American Hustle review by Daniel Dilworth Jan15

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American Hustle review by Daniel Dilworth

American Hustle has been receiving mixed reviews and opinions; there is praise for the strong cast, criticism of under-development of characters and of Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Amy Adams. One thing everyone seems to agree with is Jennifer Lawrence’s performance.

American Hustle follows Bale, playing Irving Rosenfeld, and Adams, his mistress Sydney Prosser (alias Lady Edith Greensley,) following her arrest, are forced to assist FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) perform a sting operation on the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, Carmine Polito (Renner). The hitch in the plan comes in the form of Rosenfeld’s long-suffering wife, Rosalyn (Lawrence,) a woman unaware of Rosenfeld’s con-artist career.

The film is good, but has a tendency to ramble slightly. Bale is good as Rosenfeld. Renner brings Polito to life and shows him as a man, working for the good of the community, but who gets caught up with the wrong sort of people. Lawrence, however, steals the show, or she would if the camera was focused a little more on her. Ultimately, though, most emphasis is put on Cooper, who is poor in this, and Adams, whose English accent is about as convincing as the sheikh (Michael Pena, acting a Mexican acting a sheikh, barely able to communicate with Robert DeNiro when the latter speaks Arabic. “Who’d have thought an Italian could speak Arabic?”)

A worthwhile watch, maybe not an obvious Oscar contender but, sure, surprises happen.