My love for Christian Bale, my love of his constant, literal physique-morphing dedication to a wide variation of spot-on selected screen roles, has yet to cease. Bale, underrated by too many as merely “the Dark Knight” will be entering this next year’s Golden Globes and Academy Awards with two phenomenal new roles under his consistently size-changing belt: as Appalachia badass Russell Baze in somber new release “Out of the Furnace,” and as, more notably, the deservingly hyped, charismatic king that is Irving Rosenfeld of David O. Russell’s newest blockbuster hit, “American Hustle.”
Bale opens “American Hustle” solo in the first scene. We see a plump, tired man transition into Irving Rosenfeld, a slick con-man and velvet suit maestro. Set to era-classic “A Horse with No Name”, the scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie, drawing in smiles and light laughs. Rosenfeld moves forward, and with the help of an A-list A-team, steals a show that would otherwise fall flat, bored and likely asleep.
The film is loosely based on historical FBI political investigation Abscam, which, on Wikipedia reads as uninteresting and not heavily searched. Sprinkle in a killer cast, a classically familiar soundtrack, sex and one of the most truly memorable wardrobes to date, and you have “American Hustle”: a political crime yawn — fluffed fabulous. The story will inevitably lose many with a slow start and dizzying follow. Odd cinematography techniques including unnecessary camera zooms and angles occur randomly and without reason throughout parts of the film, and if attempting to further engage viewers, do so awkwardly.
My god, does the acting stun though:
Where Bale leads, Amy Adams follows closely behind as his foxy, fur-coated con-queen. A conflicted mistress and superb actress, Adams’s Sydney “Edith” Prosser is a perfect sidekick alongside Irving and until the very end, follows through. Naturally, problems arise with Rosenfeld’s wife, Rosalyn, but exceptionally talented superstar Jennifer Lawrence keeps the affair wholly welcome and so, so spicy. Her soft up-done hair will send viewers salon searching, and visual memories of those curves will plague minds. Although her screen time is surprisingly little, Lawrence’s highly hyped role is found to be deservingly so. She has become a powerhouse, unstoppable and her zingy performance would have been otherwise matched by few or none.
Bradley Cooper provides kicks as high-strung, curl-bouncing FBI agent Richie DiMaso and provides an audacious, comedic performance reminiscent of his work in David Russell’s Best-Picture-nominated “Silver Linings Playbook.” Saucy moments with Adams induce deep, yearning sighs, and alongside his boss, played by Louis C. K., many laughs ensue. In the midst of secrets, money deals and love triangles, Jeremy Renner’s role as Atlantic City mayor Carmine Polito leaves something to be rooted for: a genuine family man and caring leader, with an unfortunate involvement as a means to an end.
I went into the film, literally in tears with anticipation, and left reluctantly disappointed. It is near impossible to find character flaws, as almost every performance was perfectly suited and well-played out and high expectations for the actors are well-met. But many, like myself, may find the storyline surprisingly hard to follow and dull. The ending provides an unexpected reveal, but after a few too many yawns and time-checks, I found myself unmoved.
Phenomenal actors play a game of dress-up and pass around briefcases of money fabulously. What all the money is for, who it’s from, and particularly why, I’m really, really not quite sure.
Follow Jessica Fisher at @j_pescadora