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| Jennifer Lawrence |
The vastly entertaining "American Hustle" is a chic, contemporary version of the "The Sting" with some real events as its backdrop. Slick, fun and playful, it's superbly acted and directed. The movie is a fictionalized (or as the producers of the movie call it, "fictionalization") of the ABSCAM scandal o of the late 1970s, it tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) while keeping Irving's unstable wife (Jennifer Lawrence) at bay. Directed and co-written by "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Fighter's" David O. Russell, "American Hustle" is a smart, engaging crime drama that's most memorable for its brilliant, Oscar-worthy performances and characters. With lots of feathery hair, plunging dresses and wide collars, it expertly evokes the feel of the 1970s like a shiny disco ball, and much like "The Sting," you have to watch carefully until the end to see exactly who's getting their con on. Russell's direction and writing is sharp and crisp, bringing to life the characters of this sordid tale, which is the chief reason to see the movie. Bale, in another method-y but layered turn as the plump, corrupt Irving (the film's opening scene is quite revealing), is at his best here and grounds the film superbly. Adams, as his soulmate in crime, gives one of her most believable turns yet, while Cooper is smooth and talky as the curly-haired FBI agent who may be in over his head. Oscar-winner Lawrence is most memorable: she's sensationally funny, charming and sad as the wife who can't keep her mouth shut; sure, it's the script's most showy role but Lawrence grabs it with tremendous appeal. Though it starts off a tad slow, character driven movies are rarely this fun (not to mention full of kitschy, familiar '70s tunes you'll hum along with), and Russell delivers another masterfully entertaining film in "American Hustle" with more winning performances at the forefront. One of the best movies of 2013, put this one your must-see list before the awards start pouring in.
Wes's Grade: A-
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