Film: American Hustle

Ahh.. finally got to see American Hustle tonight! In my local cinema, so I walked. Note to self: those shoes are not made for walking.. when I got there, decided to try the ATM, since I had some trouble handing them my scannable ticket last time. Well, they were the ones with the problem, trying to hold the scanner the correct distance away. Anyway, note to anyone using the ATMs in Cineworld Fulham - the one on the left doesn't read cards. The next one does, though.

And so, straight to the film.

What can I say? It's a classic. I currently have Donna Summer on loop, have been singing that song all the way home.. one reviewer described this as Scorsese, without the violence! I don't know what to praise most. The direction is terrific. David O. Russell strikes again. There are times when the framing is breathtaking. The acting.. o my. It's been a while since I longed for characters to come back on screen, just to see what they'd do next.

As the opening screen states - "Some of this actually happened". It's based on the Abscam sting operation of the late 70s, where the FBI tricked public representatives into taking bribes, believing they were doing business with a sheikh. To do this, they enlisted the services of a conman. The rules surrounding undercover operations were later tightened up, as a result of the events depicted here. In the film, Bradley Cooper is the rogue FBI agent with the crazy idea, pushing the stakes higher and higher. And my, but he can do crazy, with those big baby blues..

Our conman is a practically unrecognisable Christian Bale, with a paunch and a very complicated combover. He's married to Jennifer Lawrence, who doesn't really get much screen time, but does her part when she appears, as the dissatisfied, boozy wife. Instead, he's fallen for Amy Adams, who becomes his partner in crime - and what he lacks in sexiness, she more than makes up for. Her outfits were cut so low, I was sure the poor girl would get a chest infection. Let's just say she always had to be careful how she moved.. but I must give her credit, not many women can pull off a sexy scene with their hair full of rollers. (Oh, and she does a damn good English accent.)

Yep, that was just one surprising element of a film that was full of them. Robert de Niro showed up as the mob boss, uncredited. Amy Adams wasn't the only one with her hair full of rollers - Bradley Cooper was made to wear even more of them. There were laugh-out-loud moments, there's a terrific story twist. And throughout, the attention to period detail is phenomenal. Costumes, décor, electrical equipment. Took me right back. And the soundtrack.. that song I have on loop? Donna Summer - I feel love. In fact, I just bought that mp3 with the last of my Amazon Local voucher. Particularly in the second half of the film, the music just takes off!

Classic. Go see. And watch out for it at the Oscars..

To round off the evening, spotted our local fox again on the way home.

Don't have anything booked for tomorrow, but am thinking of another film - an oldie this time, the 1972, Russian, version of Solaris, the sci-fi film about the investigator sent to see why the spacecraft crew all seem to have gone insane. Supposed to be v good, and showing tomorrow only at the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square.