Hustled by its own director

Rating: 6/10 (10 January 2014)

I am reluctant to award this film a score as high as a 6, but I could not in good conscience rate it any lower because there are very earnest efforts by some of those involved that outweigh the bad taste left in my mouth by others.
Rarely before have I seen a director torpedo his film so spectacularly. David O. Russell is competent, often incredible, but, alas, American Hustle, alongside I Heart Huckabees, suffers at the hands of his tremendous hubris. His direction is clumsy, plodding, and erratic.
Thanks to his cinematographer, however, the frenetic camera-work is effective in establishing tone and setting. The soundtrack choices are spot-on, though there are long stretches of non-diegetic silence in scenes that would have benefited from some musical momentum. The production and costume design are the perfect icing, but therein lies a problem. Russell is more concerned with recreating the era, which he does, than telling a coherent story.
Much of the film was reportedly improvised and a story was derived from that. The opposite approach should have been taken because Russell does not how to handle a heavily improvised product. Some great films have come from spontaneity, but he director needs to know what to do with it, which Russell never does here.
Throughout the interminable and floundering first act, the viewer is hammered with flashbacks and exposition. In themselves, those elements are essential, but writers Russell and Singer forego weaving them into the plot, and instead throw as many things as they can onto the screen to see what sticks.
The multiple voice-over narration is overdone and most likely could have been omitted without any hindrance to the story. We hear about a character or a plot development as we see it. We hear about characters' inner thoughts but then they are said out loud by those characters on screen. It's superfluous, it's distracting, it's arrogant, it's plain unnecessary.
It is when Cooper's character becomes integral to the plot that the film gains direction and intrigue. There is never any huge revelation, twist, or really a main climax for that matter, but Russell is known for telling stories driven by character. It's not a bad thing, especially here, because the cast is able to handle it.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, Russell's misdirection, the cast picks up his slack and carries the rest of the film. Chemistry is near impeccable, and most of the actors are at the top of their game.
Amy Adams proves herself as one of the better actresses working today. Her seductive and mysterious performance commands the screen. Cooper's character is the most complex and he takes to task and absolutely delivers. He raises his game from last year's Oscar-nom turn in Silver Linings Playbook and, at last, is fulfilling his promise as an actor.
Lawrence, while minimal in her role, gives the best performance of the film. She offers plenty of comic relief, and fortunately rises above what could have been a role of sassy one-liners (e.g. Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny). She gains more out of the script than was probably written and gives her character depth and appeal. I've yet to see more of the award frontrunners of 2013, but I would be remiss to neglect her furious housework to the tune of "Live and Let Die" as one of the greatest scenes of the year.
And then there's Christian Bale. The man has a presence, certainly, and he is by no means a weak actor. He is an uninteresting one, which is debatably worse. He is so self-aware in his method that nothing feels authentic or organic. Like Johnny Depp, he confuses physical alteration, makeup, and costume with actual acting, and graces us with the same performance we've seen a dozen times before. He bases his character on a series of mannerisms, mannerisms that don't belong to the character but Bale himself. He tilts his head, grins evilly, breathes heavily through his mouth, and has an occasional screaming rant before returning to composure. He's Patrick Bateman. Only fat. With a combover.
Is American Hustle watchable? Certainly, once you get over the hump of the first act. I recommend it highly for the stronger elements as they are worth watching. I can't decide whether the whole was greater than the sum of the parts--I did leave the theater satisfied, after all--or if the sum of most of the parts were greater than the whole. Either way, Russell does this film quite the injustice because it could and should have been something incredible. As it stands, I give it a 6.