A sumptuous fare

After a long, long while do we have a delightful romp of fun and frolic as we breeze through an intricate plot, an excellent script and chiseled performances in a riveting 138-minute entertainer called ‘American Hustle’. Set in a land where scams breed like rabbits, we head for the Big Bad Apple itself, New York, and the drama is loosely based on a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) scam operation in the late-1970s. Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are a team of con artistes. But Sydney has improved Irving's scams by posing as Lady Edith Greensley.

But in good time, FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) nab the pair in a loan scam and offers a way out if they can line up four additional arrests which seems like a remedy worse than the disease. Irving is reluctant but Sydney convinces him to agree as she decides to manipulate Richie.

What follows is a guessing game because Irving has doubts of his partner’s fidelity. To add to their woes, Irving is not ready to leave his son and wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), who then comes into her own, though her ignorance gets Irving in trouble. The plot gets even more curious when New York Mayor Carrine Polito (Jeremy Reiner) gets involved in the financing.

Director David O Russell does well to orchestrate the show with a good mix of action and suspense and Danny Elfman’s music is zany with old favourites (like “Delilah” for one) and their heady beat. Sumptuous fare embellished by well honed acting.

May be a heavier Christian Bale is a bit of a let-down and partly due to Bradley Cooper’s superb performance. Both the women are excellent -- Amy Adams, showing spark and cleavage in equal measure and Jennifer Lawrence turning in a spectacular cameo. Jeremy Reiner is also adequate in this not-to-be-missed winner.