A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild F.B.I. Agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Director:
David O. Russell
Stars:
Bradley Cooper,
Jennifer Lawrence,
Robert De Niro
Based on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness.
In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.
Director:
Jean-Marc Vallée
Stars:
Matthew McConaughey,
Jennifer Garner,
Jared Leto
A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
When Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea, and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director:
David Fincher
Stars:
Jesse Eisenberg,
Andrew Garfield,
Justin Timberlake
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
The story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.
A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.Written by
Sony Pictures Entertainment
The movie mentioned "The Boys and Girls Club" but it didn't become that until 1990. In the 1970s it was just the Boys Club of America. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Richie DiMaso:
What are you doing, going behind my back? Telling people I'm screwing up this operation? I got you a suite at the fucking Plaza Hotel.
Irving Rosenfeld:
The shittiest suite at the Plaza Hotel.
See more »
Crazy Credits
An opening title card states, "Some of this actually happened." See more »
Alternate Versions
The leaked Academy Awards DVDSCR had the following differences.
A line of alternate dialogue in a voice over.
A few digitally altered shots.
The scene where Irving and his wife arguing has been trimmed.
The scene immediately following that scene with Irving in the car is shorter as well.
Straight, No Chaser
Written by Thelonious Monk
Performed by Thelonious Monk
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing See more »
User Reviews
Completely unbridled fun, with one of the great ensemble performances and a complex plot
While American Hustle absolutely has some significant flaws, it's just so much fun to watch and with such great acting that I can't help but love it. This is probably my favorite actor (Bale) and actress (Adams) at their best, and Cooper is also phenomenal. The characters are intense and layered and the actors bring emotion and investment into each of their interactions. Each relationship in the movie felt uncertain and volatile, and each had real weight to it. The plot and themes are also both very good - many of the ideas of morality and what one is willing to do to succeed, and how to use other people to have your own success, really hit home. The final con did surprise me and was a fitting ending, encapsulating the bizarre, unfair, and dishonest world of politics and financial dealings. One of my big problems with the film was its oversexualization of women, as they were too often used as purely sex objects, and this took me out of the story several times. I also thought some of the relationship drama with the very blatantly polyamorous dealings going on and nobody really confronting each other about it, just accepting it as normal was strange to me, though that may have been more normal in the 70s? The story progression could've been a bit more precise and demonstrative in the major plot points, but between the wonderful performances and the fun, unpredictable nature of the plot and characters, American Hustle is a fun, wild ride from the feet up.
7 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
While American Hustle absolutely has some significant flaws, it's just so much fun to watch and with such great acting that I can't help but love it. This is probably my favorite actor (Bale) and actress (Adams) at their best, and Cooper is also phenomenal. The characters are intense and layered and the actors bring emotion and investment into each of their interactions. Each relationship in the movie felt uncertain and volatile, and each had real weight to it. The plot and themes are also both very good - many of the ideas of morality and what one is willing to do to succeed, and how to use other people to have your own success, really hit home. The final con did surprise me and was a fitting ending, encapsulating the bizarre, unfair, and dishonest world of politics and financial dealings. One of my big problems with the film was its oversexualization of women, as they were too often used as purely sex objects, and this took me out of the story several times. I also thought some of the relationship drama with the very blatantly polyamorous dealings going on and nobody really confronting each other about it, just accepting it as normal was strange to me, though that may have been more normal in the 70s? The story progression could've been a bit more precise and demonstrative in the major plot points, but between the wonderful performances and the fun, unpredictable nature of the plot and characters, American Hustle is a fun, wild ride from the feet up.