American Hustle Review

Grade: C
One-Liner: Needs more hustle, less bustle.

American Hustle is proof that if you dress up a cast of A-Listers and throw in a solid soundtrack, critics and viewers will rave. I, however, was thoroughly bored to tears. Perhaps it was all the top notch reviews or the numerous nominations that set the bar too high for me entering the theater, but something in David O. Russell's latest try at an Oscar was off.

It dragged and failed to capture attention until the last thirty minutes of the film. Though Christian Bale mastered the physicality of his role with his beer gut and comb over, the acting from Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Amy Adams far surpassed the ex-Batman's role as Irving Rosenfeld.

America's overexposed sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, provided a pleasant surprise by slipping off her rocker to play Bale's crazed wife Rosalyn. And Amy Adams (and her ever-present breasts) gave an emotionally manipulative and crafty performance.

Bradley Cooper's pulsing energy was as electric as his role in Silver Linings Playbook, but sadly none of these dynamic actors were truly given the space for the emotional depth found in David O. Russell's 2012 Oscar nominee.

The idea of never knowing who is playing whom is always exciting, but there weren't enough peeks at each character's inner thoughts for the final trick to truly satisfy.

Go see it for yourself to form your own opinion because two of my theater companions and closest friends loved it. But in my opinion, the only person who deserves an award from this film is the man who put the curlers in Bradley Cooper's hair.