Scorsese Light

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2014)

It's so obvious that director David O. Russell was trying to make his own Scorsese movie that I am stunned that more people haven't pointed it out. The use of music, the editing style, the use of narration, the way he directed his actors (and the way Christian Bale aped Robert DeNiro in his performance) - it's all VERY Scorsese. Or, more accurately, like Scorsese on auto pilot (or Scorsese light). Bringing in DeNiro for a cameo was almost like an admission of guilt on Russell's part. As if he were saying, "Yes, I'm trying to make a Martin Scorsese type movie." Don't misunderstand, American Hustle IS a good movie. Very good at times, but it is completely unoriginal in it's style and it is about fifteen or twenty minutes too long.
But throughout the movie I kept noticing the Scorsese-isms and the DeNiro aping from Bale. It became distracting.
Ultimately, American Hustle is a well made movie. It's just a well made homage to Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro more than anything else.