Great acting, great art direction and background score and writing overcome a plot that is kind of run-of-the-mill, like I said earlier, the devil is in the details, catch them if you can.

David O. Russell’s new film is America’s sweetheart flick at the Oscars this year. It rises above all influences though, to shell out a crime drama wholly original – at the same time funny and deep, and surely carved out with the awards season in mind.

…It’s easy to see why the film is scooping those awards. For it may be about two con artists, an ambitious FBI agent, and a showman, if do-gooder politician, but rarely will you see character sketches as detailed about largely middle-aged people dealing with “the art of survival”.

American Hustle may not be a classic as the awards and nominations suggest but it is still an entertaining enterprise.

It’s possibly the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long, long time, and like the perfect restaurant meal it leaves you keen to make a second visit soon.

…is good fun if you can distract yourself from the illogical bits by focusing on the wigs or gaping necklines of Amy Adams’ outfits.

It’s certainly not the greatest film of the year as the busload of Oscar nominations try to tell you, but it’s a pretty entertaining film for film buffs.

Despite its flaws and lack in drive, it makes-up with style and excellence.

It is an ideal intriguing period crime film laced with comedy.

A movie where the killer ensemble cast unmistakably looks to be having a better time than the audience. Their buoyant energy — and the look-at-me style the movie is soaked in — comes at us hard and fast and it’s best to grin through it.

…amuses with irony, music and wit. It tantalizes with danger but doesn’t get violent. Its sexiness – there’s grinding in washrooms, on tables and laps – is electric and fun. Intelligent and good-looking, American Hustle could’ve lost 20 minutes to deliver an even sharper kick.

…So much fun that I wonder if viewers will recognize what a staggering artistic achievement it is. Don’t miss this film.

The story is second­ary to Russell’s delicious detailing of character and milieu.

It has the conceit of a gangster film—an aggression that’s thrown outward, one-liners and dialogue-heavy scenes, and plenty of slow motion shots. But it is essentially an intimate story about lost love and identity, and that’s what you remember it for. Without actually showing the dejection of 1970s’ New York, Russell tells us all about it—through his characters, and with hilarity and mock seriousness.

The movie is about the hustle. The hustle to survive. This story keeps you hooked. The acting and characters are outstanding. The movie’s soundtrack transports you back in time. The cinematography is crisp and personal. Since this is a movie about con-artists, you will obviously be trying to figure how it is done. Word of advice, don’t try. The twist and the con job is sudden and rather fun when it happens.
A definite must-watch movie with an amazing cast and brilliant performances. In the end, it’s all about the hustle.

I suggest you spend your hard earned money on these con men and you won’t feel cheated!

…the film already dominating the award shows and getting rave reviews from festivals is a must-watch towering above an already existing pool of must watch movies.