Is "American Hustle" the new Oscar front-runner?
The David O. Russell film is due out for release in a few weeks and is drawing considerable buzz from critics across the board. As of Wednesday afternoon, the film has eight reviews recording on aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, with a 100 percent approval rating.
Justin Chang of Variety writes "A brilliant cast shines in David O. Russell's deliriously funny account of the notorious Abscam case."
Alonso Duralde of The Wrap concurs, and adds, "Has the kind of throbbing pulse, wicked snap and sheer moviemaking bravado that makes it one of a very few films that can be mentioned in the same breath as 'Goodfellas.'"
Tim Grierson of Screen International notes, "Not just a love story and a briskly entertaining caper, 'American Hustle' is also a thoughtful examination of the American tendency toward reinvention (and self-delusion)."
Despite the overall positive buzz, there are some more reserved reviews. Jesse Cataldo of Slant.com writes, "Formally ostentatious and unrepentantly messy, the film manages to implicitly convey the overdriven, coked-up confusion that many '70s period pieces make painfully overt."
"As much as I would like to say I enjoyed 'American Hustle,' because I laughed a lot and there are moments of honest tension and drama thanks to the likes of Bale and don't let me forget Jeremy Renner, but in the end it never comes together and I can't say I feel much, if any, need to see it again," wrote Brad Brevert of Rope of Silicon who gave the film a C+ rating. Rope of Silicon's reviews do not get published or listed on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film recently took home the NYFCC award for Best Picture; Jennifer Lawrence also picked up an award for Best Supporting Actress and is seen as a contender to take home the same accolade at the Oscars.
The film also stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Bradley Cooper.
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