American Hustle (2013)
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Two con artists are forced by an FBI agent to participate in a complex sting operation involving corrupt politicians.
The story
In 1978, con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser are caught in a loan scam by FBI agent Richie DiMaso. Instead of making an immediate arrest, DiMaso offers them a deal: they must help him set up a sting operation to catch corrupt politicians. The operation involves a fake investment from a wealthy Arab sheikh to lure in the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, who is seeking to revitalize his local economy. As the complex scheme unfolds, the lines between the law and the lawless begin to blur, and the con artists must navigate the dangerous intersection of federal investigations and organized crime.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1978, con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser are caught in a loan scam by FBI agent Richie DiMaso. DiMaso offers them a deal: they must help him set up a sting operation to catch corrupt politicians. The plan involves a fake investment from a wealthy Arab sheikh to lure in the mayor of Camden, New Jersey. As the operation progresses, Irving and Sydney navigate a web of alliances with the Mafia and local politicians. Meanwhile, Irving's wife, Rosalyn, begins an affair with a mobster. The scheme becomes complicated when a wire transfer of $2 million goes missing. Ultimately, it is revealed that the money was stolen by a con man working with Irving and Sydney. The deal is struck, the politicians are prosecuted, and the con artists move in together to open an art gallery, while Rosalyn remains with her lover.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 138
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David O. Russell
- Writers
- Eric Warren Singer · writer; David O. Russell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Christian Bale · Irving Rosenfeld; Amy Adams · Sydney Prosser; Bradley Cooper · Richie DiMaso; Jeremy Renner · Carmine Polito; Jennifer Lawrence · Rosalyn
- Genres
- comedy; crime
- Themes
- deception; corruption; identity
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; vibrant
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; crime; heist
- Source material / true-story basis
- FBI Abscam operation
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its ensemble cast and screenplay, and was a significant commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 294; Metacritic · score: 90 · scale: 100 · review count: 47
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture · win; British Academy Film Award · Best Original Screenplay · win
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled American Bullshit.; The script was ranked #8 on the 2010 Black List.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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