Feel Hustled? I Do Just a Little Bit.

Rating: 7/10 (13 December 2014)

American Hustle is one of those movies that will be appreciated for it's directing and it's actors. It's thought of as a movie for movie fans, but as a movie fan, or a 'film fanatic' I actually found this to be David O.Russel's weakest movie to date.
The Fighter was an amazing movie, and The Silver Linings Playbook was great, but American Hustle just barely scraps by as very good. This movie feels like it should belong to Bale, however, Jennifer Lawrence character is primed to steal the spotlight whenever she can, and she does.
Problem with this is that her character is a chaotic nascence. While her acting is great, her character doesn't seem as much fun as it seems a hassle to portray given her poisonous nature.
Further can disappointment be added to how Amy Adams feels underused, even at her best. Her character is central to just about every other major actors in this film, yet the degree of sympathy we should feel for someone caught so in the middle of everything is under-minded by the difficulty of figuring out whether or not she's truly a good or bad person.
Bradley Cooper also feels sold short, with more focus on his looks and his character's determination than any actual development. The movies plot feels more confusing at times than it should be and I attribute this to the film being longer than it needs to be; something that befalls one too many Oscar hopeful films.
American Hustle did not win best picture because it didn't stand a chance, but because it was not the best. While the movie is worth the watch, and a very good film at the least, there are better choices out there for a serious drama.