American David O Hustle
A no-spoiler review of American Hustle and the visionary behind it
After seeing the image above, I found myself thinking something.
“What does David O. Russell listen to in those earphones? And then—it came to me. All I do is win.”
- (2011) The Fighter: Oscars for best supporting actor and actress—and nominations for best film, screenplay, director, supporting actress, and film editing.
- (2013) Silver Linings Playbook: Oscar for best actress, and nominations for best film, screenplay, director, actor, supporting actress, supporting actor, and film editing.
- (2014) American Hustle: Oscar nominations haven’t yet been announced, but for the Globes—nominations for best film, screenplay, director, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress.
These are the reasons why I went to go see Hustle. Not because of its ridiculously high score on Rotten, or because of the hundred or so TV spots I’ve seen touting the film’s greatness. It was simply because I know that David is a phenomenal storyteller, and that he wouldn’t disappoint. He didn’t—in fact he exceeded my expectations.
American Hustle has it all. It looks like Argo, feels like Goodfellas, and even finds a way to makes you laugh. It’s a good time, but at that same time—it’s also a complete masterpiece in terms of writing, directing, and acting. The costumes and background were insane—it made it feel like you were watching archived footage from the 1970's. The soundtrack rocked too.
While it’s clear that I dug the film, what’s unclear is who had the best performance. I think that Jennifer Lawrence stole every scene she was in, and like the Daily Beast wrote about her—you almost get frustrated with David for not giving her even more screen time.
Christian Bale was unrecognizable, to the point where you almost forgot that he played Batman. He can do anything.
Amy Adams was stunning—and sexy in a way that even surprised me.
Bradley Cooper was a hilarious kind of crazy, and brought an element of uncertainty to the plot that kept you wondering where the story was going to end up.
Jeremy Renner played the role of his life, and showed that he could easily keep up with the biggest hitters on the big screen.
Hustle rocked—I highly recommend it, super fun.
