David O. Russell's "American Hustle" is a dramatization of the "Abscam" operation conducted by the FBI in the late 70s & early 80s. For those who aren't in the know, this was basically a sting operation targeting high profile government officials who were suspected of corruption.
To be honest, I don't know how much artistic license the writers took with the actual events but I will note that it opens with the message "Some of this actually happened". There are indeed some ridiculous developments in the plot but nothing that strikes me as particularly unbelievable. In terms of tone, the screenplay is mostly comedic but it can get dramatic at times as well. Generally speaking, I'd say that the comedic aspects are probably better executed than the dramatic ones (or at least I find them more rewarding).
The movie's cast is enviable and includes several returnees from previous David O. Russell projects. Oscar voters must have been impressed because nominations were received by no less than four cast members: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence. I wouldn't argue with any of those except for Amy Adams. She's a talented actress but I just don't think that she was right for this part. I also later read that she clashed with the director so that probably didn't help her performance. As for the rest of the cast, Jeremy Renner & Louis C. K. are a couple of standouts in smaller roles.
From a production standpoint, "American Hustle" does a lot of things right. After all, a film doesn't manage to garner 10 Oscar nominations by accident (though it didn't manage to actually win any Oscars). The production design & costumes were particularly noteworthy in my opinion. These did a great job of bringing the movie's period setting to life, as did the carefully chosen soundtrack.
And yet, while there's a lot to like about the movie there are also some unavoidable flaws that detract from the overall experience. As I said before, I think that Amy Adams was miscast and I also find that the movie's blend of comedy & drama isn't always successful. Don't get me wrong; I still think it's a good movie in the end but it irritates me that it could've been even better.
To be honest, I don't know how much artistic license the writers took with the actual events but I will note that it opens with the message "Some of this actually happened". There are indeed some ridiculous developments in the plot but nothing that strikes me as particularly unbelievable. In terms of tone, the screenplay is mostly comedic but it can get dramatic at times as well. Generally speaking, I'd say that the comedic aspects are probably better executed than the dramatic ones (or at least I find them more rewarding).
The movie's cast is enviable and includes several returnees from previous David O. Russell projects. Oscar voters must have been impressed because nominations were received by no less than four cast members: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence. I wouldn't argue with any of those except for Amy Adams. She's a talented actress but I just don't think that she was right for this part. I also later read that she clashed with the director so that probably didn't help her performance. As for the rest of the cast, Jeremy Renner & Louis C. K. are a couple of standouts in smaller roles.
From a production standpoint, "American Hustle" does a lot of things right. After all, a film doesn't manage to garner 10 Oscar nominations by accident (though it didn't manage to actually win any Oscars). The production design & costumes were particularly noteworthy in my opinion. These did a great job of bringing the movie's period setting to life, as did the carefully chosen soundtrack.
And yet, while there's a lot to like about the movie there are also some unavoidable flaws that detract from the overall experience. As I said before, I think that Amy Adams was miscast and I also find that the movie's blend of comedy & drama isn't always successful. Don't get me wrong; I still think it's a good movie in the end but it irritates me that it could've been even better.