American Hustle feels like a good movie that is a retread. The performances are outstanding, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence are given the chance to shine and they don't miss. However, the story (who is hustling who?) is thinly veiled. It's well done, but nothing that hasn't been done before ("The Sting").
The story is essentially Bale and Amy Adams are con artists. Eventually they get picked up by the FBI (Bradley Cooper). They set up an operation designed to implicate the mayor (Jeremy Renner) but eventually seem to be knee-deep in trouble as the mob and politicians get involved. Then the question becomes who is the hustler, and who is being hustled.
The story is essentially Bale and Amy Adams are con artists. Eventually they get picked up by the FBI (Bradley Cooper). They set up an operation designed to implicate the mayor (Jeremy Renner) but eventually seem to be knee-deep in trouble as the mob and politicians get involved. Then the question becomes who is the hustler, and who is being hustled.