American Hustle may live up to its name at the Oscars this year if recent awards ceremonies are any indication. The ’70-set crime caper recently cleaned up at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, nabbing trophies for Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (for Jennifer Lawrence) and Best Screenplay (for director David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer).
With the film’s mid-December wide release date rapidly approaching, and buzz about its awards potential growing, more clips from American Hustle are making the rounds online. In the latest excerpt from the film, slovenly swindler Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) offers his FBI agent handler Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) a taste of what it’s like to be a truly successful con man. Check it out below:
We all knew that American Hustle was going to offer some terrific performances from a supremely talented crop of actors and actresses, but the film is somehow looking even better with every successive clip that lands online. In particular, I’m very excited to see Amy Adams’ performance as Rosenfeld’s sexy, British lover Sydney Prosser, though Jennifer Lawrence appears to be getting more attention on the awards circuit for her role as Rosenfeld’s brassy, unpredictable wife Rosalyn.
The official plot synopsis for American Hustle reads as follows:
Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Amy Adams star in director David O. Russell’s fictional period crime drama about a reckless FBI agent who recruits a con man and his alluring British partner into a scheme to gain the upper hand over other talented swindlers. Smooth-talking Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) is a hustler of the highest order. No mark is off limits for Rosenfeld, especially when his crafty partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) is by his side. When renegade FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper) thrusts the deceptive duo into the treacherous world of New Jersey power players and underworld heavies, the thrill of the grift grows too strong to resist. Meanwhile, New Jersey politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) gets caught in the middle, and Rosenfeld’s capricious wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) holds more power than anyone could imagine. Louis C.K. and Jack Huston costar.
We’ll certainly be keeping our eye on this movie as the time for Oscar nominations grows near, but even if it doesn’t land squarely in the running for Best Picture, American Hustle will certainly be one heck of a fun time for cinephiles later this month.
American Hustle aims to swindle at the box office on December 20th.
