You are down on your luck and need some extra money.  You hear of a man named Irving Rosenfeld living in New Jersey who can help to get a loan.  After meeting with him, and giving him a $5,000 fee, Irving promises to help out with a $50,000 return investment, but has no real intention of paying up.  You just got conned.  This is the beginning of the simple story of the “American Hustle”.

“American Hustle” is a 2013 drama and winner of 44 awards and 81 nominations including Oscar Best Motion Picture of the Year, and winner of the Golden Globe Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.  The awards and recognition speak for themselves and it is a highly recommended film.  With famous actors Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, and Christian Bale, the film was expected to be an instant hit.

The movie continues as Irving (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) team up and begin to con people through fake loans and selling counterfeit art.  After FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper) catches them, they have a choice to join him and arrest other people accepting bribes, or to go to jail.  After teaming up and busting several people, the thrill goes to DiMaso’s head, and he pushes the group into a world of powerful New Jersey senators, brokers, and even the Mafia.  After several elaborate schemes and much stress, the group begins to break down.  With the catchphrase of this movie being “Everyone Hustles to Survive,” the group continues to do what they know best, with the movie ending with a huge twist and many arrests.

This movie is rated R for persuasive language, some sexual content and brief violence, and runs for 2 hours and 18 minutes. The director is David Russell, who also directed “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Three Kings”, and “The Fighter” and has been nominated for five Oscars.   This movie was set in the 70’s with authentic clothing and hairstyles, which critics loved.  Bob Harper from “Biggest Looser” tweeted. “Just saw American Hustle and loved it.  Jennifer Lawrence is perfection!”  “Rotten Tomatoes” tweeted “American Hustle is currently #CertifiedFresh at 96%.”  Even I tweeted stating, “Hot, hilarious, a little hard to follow, but it was a great movie #AmericanHustle.”