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American Hustle [Blu-ray]
(David O. Russell, 2013)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Annapurna Pictures Video: Sony Pictures
Disc: Region: A-locked (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 2:18:04.276 Disc Size: 38,766,475,040 bytes Feature Size: 30,862,430,208 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.93 Mbps Chapters: 16 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: March 18th, 2014
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio English 2749 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2749
kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: English (SDH), English, none
Extras:
• “The Making of American Hustle” featurette (16:36) DVD and Digital Copy
Bitrate:
Description: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Amy Adams star in director David O. Russell's fictional period crime drama about a reckless FBI agent who recruits a con man and his alluring British partner into a scheme to gain the upper hand over other talented swindlers. Smooth-talking Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) is a hustler of the highest order. No mark is off limits for Rosenfeld, especially when his crafty partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) is by his side. When renegade FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper) thrusts the deceptive duo into the treacherous world of New Jersey power players and underworld heavies, the thrill of the grift grows too strong to resist. Meanwhile, New Jersey politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) gets caught in the middle, and Rosenfeld's capricious wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) holds more power than anyone could imagine. Louis C.K. and Jack Huston costar.
The Film:
Irving Rosenfeld, the con man running the great scam in “American
Hustle,” isn’t, his mistress admits, much to look at. He has a belly
the size of a beer keg and a torturously complicated comb-over that he
arranges with the fastidiousness of a Michelin-starred pastry chef.
Appearances are not everything to Irving (Christian Bale), but rather
just part of the swindle that is his life’s work, his passion and
genius. The confidence game is his honey pot: It’s what lines his
pockets, lights his fire and cigars, and has transformed the mistress,
Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), into his equal in theft and dissimulation,
making her the Rosalind Russell to his Cary Grant in a romp that’s pure
Scorsese screwball. Excerpt from The NY Times located HERE
American Hustle is a quality thriller with rock-your-socks performances and a keep-up-dumbnuts script which, like the best of modern art, does not require 20/20 vision in the comprehension department. Even if you don't understand who's fooling who the characters keep you breathing pure oxygen. Excerpt from Eye For Film located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. American Hustle on Blu-ray from Sony maintains the film's, intentional, rougher textures - appearing a much more visually stylistic film than Russell's previous Silver Linings Playbook. The most striking feature of the film would probably be its art direction - the performers wardrobes and minute details such as phones, wide neckties and wallpaper. The image itself is thick and rich - colors are heavy - often bold. This is dual-layered with a supportive bitrate. Skin tones true and contrast exhibits healthy black levels. Detail is most-notable in the frequent close-ups (hands and face.) Obviously, pristinely clean and I see no signs of manipulation. This Blu-ray has a consistent feel - as the film's moods sway and camera angles become occasionally obtuse (connoting confusion?) - the transfer is solid. I expect this is a great replication of the film's, meticulously achieved, appearance. In many ways this is a beautiful and fascinatingly shot film. Thumbs up for the HD rendering.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :I thoroughly enjoyed the period music of the film in a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2749 kbps. There are a few, but not an abundance, of separations sneaking their way to the rear speakers. Aside from, the great, Danny Elfman's (Darkman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, Good Will Hunting, Beetlejuice) kinetic score - we get so many songs further establishing the timeframe from America's A Horse With No Name, Steely Dan, Chicago, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, ELO, Bowie and even The Bee Gees. I love the depth - some of this music has never sounded so rich and crisp on my system. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region A-locked.
Extras : Two supplements. We get the 16.5-minute “The Making of American Hustle” featurette with input from director Russell, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and others giving brief sound bytes about the production with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage. There are also a handful of deleted and extended scenes running over 22-minutes that have some value as being fairly interesting to see what was left on the cutting room floor - and surmise why.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze March 6th, 2014
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