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Movie Review: "American Hustle"
self | 12/26/2013 | LS

Posted on 12/26/2013 4:22:41 PM PST by LS

Every once in a while Hollywood produces a film that is not only well acted but extremely well written. "American Hustle," loosely based on the Abscam sting operation of the 1970s, will certainly be in the running for best picture.

Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, again based loosely on con man Melvin Weinberg, who pretends to be a front for a "sheik" (played by Michael Pena---a Hispanic playing an Arab itself is a source of some good lines) to entrap congressmen and other public officials including "Mayor Polito," a friend of Rosenfeld's again based somewhat on Camden mayor Angelo Erricheti.

The cast not only is extremely strong, featuring the morphling Bale (who goes from muscular Batman to the crackhead brother in "The Fighter" to the paunchy, balding Rosenfeld), but versatile Amy Adams (who gets better in every picture), hunk Brad Cooper (sufficiently de-hunkized with a curley-cue hair job) and the talented (and yes, hot) Jennifer Lawrence. At one point or another in the movie, each of the four is paired one-on-one with the other and they handle the scenes masterfully. Mayor Polito is played by ("Hawkeye" in the Avengers) Jeremy Renner in another solid performance. But Bale carries the show, with Lawrence a strong second.

This is a scam movie---who'se zommin' who---in the tradition of "The Sting," although the climax isn't as dramatic. But, more than "The Sting," "American Hustle" looks at the erosion of dignity and humanity brought about by the simplest of lies. Ultimately, it shows us that regardless of how adept one is at lying, it exacts a cost on the soul.

There is unrelenting foul language (apparently a trademark of screenwriters these days) but no obvious sex and surprisingly little violence. After watching (to my regret) "The Fast and the Furious Six" the other night, in which the car chases and explosions were unrelenting, it was good to watch quality screenwriting in action. In the end, the moral is you can't con a con man.


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: abscam; congress; cultureofcorruption; hollywood; moviereview; movies
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1 posted on 12/26/2013 4:22:41 PM PST by LS
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To: LS

Are there any car chases and explosions in this movie? If not then I’m not watching it.

[/s]


2 posted on 12/26/2013 4:30:53 PM PST by MeganC (Support Matt Bevin to oust Mitch McConnell! https://mattbevin.com/)
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To: LS

Thank you, great critique, sounds like it’s worth a look..


3 posted on 12/26/2013 4:31:48 PM PST by carlo3b (Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.. Henry Kissinger)
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To: LS
Thanks for the review. I saw the preview for "American Hustle" when a friend and I saw "Captain Phillips", and it looked like it was going to be a good movie.

I'm really impressed with Jennifer Lawrence; she seems to get better in each subsequent movie. And Christian Bale has been a favorite of mine since he made his debut in "Empire of the Sun".

4 posted on 12/26/2013 4:38:55 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: LS
After watching (to my regret) "The Fast and the Furious Six" the other night, in which the car chases and explosions were unrelenting,

Why would you go see F&F6 unless you wanted to see car chases and explosions? I would think by F&F5 you would have figured out what you were getting.

5 posted on 12/26/2013 4:46:54 PM PST by Hugin
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To: LS

American Hustle was a GOOD movie! Good acting and great screen writing. Not a big Bale fan, but he was effective in this role. I thought Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was awesome


6 posted on 12/26/2013 5:06:29 PM PST by PatriotCJC (Keep your powder dry!)
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To: LS

I heard that the corrupt mayor is presented as almost a good guy.

True?


7 posted on 12/26/2013 5:23:07 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Yes true
Very average movie.
Unlikeable characters.
And anticlimactic ending for a LONG movie.


8 posted on 12/26/2013 5:28:48 PM PST by Treeless Branch
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To: LS

I LOVED IT. 5 stars. Hot. Sexy. Funny. Cool. 70’s baby.


9 posted on 12/26/2013 5:41:02 PM PST by atc23 (The Confederacy was the single greatest conservative resistance to federal authority ever.)
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To: BenLurkin

Yes. Remember, he’s more of a composite(like Obama’s girlfriends) but he is sympathetic.


10 posted on 12/26/2013 7:06:13 PM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: MeganC

If Brad Cooper explodes, does that count?


11 posted on 12/26/2013 7:06:53 PM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: SuziQ

Yes, I thought it might just be me cause Jennifer Lawrence is so darn hawt but she is a great young actress.


12 posted on 12/26/2013 7:08:18 PM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: Treeless Branch

The trend in Hollywood now is for the 2-hour movie because they are so expensive.


13 posted on 12/26/2013 7:09:39 PM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: LS

A good flick. I thought Amy Adams carried the movie. But all four were exceptional. I recommend it and no, no explosions that I recall.


14 posted on 12/26/2013 7:23:08 PM PST by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: LS; All

Last movie I saw in a theater was “Gravity”. I thoroughly enjoyed the part where Sandra Bullock’s character came out of her spacesuit...don’t remember much after that...


15 posted on 12/26/2013 7:28:19 PM PST by mozarky2 (Ya never stand so tall as when ya stoop to stomp a statist...)
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To: LS

doesn’t sound like something I would watch


16 posted on 12/26/2013 7:28:59 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: LS

Obviously, I’m old, because I love movies that can pull off the ‘70s fashion. I giggle at what I wore as a child but I enjoy seeing it represented in movies. Casino was much more enjoyable for because of it. I’m glad you liked American Hustle because I am interested in seeing it.


17 posted on 12/26/2013 7:47:46 PM PST by rabidralph
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To: mozarky2

LOL. Yes, very good scene, and better than Sigourney Weaver in “Alien.”


18 posted on 12/27/2013 4:32:11 AM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: LS; SunkenCiv; DollyCali; Perdogg; EveningStar; Borges; Mr. K; Blondie; altura; mylife; ...

I thought overall the movie was okay. The last half of the movie was stronger. I think Bale and Adams will win the Oscar for this. I am not sure if the movie will. I thought at times Adams looked better that Lawrence. The music was great. I thought the ending was specious.

If you were around during the 70s, even as kid as I was, you will appreciate it, but other than that it was a nostalgic time piece trying to recreate the Oscar magic of Argo with a bit of Silver Lining Playbook.

I really did not think Argo deserved best picture. We must be in real trouble in this country if we have this favorable view of the 70s.


19 posted on 12/31/2013 6:10:53 AM PST by Perdogg (Ted Cruz-Rand Paul 2016)
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To: Perdogg; fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; Clintonfatigued
They both look good in the trailers. "Come to mama".

" We must be in real trouble in this country if we have this favorable view of the 70s."

Before my time, but yeah. I guess anything looks better than the age of Obama. Will there be 2010's nostalgia movies 40 years from now?

20 posted on 12/31/2013 7:00:05 AM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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