American Splendor

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2013)

"Everyone hustles to survive," and that's the picture American Hustle's '70's quintessentially paints for the culture and mentality of America. Our very economic system encourages for loops to be taken as long as you secure those wads of cash, and, in the end, the easiest targets will receive the boot into a jail cell rather than the powerful and resourceful (the crooked and corrupt bankers and politicians who deserve to share a moniker with other criminals). Anyways, the whole concept is devoid of any sense of morality, and that essentially grooms Irving Rosenfeld (played by Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (played by Amy Adams) for the big leagues of scamming and reaping the riches. However, once they're finally caught by an FBI agent- Richie DiMaso (played by Bradley Cooper)- their sole responsibility is to catch a bunch of dirty politicians red-handed in bribery, and they're in charge of constructing the whole procedure.
There's no doubt that American Hustle gives off that "Goodfellas" vibe and is generally influenced by Scorsese's masterful work, but it also decides to incorporate even further playfulness. David O. Russell's signature style of directing in which he implements humor into the tensest or most dramatic of scenes returns. All throughout, I found myself confused if certain scenes were meant to be slightly funny or fully serious. Though I chuckled during some mainly parlous scenes that played out in a more outlandish manner (which instituted that element of humor), the majority of the theater room sat in silence. What I'm trying to say is that it's an incredibly fun ride.
First of all- and, in my opinion, most importantly- we witness some of the most brilliant, captivating, and intricate performances of this year from the likes of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner- an all-star cast! Christian Bale, most evidently, remarkably strays from a recognizable appearance and instead sports an atrocious, but equally comical, haircut, an actual beer belly, and a Jersey accent. In sum, the guy transforms like no other. Moreover, all of these characters are granted their time to shine, and they all truly stand out with their own distinctive personalities. Russell means to emphasize this: it's all about the characters who glow with exuberance and complicacy. An abundance of fun is had by placing some of the most vibrant individuals into a complex predicament and then simply watching how they attempt to dig themselves out of such an extensive hole. Not only are we joyful at the sight of an obviously talented cast- not one stealing another's thunder- but we're also surprised by some brilliant- brilliant- cameos. The flamboyancy of these characters greatly stem from a terrific script that provides us with clever and hilarious dialogue. See, this cinematic wonder is so damn quotable as every other line carries amusement and farcicality with it. In addition, the intriguing narrative is serviced by an outstanding soundtrack, recalling the greatest '70's tunes (those violins are just daunting in 10538 overture- amazing track, by the way).
With that being said, the plot becomes a little confusing at times, especially at the beginning. The whole plan is so elaborate that the structure and details within moderately threw me off. One has to possess a somewhat clear idea of how the entire financial scamming business works in order to completely understand the more prominent events. A considerable amount of the confusion is thankfully removed as the story progresses and we hear Bale's explanative narration over the wild occurrences. Furthermore, the picture commences with noticeably slow pacing as we take the time to familiarize ourselves with the characters and their backgrounds. It definitely reminded me of Casino's fairly sluggish opening in which De Niro explains the multiple processes and conveys the nature of the crime-riddled environment we're about to be cast down into. Finally, when the scheme is set into motion, that's when the storyline picks up as we see the countless characteristics of these peculiar individuals make their mark.
Overall, American Hustle is an exceptional piece of cinema that delivers on what it promises. Normally, a predominantly nonviolent crime tale would feel strange and unfulfilling, but Russell knows exactly what he's doing here. With the help of superb and rich performances from A-list actors, this crime drama feels fun, suspenseful, risible, and impeccably crafted (considering the sublime costumes and the impressively effective presentation of the 70's).