Glitz and Glamour

Rating: 3/10 (4 May 2016)

American Hustle saw acclaimed director David O. Russell gather a group of actors he'd previously worked with and attempt a looser take on a con/sting movie. Very loosely based on the real life Abscam operation, the film tries to have fun with the characters it crafts and place them with in an elaborate setting with the hope that sparks will fly. Russell's films regularly drift between being mildly serious and darkly comedic with American Hustle being no different. Even though the film does benefit from its visual prowess and attention to detail, it frequently leans into an area where it is too offbeat and sprawling for its own good where characters become less defined as the film struggles to build on its narrative.
Straight out the blocks the film has major issues with its plotting. Apparently there was a great deal of improvisation and the storyline was tailored to fit that as things progressed, and you can tell. The whole film revolves around a sting involving two con artists, the FBI and a local mayor which is pretty thin for this genre of film. Yet there is a lot of stuff about Arabic investment where a fake Arab Sheikh is used and how corrupt casino owners from out of town are trying to get involved. It all gets muddled and confusing very quickly, with the film doing little to explain what is actually happening. The characters motivations seem misguided as more is added to concoction and by the climax it's hard to tell what anyone actually wants, which I assume is linked to the improvisation.
On to the acting itself and it's a mixed bag. Christian Bale is clearly channelling De Niro and for the most part he does a good job, making what is a sleazy and uncertain character engaging. His physical transformation deserves credit too. Jeremy Renner was very impressive, creating a mayor that was warm and charismatic despite his dark underside. Jennifer Lawrence simply provides an okay performance as Bale's mouthy wife, though she certainly looked way too young for the role. Two big blotches are Adams and Cooper. Adams is just an extraordinarily bland actress and its more of the same here, her blank expression never changes throughout and she has no chemistry with either male lead. Cooper can't do serious acting. Any time he has to show emotion he ends up yelling and there are many moments where he goes unnecessarily over-the-top that drags you out of the film.
From a visual and production standpoint it's hard to fault the film. Its style and glamour are definitely one of its strong points, with colours leaping off the screen and many of the sets looking especially beautiful. It certainly captured the essence of the late 70's time period, but managed to add a spark to it all. Russell's directing is hard to fault too and he knows how to create a stimulating shot simply by the positioning of the camera. The costumes and make-up are terrific, particularly on Bale, by providing a nice legitimacy to the story playing out. The use of music of the time can often hurt a film, but the soundtrack was smartly picked and many of the tracks used complimented what was taking place on screen.
On the writing side I certainly think the film suffered. The lack of cohesion does the film no favours and at times I think the film gets so dialogue-heavy that things get cluttered. There was also a distinct lack of laughs despite the film being partially labelled as a comedy. There was plenty of potential for some really funny moments or dark comedy to creep yet it's like the film was holding back on the laughs in an attempt to retain the already faulty legitimacy. The dreaded issue of boredom also rears its head at times, which is disappointing given how stylised the film is trying to look. There's a lot taking place on screen and often the dialogue will keep on coming without a pause for thought, but certain scenes don't go anywhere in particular and listening to these characters ramble on can get difficult.
So while I do admire American Hustle from a production stance and for its elegance, I think it failed to deliver on its potential. It is undoubtedly a messy film which isn't a surprise given the lack of cohesion in the plot and the claimed improvisations. Worse than being messy, I think the film gets dangerously close to being boring a number of times which is never a good sign. Despite good performances by Bale and Renner, both Adams and Cooper are black holes of charisma which makes it hard to get involved in the characters' struggles. Despite Russell's intentions, the film needed to be clearer about being a more serious or more comedic and much more structure in its storyline. Instead, what we end up with is a film that looks great and can entertain, but struggles all too frequently.