Director David O. Russell has been improving as a filmmaker throughout his career and his filmography has reached its peak with American Hustle, an ambitious true-crime story that moves with the director’s boisterous energy. It is based on Abscam, an elaborate sting operation in the Northeastern U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Russell, extending an already sleek, formerly blacklisted script from Eric Warren Singer, creates a wonderful concoction filled with humour and pathos.
The rock and jazz-fueled comedy is a stellar ensemble piece, using some of the moment’s finest actors in performances that rival the best work of their careers. Leading the pack is Christian Bale and Amy Adams as Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser, two con artists who promise broke New Yorkers loans that are never paid. Bradley Cooper is Richie DeMaso, an FBI agent who promises these sharks immunity to help him catch white-collar criminals. Jeremy Renner is suave but sympathetic as the Elvis-haired mayor, Carmine Polito, who becomes one of DeMaso’s targets. Louis C.K. is terrific in a self-deprecating role as DeMaso’s boss. Finally, Jennifer Lawrence is shrewd and sexy as Irving’s buttery wife, Rosalyn.
American Hustle boasts one of the year’s most dynamic screenplays, packed with a lot of characters and plotlines to fulfill. However, it never feels indulgent or slight – the pacing is brisk but covers enough emotional ground to treat each of the characters with complexity. The ebbs and flows of their relationships directly feed into the convoluted crime story.
The film sparkles with a new movie sheen, including glamorous period details (great costumes, hairdos, a plush Seventies soundtrack) and a fabulous ensemble. It is a supreme entertainment that recalls a mix of vintage Scorsese and that manic stream of energy that ran through Russell’s past films. For the writer/director, American Hustle is a delightful, delirious crime comedy and his most accomplished film yet.
