unoriginal

Rating: 5/10 (14 September 2014)

Low-life con artists, glitzy trophy wives, smooth wiseguys, hyped up cops and career politicians all collide in this homage to a time past. In keeping with the adrenaline-fuelled nature of the lives on display, the whole production seems to be on uppers, moving breathlessly from one emotionally-fraught scene to another. Make-up, prosthetics, and acting at the top of your voice are all taken to extremes. Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence all ooze period sleaze and amorality. Bradely Cooper tries too hard, and playing him opposite Louis C.K. tilts things too much towards pastiche. Tonally, the film seems to ride too high and fast. We are barely given time to reflect on any of the absurd, horrid actions seen on screen. Like The Wolf of Wall Street, the film seems to indulge in its characters and period too much, when a more objective scalpel might be called for. The whole aesthetic also mimics Goodfellas far too closely. This feels like a film I saw before, only done better, and with more consideration. Entertaining in parts, there is something slightly unpalatable about American Hustle.