Up until last weekend, one of the biggest question marks in this year’s Oscar race was David O. Russell’s latest, the ’70s-set crime caper American Hustle. Early buzz from the film’s first major industry screening this past Sunday has been overwhelmingly positive, with particular attention being paid to Russell’s direction and Jennifer Lawrence’s supporting performance. Although most critics have still not had a chance to preview American Hustle, Hollywood insiders consider the movie to be a strong contender in acting, directing and writing categories.
With the film’s December release date fast approaching, Annapurna and Columbia Pictures are pulling out all the stops on a stylish marketing campaign. A new TV spot for American Hustle, which you can check out below, highlights the film’s nutty, awards-bait cast of characters:
Every clip I see from American Hustle increases my anticipation for it; the above TV spot effectively conveys the film’s flashy, glamorous style and character-driven plot. Though the movie’s entire cast will almost certainly be aces, I’m particularly stoked to see larger-than-life performances from Christian Bale (who has been having one hell of a year) and Lawrence.
American Hustle‘s Oscar future looks positively rosy at the moment, though I am a little concerned that Bale may split the vote. His leading role in Out of the Furnace has already placed him at the forefront of the Best Actor race, and spots for Russell’s film similarly position him as a main star. It seems unlikely that two of the spots in this year’s remarkably crowded Best Actor race could end up going to Bale, and Out of the Furnace is undeniably a meatier, more intense part for the actor.
The other actors all seem like frontrunners in their respective categories too, which could pose a slight problem for Academy voters. It would be surprising (though not unheard of) for four Best Supporting Actor/Actress nominations to go to all the supporting stars of one movie, especially given how packed the awards circuit has been this year. Regardless of how the film does in Oscar season, all of us lucky cinephiles are certainly in for one wild ride.
American Hustle‘s official plot synopsis reads as follows:
A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.
Will American Hustle be a major contender at this year’s Oscars, or is the field already too stuffed with great performances for Russell’s latest to make a splash? Sound off in the comments section!
American Hustle opens wide on December 18th.