This was one movie which had a lot of hype and one which had a lot of intrigue to it. Having a title with the words Hustle in it? And in addition, all those 70’s clothes.. and that movie poster of all of them together.. it all the begs the question- what is this all about?
But to quote Barbara Walters’ as she said on the View, “I really didn’t understand what American Hustle was about.” And I must agree with Ms. Walters because I too, didn’t understand what this movie was about. Were they trying to say that in the 1970s America was a place filled with hustlers and that quite a handful of people turned to hustling in order to make a buck?
I understood to a degree what Christian Bale’s character’s meant when he said that in life we have to con people and that they have to con us sometimes. I could see this being applied to different aspects in life. For instance, when we love someone and make them fall in love with us, in a way we are conning them. Or if we want to impress our boss, this is what we have to do, in order to keep our jobs. But the problem is that I don’t think that everything in life is a con– there are a lot of avenues in life in which we get what we want, without having to con others. So, if the main philosophy in this movie is that conning is the key to life, and that life is one big con anyway, then I think that this movie is very off.
I also didn’t like how the movie brought down Bradley Cooper’s character. He was trying to move ahead in his career, and was a loyal brother and son to his sister and mother. He also was working for the FBI– the ‘good guys,’ if you will. But, in the end his character was conned. But why? It wasn’t as if he was a villain or something or that he had done some major harm to other characters- he was just doing his job as an FBI agent. He was a nice man who got jilted
Some of the acting could have been a bit better too, I didn’t think Amy Adams’ character’s British accent was all that great. She was a very weak ‘Lady Edith.’ In addition, some of the characters roles..didn’t have roles that were would one would describe as very meaty. Not sure if these is totally the actors’ faults, or if they were written the best way- but not sure if they have the quality to captivate audiences.
But in terms of good aspects in this film, I will say that certain scenes were definitely stealers. For instance, the dance scene between Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams character was quite hypnotic. The lighting in that scene was spot on with what would have occurred in a 1970’s discotheque. Plus, the way Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper danced, oozed sensuality.
Even though, most of the characters were not written or acted in the most radiant way, there is one exception. That being Jennifer Lawrence’s character whom I thought was hilarious and magnetic. In one of the first scenes, the way she keeps talking about things in circles in this crazy-off kilter voice makes her sound nutty- but radiant. There is something in her, that makes you want to see her in the next scene.
It’s also quite hilarious that she does the opposite of what she is asked. When her husband tells her not to say confidential information- that’s exactly what she does. When her husband asks her not to put something in the microwave- that’s exactly what she does. It was sooo funny to see her trying to put the fire out in the microwave.
It should also be noted that to some Jennifer Lawrence is cute, but she doesn’t possess the striking, bold features that say Angelina Jolie or say January Jones possesses. She’s pretty, but maybe not naturally gorgeous. BUT, in this movie- she looks very sensual, and at times, like a complete knockout. The way she always has her hair in a updo. One of the few times, I really agreed with the conning theory of this movie, was when Christian Bale’s character said, that she was the biggest con of all, as she seduced him to bed. She was also quite sensual when she described at the dinner party that she loved the nail polish which smelled great, but had a bit of garbage smell at the end. But perhaps, her sensuality was at its peak when she was arguing with Edith and she just bent over and gave Edith a kiss!
The last and best piece about this movie was the costumes and make up. Everything Edith’s hair, her jacket, pants, Jennifer Lawrence’s character’s hair, her gowns, Bradley Cooper’s perm, and Christian Bale’s sideburns and suits. All these aspects truly helped transport the movie back to the 1970s. And even though a movie might have trouble with the storyline or depth of their characters- it always does help if the look of the characters have some veracity to them.
Stars: 3 out of 5 stars
