American Hustle: Due March 18
A fictional 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. “American Hustle” tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), is caught in a loan scam and forced to work for wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting as he attempts to make a name for himself by toppling politicos and gangsters alike. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, a passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator who gets caught between the con artists and Feds and introduces the scammers to New Jersey mobsters. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) ends up having an affair with a mobster, and that relationship helps pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down. Like David O. Russell’s previous films, “American Hustle” defies genre, hinging on raw emotion, and life and death stakes. 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.
