Okay, okay, I'm a just put this out there...I ain't a fan of complicated cop/espionage movies that are probably good, but anyone with an IQ below 19 trillion isn't going to follow. For me, a movie has to do more than make my brain work - it's gotta entertain me.
That being said, I was thoroughly entertained by American Hustle!
American Hustle, directed by David O. Russell, is the slightly true story of two con artists who, after being captured by the FBI, are asked to help bring down a whole string of corruption. The director, Russell, also directed Silver Linings Playbook, so he has some pretty big shoes to fill (I'm thinking Jennifer Lawrence as Best Actress...that kind of...shoes, I guess...).
And, I must say, the film most definitely fills those shoes! It has some incredible actors (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Robert DeNiro...etc.), and they really get to showcase what they got here. Each character has their flaws, but we also love them! Even Bradley Cooper as the cop...we know we should hate him, but we can't!
The acting in the film is definitely one of its strong points. Jennifer Lawrence captured every scene she was in as Christian Bale's psychotic wife, and I found myself wishing she had some more scenes, because she was just that good. Christian Bale rocked, of course (even whilst donning some interesting hair choices), and Amy Adams did an absolutely incredible job - she should win some gold for this performance, and I would be surprised if she doesn't get noticed in the Academy Awards! Oh, and am I the only one to notice that SHE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ISLA FISHER? (You know, the girl married to Borat?)
This film is completely filled to the brim with Hollywood A-list talent, and there are some very surprising cameos thrown in. I was sitting there, minding my own business, when suddenly...BOOM! Robert DeNero pops in. And, as always, he's freaking awesome, playing a bad dude (what else?). The other really surprising cameo was Michael Pena as the Sheikh! I did not see that one coming! The guy is really awesome, good actor, and he seems to have a pretty solid career, so congrats to him!
The acting, as I said, was just completely on-parr the whole movie. It never slipped once. I just want to take a moment to mention Jeremy Renner - okay, he's a crooked politician, but he's also a pretty nice guy. He takes care of the city, has good plans for it, but is involved in some pretty deep business. That's what I love about this film! So many films portray characters as black or white - good or bad - but this film breaks that boundary, and pretty much says, "Uh, why can't a crooked guy be a nice guy?". Here's this person that is actually like a real person - shades of grey, my friend, shades of grey.
The costumes in this film are excellent. The period (which is 70s and 80s, I'm pretty sure), really feels authentic, so hats off to the costume department. None of it feels forced or stupid (like a film set in the 80s randomly having a Michael Jackson song, just so...you know, the audience is CERTAIN it's set in the 80s.)
The film has a large amount of comedy, which made me crack up in laughter at many points in the film. It is very funny, something that surprised me in this kind of genre, (Ok, I know the director directed Silver Linings Playbook, but it still surprised me how funny this film was!) what with it being a crime drama and all. I thought it would be more like Gangster Squad, but it was much more character focused and reliant on clever dialogue.
The screenplay is exceptional - the dialogue is really genuine, and I believe every character here.
Okay, so a handful of negatives...
Whilst I loved the film nonetheless, I did get confused with the storyline. The film is very fast-paced, and the dialogue is very good, so sometimes the overall story becomes a little convoluted. I understood what was happening in that specific scene, but I couldn't quite pick where it fit overall. I can't think of a specific example without a spoiler, but, especially towards the end, I found myself scratching my head. There are some key plot points that are dealt with very quickly (once again, at the end), and I would have maybe liked them to be explain a little more? Don't get me wrong, I love a movie where use of my head is necessary, it was just that it was difficult to keep up at times.
One more thing to point out - the opening message in the film? Absolute genius.
So, overall, is this film good? Yes, definitely. As someone who is hesitant to these sort of movies, I was pleasantly surprised. The film is smart and quick, whilst not feeling pretentious (often a symptom of a smart movie), and is a very enjoyable ride. Even if you don't follow all the storyline, it is highly entertaining, none the less, and is not a forgettable, run-of-the-mill action or drama film. Even if this movie sounds boring, go see it just for the acting.
Score: 4 out 5 stars
