American
Hustle (2013/Sony Blu-ray
w/DVD)
Picture:
B & C+ Sound: B & C+ Extras: C+ Film: B-
David
O. Russell's American Hustle (2013) is a somewhat
fictionalized version of the infamous 1970s ABSCAM affair where
federal agents went after mobsters and landed up going after
gangsters instead in a mess that closely followed Watergate. Bradley
Cooper is an overly ambitious FBI agent who think he may have an
opportunity to get some major arrests going when he helps to nab two
con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) offering them a big break
from prison if they help him.
They
reluctantly agree and the amusing madness begins with Bale's old con
artist having the additional problem of a wacky, loud wife (Jennifer
Lawrence) who compains about everything, cannot keep her mouth shut
has no idea what is gong on, cares about their son and wants more in
her life than she has while having zero inhibitions in the process.
He also has a connection to a major politician (Jeremy Renner) who is
mixed up with some mobsters and all these dysfunctional connections
can only be a recipie for trouble.
Eric
Warren Singer (The International) co-wrote the screenplay with
the director which tends to be as literate as it is hilarious, while
Russell has an amazing cast all working at their best (all too rare
these days) and a pacing that is a plus. The only things holding
this back are the fictionalizing is on he loose side and the film
covers ground we have seen before (Scorsese's films, which are
acknowledged here in a way I will not ruin and films taking place in
the 1970s like Anderson's Boogie Nights and Stillman's The
Last Days Of Disco) but this is one of the best films of 2013
just the same and one more than worth your time. Just don't go in
with wildly high expectations and you'll get more out of it. Louis
C.K. Michael Pena, Colleen Camp and Anthony Zerbe also star.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image goes out of its way to
approximate what Eastmancolor (et al) would look like and
Director of Photography Linus Sandgren (6
Souls,
Promised
Land)
shot this in 35mm Techniscope (2-perf) in what would be one of the
last-ever films to be shot on Fuji Film. The look works and is very
consistent throughout, mostly achieving the look they go for, though
fine detail is a slight issue, some of that is from the styling, the
other from the format. The anamorphically enhanced DVD version's
image is much weaker and a little disappointing.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is nice, rich, warm and
full, only using all the multi-channel possibilities staying period
as it does. Music sounds good too, though some songs (Elton John)
are from true 5.1 mixes while others are not necessarily. I liked
the sound design overall and the
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD is passable, but again, no match
for the Blu-ray.
Extras
include Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and iTunes
capable devices, while the Blu-ray adds a Making Of featurette and
Deleted & Extended Scenes.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
