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American Hustle (2013)

Trailer
2:29 | Trailer
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.

Director:

David O. Russell
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Popularity
586 ( 75)
Nominated for 10 Oscars. Another 70 wins & 216 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Bale ... Irving Rosenfeld
Bradley Cooper ... Richie DiMaso
Amy Adams ... Sydney Prosser
Jeremy Renner ... Mayor Carmine Polito
Jennifer Lawrence ... Rosalyn Rosenfeld
Louis C.K. ... Stoddard Thorsen
Jack Huston ... Pete Musane
Michael Peña ... Paco Hernandez / Sheik Abdullah
Shea Whigham ... Carl Elway
Alessandro Nivola ... Anthony Amado
Elisabeth Röhm ... Dolly Polito (as Elisabeth Rohm)
Paul Herman ... Alfonse Simone
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Irv's Sheik Plant (as Said Taghmaoui)
Matthew Russell Matthew Russell ... Dominic Polito
Thomas Matthews ... Francis Polito
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Storyline

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

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Everyone Hustles To Survive

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro appeared in Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and Joy (2015). See more »

Goofs

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.
See more »

Connections

Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

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
24 August 2018 | by andrewroy-04316See all my reviews

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.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA | China

Language:

English | Arabic

Release Date:

20 December 2013 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Arnaque américaine See more »

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$740,455, 15 December 2013

Gross USA:

$150,117,807

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$251,171,807
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color | Black and White (surveillance footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

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