A great movie in an quiet genre

Rating: 10/10 (20 September 2014)

Let's face it; the crime genre has been pretty much dead for the past few years. However, American Hustle brought it back in a much needed reinvigoration; and a great one, for that.
David Russell's movie is a great portrayal of the Abscam scheme, something which was brand new territory for me before I watched American Hustle. Despite it being very much of a dramatization of the scam, American Hustle captures the real essence of political crime in the 1970's.
The characters in the movie instantly interested me; I wanted to know how this unusual group had come together, other than the obvious reason of an imminent hustle. These characters were well portrayed by their actors and actresses, which was expected when I saw the well known and reputable names of the lead cast.
Despite this, I felt that Jennifer Lawrence seemed to be a little out of place in her role as Rosalyn - moreover, Rosalyn seemed like a slightly unnecessary character, placed only to drag out the plot.
Overall, however, the movie is great. The directing performed by Russell is fantastic and captures all the emotion of the movie, something not commonly seen in this genre. American Hustle is an excellent movie, and, despite it's lengthiness, a great watch for those interested in the crime/drama genre.