Excelsior Indeed !!

Rating: 7/10 (27 October 2019)

American Hustle directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook) is a comedy-drama inspired by the real life events referred to as Abscam Scandal which happened in the late 1970s in USA when an FBI sting operation resulted in the conviction of several corrupt politicians including six Congressmen, a Senator and a Mayor.
Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfield, pot bellied, pill-popping middle aged businessman who runs a of dry cleaning chain. However, he is actually conman and mints his money through fake art deals and hoodwinking people desperate for money with false promises of loans. He is trapped in a loveless marriage to the unstable Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) and whose son, Danny, he had adopted. He meets his match in the smart Sydney Posser (Amy Adams), an ex-stripper and present day clerk at the Cosmopolitan magazine with soaring ambitions to reinvent herself. Mutual attraction gradually leads to a rollicking partnership when she suggests that she could assume the identity of Lady Edith Greensly, with a fake English accent and "connections" to London banks. The two thrive in mutual company and live the high life till they are trapped by the zealous FBI agent Richard Di Masso (Bradley Cooper). When Di Masso throws them an offer of immunity if they aid in arrest of four big league criminals, Irving and Edith/Sydney hesitantly agree to it. They try to entrap the popular Mayor Carmen Polito (Jeremy Renner) who is desperate for funds to rekindle the economy of Atlantic City. The stakes are raised higher with the involvement of the mob, the resultant involvement of some Congressmen whom Di Masso want to entrap, the growing unease between Irving and Edith/Sydney, Di Masso's growing feelings for Edith/Sydney and the edgy, unpredictable Rosalyn who is hovering around the scene like a gathering storm.
Will Irving and Edith/Sydney succeed in fulfilling their end of the deal ? Would Di Masso emerge the hero for netting the big fish ? Does he forge an emotional connect to Edith/Sydney ? And, what role would Rosalyn play in all this ? The rest of the movie navigates us through this murky waters as these characters try to con each other (& themselves) in a roller coaster ride with loads of fun, witty dialogue, authentic 70s setting and some really well chosen songs that accompany the tense proceedings.

While Silver Linings Playbook was evidence enough that David O. Russell is a master of creating complex characters that connect to the viewers, in American Hustle, he weaves sheer magic with an ensemble of such quirky characters played by a stellar cast. He has carefully chiseled out each character with a clear set of chinks and eccentricities which make them very human and enables the viewer to emotionally invest in them.
Given such well written characters, it is but natural that the A-list stars that inhabit them revel in their respective roles. While his mastery in physical transformations is legendary, Christian Bale is simply superb as the tense conman who is apprehensive of the dangers involved in a high-stakes con and desperate to save his family and his love. Matching him every bit is a smouldering Amy Adams revelling in a complex character as she oozes sex appeal in her plunging necklines, fakes an English accent and alternates effortlessly between emotions whether when being hopelessly in love or her desperation for reinventing herself or her frustration on being cornered. Bradley Cooper plays the hot-headed over-ambitious FBI agent out to make a name for himself with elan and Jeremy Renner is good as the well-meaning Mayor. Robert De Niro leaves a lasting impression in a small role as a mob enforcer.
Yet, it is Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show in a cameo as the feisty, unstable Rosalyn who feels frustrated with a marriage in shambles and craves for love and attention. As a loose cannon who could derail the carefully mounted con at any moment, she brings an intensity to a role which could have easily been a caricature. All of 23 years old, this talented lady is already a winner of Academy Award winner and stands a good chance to win another one this year for Best Supporting Actress. She has loads of talent and I may not be exaggerating if I say that she could well be the emerging as the Sachin Tendulkar of her art.
David O. Russell, in mounting this delectable entertainer on a large pitch-perfect period canvas, appears to have finessed his mastery in presenting memorable features populated by volatile characters. He has presented us a winner here that is already a front runner at the Academy Awards with a clutch of nominations after having won several at the other award shows.
EXCELSIOR, indeed !! An exhilarating experience that is sure to leave the viewers look forward impatiently for his next !!