The Great Con Divide

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2014)

With a star-studded cast, lavish cinematography which so effectively evokes the 1970's bewildering chic style, and a plot line intended to rekindle memories of other hustling movies from this era such as The Sting, American Hustle has all the glitz and glamor necessary to become both a popular and critical acclaim. The co-writer and director, David O. Russell, has emerged in recent years as a force to be reckoned with. His most eclectic collection of works includes delving into the world of existential detectives fighting nihilism, a truth-based story of an underdog boxer fighting for his and his troubled brother's reputation, and a romantic tale of two mentally unstable people falling in love. Clearly, Russell has a wild imagination and he puts it on full display in his most ambitious and commercial project to date. Loosely based (as it so willingly tells us up front) on the ABSCAM scandal of the 1970s, Russell treats the case like a true filmmaker: he takes what he wants, abandons what he does not, and shakes it all up to create a perfect concoction of Hollywood craftsmanship and subtle plot manipulation.
This is not to say that these traits are condemnations. Indeed, in the world in which Russell attempts to let this movie live, these are necessary hallmarks, as Christian Bale so smoothly tells us, "Everyone hustles to survive." Russell must have smiled with delight in writing that line since it so precisely reveals the justification needed both by the con artist characters in the film and the filmmakers in which they reside. Obviously, he prefers a character study to a straight-up Ocean's Eleven type double-crossing plot structure. Such an ensemble cast has swallowed his bait. Nearly everyone loves playing dress-up here, not just with clothes but also hair, jewelry and accents. It's an actor's dream come true. Bale goes method, as he so often does, gaining a gut and giving himself a noticeably bad, fake comb-over, which Russell fonds over for several minutes in the film's opening. Bradley Cooper wears mini-curlers to make his straight hair curly, lives with his androgynous mother and a woman who says she is his fiancé, and seemingly lives passionately for his job as an FBI agent determined to crack down on corrupt bureaucrats, politicians and ultimately, the Mafia. Jeremy Renner must have needed several bottles of hairspray, but mostly plays it straight as a mayor with a heart of gold, evident from his large, multi-cultural family, who wants only to protect his community from financial crisis.
While the men fuss over their looks so profusely, the women in this film almost certainly went overboard as well, though for them the effect must have been even more profound. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence raid the Elizabeth Taylor closet and layer themselves with furs, backless and strapless dresses of the gaudiest colors, as well as hairstyles that would make any 18th century French woman jealous. If it seems that there has been too much emphasis on the look of this movie, it must be stressed that the movie stresses these elements on its own volition. It grows almost to the point of overpowering the story and characterization. Most audiences will claim to not have a problem with it, but for those trying to see what lies behind the material elements will prove difficult.
While Russell freely admits to not basing his entire story on true events, the fact that he even inserted the title card "Some of this happened" at the beginning shows his desire to remind us that the acts and personalities of these characters are rooted in reality. Why is this necessary information to digest before the film begins? The intended effect on the audience, presumably, is to trick us into believing more of the outlandish results and developments as we continue to watch. No matter what we see, we are still reminded some variation of these events did happen at one point to people faintly like the ones we are watching on the screen. At this point, is it even worth mentioning? Why not simply take a story like this and use it as a launching pad for a completely new and different take on the con game sub-genre? Even if this was Russell's original intent, it still renders the use of that title card almost entirely useless.
Perhaps the greatest fault one can find with this film is that it is too self-conscious. Having focused so much effort on the look of the film, one gets wrapped up in a story that is all surface with little substance. Yet, on one level, this may be a clever ruse by Russell. After all, the entire story is about various people conning one another for various reasons, as well as themselves into acting in ways they wouldn't ordinarily consider. Though this would seem to rustle up some emotional conflict, Russell practically telegraphs his intentions through dialogue and the actors' faces, thus deflating any intent of luring us in for the whole movie. All the actors are clearly enjoying themselves, especially Lawrence who plays her role as a sassy, fiercely unstable woman determined to hold on to whatever remains of her shattered life. It is a brave performance, although in the end she remains mostly obsolete to the story. By contrast, Adams is thoroughly stunning in all her outfits as well as a great counterpart to the introvert and conflicted Bale. Indeed, all the actors chew the scenery as though it were delicious beef jerky. The result is a mostly interesting, though altogether somewhat unfulfilled experience which is a letdown considering the buildup this film gives itself. In a way, this is just another con by Russell, but the audience may not be as receptive as the FBI.