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Created Dec 26, 2013 01:21AM PST • Edited Dec 30, 2019 12:36AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   A big, bawdy brouhaha of a movie, David O. Russell’s followup to Silver Linings Playbook never fails to entertain, especially in recreating the Seventies. Yet it never coheres to a point. It’s all pointless seems to be its point. Silver Linings Playbook had a point: Relationships – family relationships especially – matter no matter what. American Hustle thus has limited upside, even as its spectacular execution glimmers brightly.

   Its A-list moviestars deliver spectacularly well, starting with Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper’s romantic triangle with Amy Adams’ faux British stripper-conartist. Then there’s Jennifer Lawrence, in her second grownup role, live-wiring every scene she’s in, which aren’t enough but still more than sufficient to make American Hustle a must-see movie. The nearby clip gives a taste of JLaw’s latest addition to her canon.

   Loosely based on the FBI Abscam Operation, when the Feds enjoined a conman to help them reel in bribable politicians, it ends up being mostly a ribald celebration of Tony Soprano’s New Jersey during the late Seventies. Disco, cocaine, tough guys wearing curlers before going out at night, deeply plunging necklines on both women and men: the Garden State embraced the Me Decade in its own distinctive style.

   Plenty of laughs get triggered along the way, adding oodles of fun to the entertainment value, but making it impossible to take seriously. That’s left-handed for sure, especially in light of so many professional critics falling all over themselves to declare it a Best Picture candidate. But it doesn’t deserve that level of ovation.

   It does deserve heaps of praise for being big and entertaining and funny and glamorous, a glimmering Seventies mirrorball come to the silver screen. American Hustle boogies till it just can’t boogie no more.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   The Big Five stars are getting heaps of glory for their performance, though only the four Russell Regulars struck me as deserving of all the praise.

   • Christian Bale recreates himself once again for director David O. Russell, here a paunchy Long Islander with the world’s worst combover. His middle-aged conman is the polar opposite in look and temperament from the wiry crackhead he played in Russell’s The Fighter. Bravo.
   • Bradley Cooper plays an oddly immature FBI agent and does so indelibly. While not calling on him to deliver the same level of instability as in Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, the role rides major cycles of highs and lows. Cooper does that as well as any leading man today.
   • Amy Adams plays a stripper who can wield a convincing British accent. While not a knockout, she proves once again that her charisma and moviestar abilities are not to be underestimated. She too is a Russell Regular, having appeared in The Fighter as Mark Wahlberg’s girlfriend.
   • Jennifer Lawrence once again proves a live-wire in a Russell movie, here as an emotionally unstable wife. It’s the sort of bravura performance we’ve come to expect from the brightest moviestar working today. Check her out in the nearby clip: wearing big hair and a track suit, her nutty character stupidly nukes the nuke and then projects the blame on her husband. Wowza.
   • Jeremy Renner underwhelms as a kinda corrupt Mayor and family man. Elisabeth Röhm is more impressive as his flamboyant wife, unrecognizable from her Law & Order days.

   Supporters

   • Louis C.K. impresses as a by-the-book FBI boss. This is one comedian who is a legit serious actor.
   • Robert De Niro essays a major Mobster, again.
   • Jack Huston is less impressive than usual as one of his underlings.
   • Alessandro Nivola jumps off screen as an ambitious U.S. Attorney. Why isn’t he a bigger star?
   • Michael Peña is unassuming as a Latino who pretends to be an Arab.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    David O. Russell remains a fundamentally terrific director, even if American Hustle isn’t likely to be in his Final Four Filmography.

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.6

    Mildly sordid: mildly erotic, mildly violent, mildly profane.

17. Sex Erotic 2.6

18. Violence Fierce 2.4

19. Rudeness Profane 2.7

21. Reality

    Glib 1.4

    “Some of this actually happened.” appears onscreen at the start of the movie. By “this” David O. Russell means circumstances: names, ages, actions and so on and so forth. Thus I’m placing the CircoReality slider at 2.1 of Normal, aka just a nose into the Surreal.

    History vs. Hollywood has details about where American Hustle plays fast and loose with the truth.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.1

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0