Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a small-time con artist who`s figured out how to swindle his way to moderate success. Unexpectedly, he finds a soulmate in Sydney (Amy Adams), who`s equally adept at lying to people and winning their trust and life savings. Rumbled by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), Irving and Sydney – the latter in the guise of her British alter ego, Lady Edith Greensly – agree to help the FBI catch government officials in the act of taking bribes. Around the hapless form of genuine good guy Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) evolves a crazy scheme comprising a made-up Arab sheikh, greedy mobsters, opportunistic politicians, real and fake money, hidden cameras… and the potentially disrupting influence of Irving`s slightly unhinged wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence).
At its best, there`s a loose, loopy charm to American Hustle. It`s a story of bad comb-overs and even worse decisions that starts out strongly, as Irving and Sydney take turns narrating their unconventional love story. Several scenes are so outlandishly silly – pretty much any involving the cooked-up Arab sheikh, Rosalyn and Richie`s beleaguered boss Stoddard (Louis C.K., hilarious) – that it`s impossible not to be swept up in the giddy swirl of confusion and double-crossing in which Russell`s characters have wilfully trapped themselves. In those moments when the black comedy peeks through the pretense of its plot, American Hustle approaches the sublime.
But Russell`s film – which he`s revealed is about one-third improvised – is almost too loose and it`s certainly too long. The moments that everyone will remember are padded out with narrative convolutions that don`t add all that much to proceedings. Most of the scenes drag on a little longer than they presumably would have if the actors had stuck to a script. It`s exactly as if Russell let his actors off a leash, and couldn`t bear to cut some of their more free-styling moments – even if it would contribute to a smarter, tighter final cut of the film. As a result, the considerable zip, charm and joy of American Hustle`s best sequences dissipate from moment to moment, making for a curiously deflating viewing experience.
There`s no denying, however, that Russell has amassed a clutch of impressive performances from the combined casts of his last two films (The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook). Bale anchors the entire enterprise with a knowing, vanity-free turn as a hustler with a hidden heart of gold. His silent reactions to the insanity going on around him – whether it`s Richie`s ego bursting through the ceiling or Rosalyn arguing him into submission – are pitch-perfect. Cooper, too, continues to prove he can actually act under Russell`s direction. He has a fine handle on Richie`s enormous ego and burgeoning delusions of power and control, delighting in the sheer absurdity of this lawman who gets drunk with delight when he takes a walk on the unlawful side of the street.
Awards buzz has been heaped upon Russell`s leading ladies as well, and for good reason. Adams spends rather too much of the film off-screen (especially in its second half), but she`s so raw, brave, vulnerable and brassy – often in the same scene – that she provides the film with an unexpectedly truthful emotional core. In Adams` hands, Sydney is a rounded, sympathetic creation: one who loses and finds herself again amidst all the lies and deception.
Lawrence is a hoot as the mouthy, delusional Rosalyn, tottering through the entire film like a bleached-blonde time-bomb that could explode at any second. She`s scintillating, maddening and frequently hilarious, even if it`s hard to shake the feeling that she`s just not right for the part. Lawrence is talented, no doubt about it – so talented that she almost makes the role work – but she just can`t help coming off as precisely what she is: a young girl playing dress-up. Imagine an older actress – say, Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts or heck, even Amy Adams – playing the same role; she would lend the sad, dark weight of age and experience to Rosalyn`s kookiness, something the sadly miscast Lawrence can`t quite muster (through no fault of her own!) at the tender age of twenty-two.
Watch American Hustle for its plot – or a faithful re-enactment of the FBI`s Abscam operation in the late 1970s – and you`ll be sorely disappointed. Its story is a jumbled mess that isn`t half as clever or complicated as it thinks it is. But Russell`s cast shine brightly nonetheless. Their bold performances – and gleefully terrible hairdos – are the real strength and energy of Russell`s film. For many moments, they make it easy to believe that American Hustle is the real thing. But take a closer look and it becomes clear that this diamond was really just cubic zirconia all along.
Summary: The film`s greatest hustle is making you think it`s better than it is. The performances are enormously enjoyable though.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Shawne Wang