American Hustle
Small time con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his mistress and partner in crime Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) made quite a racket shaking down the lowest of the low until FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) caught them in a misstep. Looking to save their own necks Irving and Sydney agree to assist the feds, a move that could incriminate Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) and mafia head Victor Tellegio (Robert De Niro). Meanwhile Irving’s wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), is dancing with dangerous acquaintances. But family takes care of family and the term “thick as thieves” rings true, how can this hustle shakedown for all?
Still mining precious ore Director and co-writer David O. Russell continues to pull in gold with one of the sharpest ensemble pieces of the year; there isn’t a weak performance in the bunch. With a reverse casting of all of the leads, acting depth and breadth is certainly something to consider across the board. Plus, with a compelling story/screenplay the sleaze and skeeze of the 70’s never felt so wrong and yet so right. This is another gem slowly being tumbled to bring out the best shine possible, totally worth your time. American Hustle is rated R.