manila Film Festival. Fortunately, technology has allowed me to watch the film before it hits local cinemas. So is it worth your time and money? In a word, yes.

Based on a true story, American Hustle tells the story of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). Two con artists who are coerced by FBI Agent Richard DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to work for them in bringing down corrupt politicians, which include Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner). What seems like a pretty straightforward crime drama at first, quickly turns into a very deep, and oftentimes funny look at the lives and morals of the characters. We slowly go deeper and deeper into each character, exposing the qualities that will either make us utterly love or hate each one. We see what each character gives importance to, and the lengths they are willing to go in order to attain what they want. The character development turns American Hustle into so much more than what it initially seems to be, and this would not have been possible if it weren’t for the amazing performance of everyone in the cast.

Although there was really no glaringly bad portion of the film, it was the acting that really carried everything else in this film. Christian Bale is incredible as con artist Irving Rosenfeld. He brings such depth and complexity to the character that even if he is a criminal, I often found myself sympathizing with him and understanding his plight. On the other side, we have Jennifer Lawrence who plays Bale’s on-screen wife. The irony of how a con man can be conned by the one person who should be loving him unconditionally, is such a frustrating thing to watch. Lawrence’s performance is a huge step away from her current image of America’s sweetheart who kicks ass, but it is again a tour de force in acting. There is nothing endearing about Lawrence’s character this time, you’ll hate her with a passion, and this is due in large part again to the amazing performance given by J. Law.  

Bradley Cooper makes it clear that he has graduated from his Hangover days. He gives another solid performance as Richie DiMaso, an out on his luck FBI Agent who dreams to be something more and makes questionable decisions to attain them. The best performer among this stellar cast though, is undoubtedly Amy Adams. After a disappointing run as Lois Lane, Adams simply steals the show in American Hustle. Her character is the most complex, important, strong, manipulative, and vulnerable all in one. She gives the best performance of her career and will put up a huge fight for the Best Actress Oscar in March (I personally want her to win).

The amazing performance of the cast, more than makes up, but does not hide the flaws in the film. I personally found the movie a bit messy in its construction. Compared to David O. Russell’s other works, this one seemed rushed, like they were trying to put too many pieces together in such a short amount of time. Some scenes seemed out of place, and some sub-plots were not developed enough. The police-criminal chemistry in American Hustle reminded me a bit of Goodfellas. American Hustle of course, for all that’s good about it, was nowhere near as good as Scorsese’s masterpiece. The soundtrack was outstanding and matched the tone of the film as well.

Overall, I found American Hustle to be a very good film, but nothing amazing, except for the acting. Character development was what really carried this film and set it apart. Just like what the title says, it is about hustling to attain your dreams. Each character in the film was hustling for something. Whether it be for love, for career advancement or whatever, it was about that elusive “American dream” that we all have and want to attain. But where do we draw the line in what we are willing to do? Each character shows different facades of what it takes to succeed in this world. Some plans may work and some won’t, but what remains is that they never stop reaching, never stop hustling. This is why the audience is able to connect with the characters. We understand their frustrations, their desire for something more. We all do the same thing in our daily lives. But when does it get to big? When do we realize that what we are doing is getting out of control and becoming detrimental to our goal? When do we stop hustling, and just start living?

7.5/10