Remember The Sting? Remember Ocean's 11? Or how about TVs Mission Impossible? All those shows portray teams of scammers who pull off a heist under the very noses of less-than-savory dudes.
American Hustle is a fine example of the genre. Never the spoiler, I can't say much, but I will give you the general gist, lest you turn your back on an excellent film.
Back in the 80's, there was a true story of a bunch of politicos, senators and others, who accepted bribes tied to the visit of an Arab sheik to the U.S. The whole event is known as ABSCAM.
Interested? No? Me neither! Booooring! But then this film comes along and all of a sudden jsut another little political brouhaha involving corrupt politicians becomes fun!
See, the hustlers hustle the hustlers, and soon we are in the middle of a very intriguing story!
So why the picture of Jennifer Lawrence being slinky and sexy? Easy. She steals the show. You might remember when she wowed audiences in Winter's Bone. In that dark backwoods flick, she deftly played a hillbilly in search of a louse of a father. Then came her brilliant performance in Silver Lining, for which she earned a well-deserved Oscar as Best Actress. Of course she's fantastic as Katniss the Survivor in The Hunger Games.
But if that's not enough, this starlet extraordinaire acts up a storm in American Hustle. She plays the ditsy blonde with so much pizazz it'll knock your socks off! She's more than a moll: She's the epitome of the charming idiot with the perfect looks!
A shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress? Absolutely.
Other stars: Christian Bale. He was soooo scary as the Yuppie businessman monster in American Psycho. Now he plays a Jewish scammer to perfection. Amy Adams. Did she impress you in Doubt? She's always great, in my book.
Caution: The first half of the film confuses, drags, and nearly drives the audience to head for the Exit signs. The second half is the redeemer. Because of this inconsistency, the film is not worthy, in my mind, of Best Film.
But if you want superb entertainment, this one is a winner.
LOVE this movie. Even saw it twice. Yes, superb ensemble acting with a delightful surprise in deNiro!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Lawrence has a Streep future, if you ask me. She shows astounding range and she's only 23!
And Bradley Cooper is definitely growing on me, as an actor.
The real Oscar here, though, should be given in the BEST WIG category! Hahaha
Seems we agree, Valerie. You saw it twice? Great. yes, Jennifer has a Streep future....she is so talented. I still remember how good she was in Winter's Bone. Best wig...I agree there too!
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