American Hustle

 
photo for American Hustle Though overlooked at this year’s Oscars, David O. Russell’s film set in the alluring world of high-stakes scams and politics, loosely based on the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early ’80s that ensnared East Coast politicians and congressmen in accepting bribes for political favors, was still one of the highlights of a year that produced a lot of “good” films but was shy on great ones (except for our pick for best film of the year, “The Great Gatsby.”) Russell’s hard-driving direction, lightly-convoluted screenplay, playful camerawork and choice of actors (top-notch performances by Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence) made this an involving production that swept you away in its audaciousness. It’s over the top and very watchable. Extras: “The Making of American Hustle” featurette, deleted and extended scenes. Vitals: Director: David O. Russell. Stars: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Rohm, Dawn Olivieri, Jack Huston, Michael Pena. 2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 138 min., Drama, Box office gross: $132.1 million, Sony. 3 stars

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

OnVideo News via Email

Get our free new-release newsletter every week in your inbox:

Subscribe to our weekly new-release newsletter. Join here.

Want more? Keep up-to-date with OnVideo's Breaking News, sent straight into your email box. Subscribe here.

Subscribe to OnVideo's Email News