American Hustle

American Hustle is a pert and preposterous caper. Much like Silver Linings Playbook, it is peopled with outrageous, flamboyant characters brought alive by a delig­htfully kooky ensemble. The scene, however, shifts from the family to the world of crime—of frauds and fakes. Yet, at its core, American Hustle is about dysfunctional people conning their way through life. It’s about the games people play. It is about love, real as well as delusional, that manages to survive in a world where everyone is out to rip off the other. Set in late ’70s New York, the film has Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists forced to join hands with FBI agent Bra­­­dley Cooper in doing a sting on politicians. The fun lies in the tale’s telling. Voiceovers, which can get irksome, are put to great use by Russell. At the start you have a wonderful display of man’s van­ity: the shockingly pot-­bel­lied Bale fixing his hair. He is in bad shape, yet confident. Adams is delicious as the go-getter gir­l­friend and Lawrence the anxiety-­prone wife. There are some insanely che­eky sequences, cap­ped by an insane sheikh in a casino. The ’70s comes alive in its boisterous flashiness too! The sound­track stays beautifully in tune. A fun ride!