O Russell creates a Scorsese knock-out

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2014)

In recent years, Martin Scorsese's films have been enjoyable, but as films, it seems anyone could have directed them. Shutter Island wasn't a Scorsese. American Hustle seems to take off where Scorsese left his signature touch, with David Russell creating a great Scorsese styled film.
American Hustle is almost a new Goodfellas. Through a mix of drama and comedy, Russell creates a film that gives a kick to the audience. It's based off the ABSCAM scandal of the '70s. Eric Singer delivered a factual script, which when handed off to Russell, was turned into a laugh out loud, audacious comedy, which made the movie what it is.
One of the aspects of the film that helped create the world that it took place in was the performances. The main cast consisted of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner. The chemistry between the cast is exactly what 2013 needed. Although it's an entirely famous cast, the focus isn't placed on them, but rather the character. Christian Bale's Robert De Niro impression may have seemed like a bit much, but once that is out of mind, his character sinks into the performances by his colleagues. Bale's character is one of the most like-able assholes since Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums. This is a great accomplishment.
While the film starts off with a tad bit of confusion and rather slow, it does pick up pace, and when the pace is picked up, there's no stopping this comedy. The quick paced film is reminiscent of the speed of screwball comedies of the '30s and '40s. Again, this is beneficial. The film has a purpose, and it shows that it will accomplish what it needs to tell the audience.
Director David O. Russell is no stranger to critical acclaim, and he understands how a film should be made. American Hustle under his direction is Scorsese's gang films meeting Tarantino's off-beat comedy and dialogue. It's an unorthodox creation, but the different style really makes this movie stand-out, especially in comparison to the films being released along with it (Saving Mr. Banks, Walking with Dinosaurs).
Alongside the direction, another aspect of the film that just made it really stand-out was the cinematography. The director of photography was Linus Sandgren, who created a vibrant film. While the colours weren't as bright and decorative as a Wes Anderson film, they reached out and held the audience. They were colourful, big, bright, and didn't take away from the film like something as The Great Gatsby remake of this year. The shots were handled professionally, and edited together to involve the audience. From close-ups of microphones to moving shots of characters interacting, the screen gives the audience a chance to interact with the heist and scandal. Sandgren's work also shows Scorsese influence, which ties this film to the work of the great director again.
The weakest point of the film is the ending, which isn't all that terrible. The issues with an ending is it has to be perfectly fit to the film. American Hustle is a narrative piece, for better or for worse. Through the many monologues of Cooper, Bale, and Adams, the audience gets to understand the plot throughout the eyes of everyone with importance. While this adds depth and excitement, it is ultimately a monologue that makes American Hustle hit a low. The final monologue is a narrative to explain everything that happened at the end. As a fan of Woody Allen, writing and dialogue is always a great add-on, but sometimes things are better left to visuals, especially this ending. This doesn't ruin the film, just holds it back from absolute brilliance.
American Hustle is everything the trailer makes it out to be and more. It's interesting, provocative, sexy, intelligent, entertaining, and engaging. Although a different style of comedy, it finds itself among The World's End and This is the End for funniest films of 2013. It's definitely a movie to look into, and one to have a theatre experience with.