Cameron Klales:
The following is a critique of David O’Russell’s American Hustle. American Hustle is set on the east coast of the nineteen eighties, and follows the lives of Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser, who work happily together setting up cons until they are found out by the FBI. In order to free himself and Sydney, Irving strikes a deal with the FBI to bust 4 other con artists. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has two hours to kill. However, it is not without its shortcomings.
American Hustle is a David O’Russell film, which are rapidly becoming their own genre. David O’Russell is a huge fan of gritty detail. American Hustle is no exception. Many of the main characters have grungy hairstyles, and you can practically smell the hairspray and toupée glue. This is supported by thorough character development, and complex character interactions. O’Russell Is a huge fan of looking deeper into the “Scumbag”. He explores the reasons behind cons and other crimes. The movie features Carmine Polito, a corrupt ex mayor of Camden, and brings into question whether it’s him who’s corrupt or the American systems.
As a stand alone movie It’s very enjoyable, however when it’s held up to some of O’Russell's other works it feels like almost the same movie. For example, take the fighter. Both movies start the same way, with Christian Bale’s character, the loveable antagonist to society, providing narration. O’Russell Frequently casts Bale as this same antagonists. If you don’t believe me please consider the following. As we proceed through the introduction, we learn about his past and are then introduced to the rest of the characters. Amy Adams, who plays the love interest of the main character. In both films she is a driven young women who is stuck somewhere where her talents are wasted. There are other motifs that the two families share, including entrenched families, depressed neighborhoods and manipulation by family. These motifs add to the individual plot but make the movies seem like they came from the same cookie cutter and were decorated differently.
That being said, American Hustle sets the new bar for historical fiction (it is based on actual events, but some of it is stretched). It delves into our country’s history without relying on overused themes like “Human Spirit” and stays away from stories that have been told over and over again.
The movie will keep you guessing. If nothing else can be said about it, that should be. The characters all have their own ideas of how things are going to play out so you never know for sure who is in control. In the beginning, it looks like Irving is everyone’s punching bag, but the amount of control he has on the situation should never be underestimated. The film is carried over the finish line by the acting of Christian Bale, who went through months of physical transformation in order to perfect his look for the movie. He pours his heart and soul into every line and stands out from the other characters through body language and appearance.
The movie is by far one of the best new movies around, although if you don’t have easy access to it you could pick one of O’Russell’s other films and get a somewhat similar experience.
American Hustle is a David O’Russell film, which are rapidly becoming their own genre. David O’Russell is a huge fan of gritty detail. American Hustle is no exception. Many of the main characters have grungy hairstyles, and you can practically smell the hairspray and toupée glue. This is supported by thorough character development, and complex character interactions. O’Russell Is a huge fan of looking deeper into the “Scumbag”. He explores the reasons behind cons and other crimes. The movie features Carmine Polito, a corrupt ex mayor of Camden, and brings into question whether it’s him who’s corrupt or the American systems.
As a stand alone movie It’s very enjoyable, however when it’s held up to some of O’Russell's other works it feels like almost the same movie. For example, take the fighter. Both movies start the same way, with Christian Bale’s character, the loveable antagonist to society, providing narration. O’Russell Frequently casts Bale as this same antagonists. If you don’t believe me please consider the following. As we proceed through the introduction, we learn about his past and are then introduced to the rest of the characters. Amy Adams, who plays the love interest of the main character. In both films she is a driven young women who is stuck somewhere where her talents are wasted. There are other motifs that the two families share, including entrenched families, depressed neighborhoods and manipulation by family. These motifs add to the individual plot but make the movies seem like they came from the same cookie cutter and were decorated differently.
That being said, American Hustle sets the new bar for historical fiction (it is based on actual events, but some of it is stretched). It delves into our country’s history without relying on overused themes like “Human Spirit” and stays away from stories that have been told over and over again.
The movie will keep you guessing. If nothing else can be said about it, that should be. The characters all have their own ideas of how things are going to play out so you never know for sure who is in control. In the beginning, it looks like Irving is everyone’s punching bag, but the amount of control he has on the situation should never be underestimated. The film is carried over the finish line by the acting of Christian Bale, who went through months of physical transformation in order to perfect his look for the movie. He pours his heart and soul into every line and stands out from the other characters through body language and appearance.
The movie is by far one of the best new movies around, although if you don’t have easy access to it you could pick one of O’Russell’s other films and get a somewhat similar experience.
Sarah Charlotte:
Before American Hustle was even released in theaters everywhere, it started to get great reviews. The film is was up for tons of awards, including ten oscars. It has also had another 48 wins and 78 nominations. However, it did not win any oscars, and I don’t think that this film deserved them. Sure, it wasn’t an awful movie, but it didn’t live up to the expectations that all of the reviews gave.
American Hustle tells the story of a con man named Irving Rosenfeld (played by Christian Bale) and his partner Sydney Prosser (played by Amy Adams). They end up being forced to work for an F.B.I agent (played by Bradley Cooper). The movie also features other Academy Award nominated actors such as Jeremy Renner (who plays the mayor of Camden, Mayor Carmine Polito) and Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld, Irving’s wife). The movie has mostly good ratings, receiving 93% fresh tomatoes on rotten tomatoes and a 7.5/10 on IMDB.
The acting was definitely the strongest part of the movie. Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper were probably the strongest of the cast, while Jennifer Lawrence was probably the weakest. Amy Adams’ character has a split personality, one with an English accent, and she plays them both wonderfully. Her accent was so extremely good that you almost forgot that she wasn’t English, while Jennifer Lawrence tried to pull a Jersey accent, which ended up being simply distracting. Jennifer Lawrence’s role in this movie was the weakest role I have seen her play, which was very disappointing. Her character almost seemed a little bit unnecessary and took away from the film. The only thing she really added to the film was a bit of comic relief.
I have seen a few of David O’Russell’s previous films, such as The Fighter (2010) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), both of which I very much enjoyed. American Hustle gave off a similar vibe, and also included similar cinematography (such as the closeness to the characters during conversations and the non-steady camera), which are things I have liked in his previous films. But American Hustle had some other problems. One of the biggest was that it was very hard to follow. There were many times that I needed to pause it and think about it in order to understand what was going on. If I was watching the film in a theater where I couldn’t do that, I probably would not have enjoyed the film.
The film was also very slow. I found myself bored after about forty-five minutes and the film is over two hours. By the end of the film, I was enjoying myself again but there were too many times in the middle where the storyline did not hold my interest. It wasn’t until close to the end that there was a big plot twist, which brought everything together and resolved it. The problem was, the plot twist that resolved everything was also the best plot twist in the entire film, making the rest feel bland and uninteresting.
The other major things that this film did well were costume design and music. The film takes place in the 70s, and you certainly get the 70s vibe from the way the actors are dressed and the use of music. The music is all very 70s and is used well in the correct situations, very much adding to the scene where it is used. For example, in one scene, Jennifer Lawrence’s character dances around crazily to Live and Let Die by WINGS. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence’s outfits were stunning, and they weren’t anything you would find outside of the 70s. The men often had big bow ties and 70s style hairdos. This added a lot to the atmosphere of the movie.
If American Hustle deserves any of the awards that it is nominated for, it would be the awards specifically for the actors. For instance, I believe that Amy Adams deserves an award for her role. However, I don’t believe the film in itself deserves an award, as this year was filled with amazing films, many of which were much better than American Hustle. This wasn’t a movie that I neither liked nor disliked. It was a decent movie, but I wouldn’t say it was neither good nor bad.
Tsion Habtamu:
Before American Hustle was even released in theaters everywhere, it started to get great reviews. The film is was up for tons of awards, including ten oscars. It has also had another 48 wins and 78 nominations. However, it did not win any oscars, and I don’t think that this film deserved them. Sure, it wasn’t an awful movie, but it didn’t live up to the expectations that all of the reviews gave.
American Hustle tells the story of a con man named Irving Rosenfeld (played by Christian Bale) and his partner Sydney Prosser (played by Amy Adams). They end up being forced to work for an F.B.I agent (played by Bradley Cooper). The movie also features other Academy Award nominated actors such as Jeremy Renner (who plays the mayor of Camden, Mayor Carmine Polito) and Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld, Irving’s wife). The movie has mostly good ratings, receiving 93% fresh tomatoes on rotten tomatoes and a 7.5/10 on IMDB.
The acting was definitely the strongest part of the movie. Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper were probably the strongest of the cast, while Jennifer Lawrence was probably the weakest. Amy Adams’ character has a split personality, one with an English accent, and she plays them both wonderfully. Her accent was so extremely good that you almost forgot that she wasn’t English, while Jennifer Lawrence tried to pull a Jersey accent, which ended up being simply distracting. Jennifer Lawrence’s role in this movie was the weakest role I have seen her play, which was very disappointing. Her character almost seemed a little bit unnecessary and took away from the film. The only thing she really added to the film was a bit of comic relief.
I have seen a few of David O’Russell’s previous films, such as The Fighter (2010) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), both of which I very much enjoyed. American Hustle gave off a similar vibe, and also included similar cinematography (such as the closeness to the characters during conversations and the non-steady camera), which are things I have liked in his previous films. But American Hustle had some other problems. One of the biggest was that it was very hard to follow. There were many times that I needed to pause it and think about it in order to understand what was going on. If I was watching the film in a theater where I couldn’t do that, I probably would not have enjoyed the film.
The film was also very slow. I found myself bored after about forty-five minutes and the film is over two hours. By the end of the film, I was enjoying myself again but there were too many times in the middle where the storyline did not hold my interest. It wasn’t until close to the end that there was a big plot twist, which brought everything together and resolved it. The problem was, the plot twist that resolved everything was also the best plot twist in the entire film, making the rest feel bland and uninteresting.
The other major things that this film did well were costume design and music. The film takes place in the 70s, and you certainly get the 70s vibe from the way the actors are dressed and the use of music. The music is all very 70s and is used well in the correct situations, very much adding to the scene where it is used. For example, in one scene, Jennifer Lawrence’s character dances around crazily to Live and Let Die by WINGS. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence’s outfits were stunning, and they weren’t anything you would find outside of the 70s. The men often had big bow ties and 70s style hairdos. This added a lot to the atmosphere of the movie.
If American Hustle deserves any of the awards that it is nominated for, it would be the awards specifically for the actors. For instance, I believe that Amy Adams deserves an award for her role. However, I don’t believe the film in itself deserves an award, as this year was filled with amazing films, many of which were much better than American Hustle. This wasn’t a movie that I neither liked nor disliked. It was a decent movie, but I wouldn’t say it was neither good nor bad.
Tsion Habtamu:
Having had set the bar with his direction in Silver Lining’s Playbook, David O’Russell has defined his position as an award-winning director and doesn’t disappoint with his most recent work in American Hustle. Opening with a screen that reads, “some of this actually happened”, the film only gets better throughout its duration. Executed by an array of undoubtedly talented actors, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence star in the ‘70s raunchy crime-comedy film.
Falling in love over their mutual liking for Duke Ellington, Sydney Prosser, later learns of Irving’s con-man title. Brought in by the thrill and unafraid to show some skin in an attempt to seal a deal, Amy Adams, calls shotgun for all of Irving’s mischievous rides. In scandalous ties they pitch asking for $5,000 investments with no return and the two create a bond over an illegitimate business also carrying out a questionably illegitimate relationship.
Our first glimpse of Irving Rosenfeld (played by Christian Bale) is of him revamping his appearance with what was obviously a routine, intricate comb-over. Looking nothing like his initial self the audience gets a gist of his misleading ways. Filled with fast zooms, from establishing to medium shots, forced accents, and plenty of wig glue, the characters of the film somehow manage obtain an irresistible facade making themselves the ideal con-artists. Accompanied by Richie DiMaso (played by Bradley Cooper) a rookie FBI agent the three stage a scam involving what would be considered dirty congressmen and potential Arab investors. Mimicking the real story of the Abscam (actually perpetrated by Mel Weinberg) the film manages to personify the “do what you have to do” mentality.
The most conning is done both interpersonally and between the characters. Pretending to have an interest in Richie for what is referred to as “insurance”, Sydney stomachs her real emotion for the sake of the ongoing scam. Irving finds himself in a haze with the truth when unable to decide whether his love for Sydney or his wife Rosalyn Rosenfeld was stronger. With even the characters unable to identify the truth, the audience quickly learns to expect the unexpected.
Eric Loth:
I had never heard of The Fighter until it was announced in the periods of our class. The only boxing movie I have actually watched was the first Rocky movie, and that was only because my friend Aidan said I lived under a rock because I had never seen Rocky. It was a good movie, but not good enough for me to watch the sequels. All though I did watch a lot of MMA videos, boxing movies never really fit my style of view. What I do like is Christian Bale’s acting and Mark Wahlberg Boston’s accent, which is why I choose to watch American Hustle. I watched this movie about three times since its release. The first was because of Jennifer Lawrence, the second was because I didn’t understand it the first time, and third was so I can compare it to The Fighter.
David O. Russell chose to use Christian Bale and Amy Adams in both movies, with how these two actors has progressed from The Fighter to American Hustle, they turned out to be the perfect fit. Christian Bale’s acting throughout The Fighter was amazing. I can’t think of another actor that would of played that role any better. It must of been a “it was meant to be” moment when other actors turned down the role of Dicky and Christian Bale picked it up. Now his performance in American Hustle was just phenomenal, I didn’t even notice that he was in the movie for the first couple of scenes until I saw his jawbone. The use of Christian Bale really created this movie in a way that both boxing fans and regular people can enjoy this movie. There was the part around the end of “The Fighter” where Micky had told Dicky that he could train him no more, and Dicky blew up with anger right in front of his son. The emotion with both Dicky and Micky was amazing. Micky, who barely had a big scene in the movie, had his big scene with his older brother who he really needs. Comparing this to Christian Bale in American Hustle when he had excessive conflicts with Amy Adams, it shows that in “The Fighter” his anger had more heart in it, it looked like there was more love put into that scene then the scenes with Amy Adams in American Hustle because he feels more close to Mark Wahlberg then he does to Amy Adams.
Now lets take a look at Amy Adams in both The Fighter and American Hustle. In The Fighter she was supposed to bring the sexiness to the movie, which she lacked a lot. Her acting annoyed me a lot too. Overall in The Fighter I didn’t like her. She was always mad therefore she couldn’t bring the sexiness, also when she was mad; she looked like a total fake. Now in American Hustle she was WAY better. I actually like her in American Hustle, even though she played a lot of sides and was being highly annoying. Her acting was pretty much on point, and she did bring the sexiness along with Jennifer Lawrence. Amy Adam does have a lot of actor experience but, since she has been in multiple films with David O. Russell, the American Hustle created the blast that she needed. I have seen her in many other movies, but I never saw her as the person I would care about.
Overall, both films are great and well put together, but I think that David O. Russell did better on American Hustle then The Fighter because there is only a certain amount of things that should be in a boxing moving. Anything more, it would have just turned to a regular action movie, which causes major cliché. Mr. Russell added the spices the world needed into a great boxing film. Having Christian Bale in both of the films was magnificent then also having Amy Adams in both was great to, but of course that changed for me in American Hustle.
David O. Russell chose to use Christian Bale and Amy Adams in both movies, with how these two actors has progressed from The Fighter to American Hustle, they turned out to be the perfect fit. Christian Bale’s acting throughout The Fighter was amazing. I can’t think of another actor that would of played that role any better. It must of been a “it was meant to be” moment when other actors turned down the role of Dicky and Christian Bale picked it up. Now his performance in American Hustle was just phenomenal, I didn’t even notice that he was in the movie for the first couple of scenes until I saw his jawbone. The use of Christian Bale really created this movie in a way that both boxing fans and regular people can enjoy this movie. There was the part around the end of “The Fighter” where Micky had told Dicky that he could train him no more, and Dicky blew up with anger right in front of his son. The emotion with both Dicky and Micky was amazing. Micky, who barely had a big scene in the movie, had his big scene with his older brother who he really needs. Comparing this to Christian Bale in American Hustle when he had excessive conflicts with Amy Adams, it shows that in “The Fighter” his anger had more heart in it, it looked like there was more love put into that scene then the scenes with Amy Adams in American Hustle because he feels more close to Mark Wahlberg then he does to Amy Adams.
Now lets take a look at Amy Adams in both The Fighter and American Hustle. In The Fighter she was supposed to bring the sexiness to the movie, which she lacked a lot. Her acting annoyed me a lot too. Overall in The Fighter I didn’t like her. She was always mad therefore she couldn’t bring the sexiness, also when she was mad; she looked like a total fake. Now in American Hustle she was WAY better. I actually like her in American Hustle, even though she played a lot of sides and was being highly annoying. Her acting was pretty much on point, and she did bring the sexiness along with Jennifer Lawrence. Amy Adam does have a lot of actor experience but, since she has been in multiple films with David O. Russell, the American Hustle created the blast that she needed. I have seen her in many other movies, but I never saw her as the person I would care about.
Overall, both films are great and well put together, but I think that David O. Russell did better on American Hustle then The Fighter because there is only a certain amount of things that should be in a boxing moving. Anything more, it would have just turned to a regular action movie, which causes major cliché. Mr. Russell added the spices the world needed into a great boxing film. Having Christian Bale in both of the films was magnificent then also having Amy Adams in both was great to, but of course that changed for me in American Hustle.