Ingenious, refined and crisply scripted

Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2014)

A movie's fate is driven somehow by a powerful factor of the star cast; a kind of actors that people would love to see interacting on screen. David O Russell uses this over utilized cinematic weapon of an ensemble cast for his con-film 'American Hustle'. Along with Eric Warren Singer, The Silver Linings playbook director also managed to have a lion's share in formulating the screenplay. Impeccably refined, masterful performances and reflection of sheer ingenuity is what American Hustle offers to the audience. The film gets us through some clichés and prodigal deviations but overall it bestows a worthwhile experience for the cinema lovers.
The pot-bellied Irvin Rosenfeld sets up a fake company to grant loans to the needy people thereby having an expertise in money laundering. His success reaches a capstone when Sydney Prosser walks into his life. Posing as the British lace curtain 'Edith Greensley', Sydney assists Irvin and both gradually become the 1978 con experts who succeed in controlling various scams but finally end up getting caught blatantly by The FBI. FBI agent Richie Di Maso (Bradley Cooper) arrests the duo on the charges of earning money by fraudulent schemes. He offers them immunity but in exchange wants them to aid The FBI to conduct a massive bust which will put the Mayor Carmine Polito and other politicians including the congressman behind bars.
Di Maso falsifies the identity of an Arab Sheikh who apparently is his Mexican friend. He, guided by Irving and Sydney together indulges in convincing the Mayor Polito about Sheikh's active interest in conducting business with him. Carmine Polito is the one to be struggling to assemble funds to resuscitate the Atlantic City. The trio uses Mayor's very keen desire to invest into Atlantic City as the driving force to bring him and other corrupt politicians to ground. Jenifer Lawrence plays Irvin's wife Rosalyn who is rather a piquant personality rather succumbing to being impulsive & manipulative throughout. Robert De Niro who plays a Mafia kingpin Victor Tellgio makes an impressive cameo. The most striking factor of the film is that deeper the film takes you inside the plan; more layers of this operation begin to unravel making it completely embellishing.
American Hustle has a crisp screenplay as the characters spring to live and engages you throughout the duration. David o Russell's direction poses as a strong reminder to Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' following its narrative which enhances the experience throughout thereby giving Russell's ambitious nature a strong highlight. The script is sleight but lucid. The movie however successfully manages to break the monotony of action sequences and burlesque comedies in cinema and provides a rich perpetual experience.
However, I sincerely feel 'American Hustle' strongly exemplifies how a con-film should be presented on the celluloid.