‘American Hustle’ FFCC Reviews
FFCC members review David O. Russell’s crime comedy American Hustle.
Bill Gibron – Pop Matters
“As Jennifer Lawrence’s character says, in referencing Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, it’s all about the power of intentions. Had he wanted to make an All the President’s Men type take on this material, one imagines Russell capable of the task. Similarly, he could have struck Argo like awards season feel good pay dirt. Instead, American Hustle is like a randy Ralph Bakshi cartoon come to life, with just a bit of the hedonistic bravado toned down. It’s so satisfying. It’s so suspect. It’s so ‘70s. And it’s so good.”
Reuben Pereira – Film Frontier
“As much as he owes Scorsese, Hustle is a film that only Russell could have made. The energetic pace, fluid always-moving camera, and the manic characters are all trademarks the filmmaker has been nurturing since his 1996 ensemble comedy Flirting with Disaster. American Hustle feels like the culmination of everything he’s made so far, and bares the mark of a filmmaker at the zenith of his game.”
Steve Persall – Tampa Bay Times
“American Hustle goes from being very good to terrific by emphasizing the dames of the caper, two women in Irving’s life who in very different ways nearly ruin it. Adams makes Sydney into a cunning sexual creature, the boldest performance of her career. She’s topped by Lawrence’s impossibly magnetic turn as Rosalyn, the kittenish catalyst for everything meaningful after the setup, without knowing exactly what she’s doing. But Russell does, and every frame of this stylish movie proves it.”
Rene Rodriguez – The Miami Herald
“American Hustle is fizzy and glitzy, but not in a carnivalesque, Boogie Nights-way: Russell’s films are more grounded in reality than Hollywood glitter-parties. He just knows how to make the real world feel just a little more heightened than it really is. Like his con artists are prone to saying, American Hustle works from the feet up, and the fun is intoxicating.”
Ruben Rosario – Miami Sun Post
“American Hustle is being compared to Martin Scorsese’s body of work in general and GoodFellas in particular. True, Russell likes to wear his influences on his sleeve, but despite the myriad similarities on display – the swooping camerawork, the wall-to-wall period soundtrack – Hustle is lighter fare, eschewing much of the hard-hitting excess and copious bloodletting the Casino director excels at staging. There’s also plenty of Russell’s trademark shouting matches, the barb-filled arguments fans of his work will immediately recognize as distinctly his own. The end result is a blast, a confidently executed caper that never overstays its welcome. This rollicking tour-de-force is Russell’s boogie wonderland, and it is unmissable.”
Skip Sheffield – Skip Sheffield’s Flix
“In short everyone is dirty in American Hustle. Some are just dirtier than others. If you consider this film a camp left-handed salute to Martin Scorsese, you may enjoy it as good dirty fun.”
