FILM NIGHT - AMERICAN HUSTLE REVIEW

*This is a spoiler free review!*

I apologise for not posting on Sunday as I would normally do, but I wanted to wait to write this film review rather than make a rushed favourites post (which will probably come later on in the week). I mentioned in my November Favourites and Top Five Films posts that I am a big fan of Silver Linings Playbook. Naturally, when I found that David O. Russell was releasing a new film with pretty much the same cast, I was immediately interested. I went and saw American Hustle last night, and overall, I have to say that I'm very impressed.

Taken from IMDB, here is the plot synopsis of the film:

A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock the USA, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

The cast-list that American Hustle offers is hugely impressive, with plenty of Oscar nominees and winners. Of the cast, Christian Bale offers the most entertaining performance - what is hugely ironic is that he cons the audience into believing that he is truly a conman. The relationship dynamics between Bale's and Jennifer Lawrence's characters is possibly one of the most comedic aspects of the film; what's more, the arguments and humorous exchanges somehow manage to make the marriage seem more believable. The rest of the cast also manage to walk the tightrope between comedy and drama very well, although sometimes the two genres become indiscernible from one another. One of the slight issues that I have is with Amy Adams' English accent - as a Brit myself, there were times when I did question how accurate her accent was.

In terms of editing and cinematography, American Hustle has all of the qualities that I loved in Silver Linings Playbook. A lot of the shots are very idiosyncratic of David O. Russell's films; there's almost a shakiness to the camera-work, which somehow makes it feel as though you are stepping into the lives of the characters onscreen. Surprisingly, I also love the way that Russell includes music in his films and rarely uses a score - for this film, it makes it seem much more in-keeping with the era in which it is set.

To round off, American Hustle is well worth a watch - I'll be surprised if there aren't any Oscar nominations from this film. One thing I will say is that the plot might get a little confusing to some viewers at some point, but the zealousness of the cast makes for an enjoyable film regardless of understanding.