I was very excited going into David O. Russell’s American Hustle. I adored both The Fighter, and Silver Linings Playbook; However, I left the theater feeling disappointed with his latest film. I did not think it was a bad film, but with a 94% on Rottentomatoes, I expected more from it. Starting with the good: It had a stellar cast. From Christian Bale to Louis C.K. I enjoyed all of the performances, but the two actors that stood out for me were Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner. Both of them sold their characters, and I felt most connected to their characters. The rest of the cast did well, but no one really stood out. The only complaint I have with casting is with Jennifer Lawrence’s character. While I absolutely adore her, I do no think she was necessary in the film. Her character was minimal, and her performance did not add anything to my experience. Another strong point of the film was the dialogue. It was sharp, and kept me invested throughout the film. The biggest problem for me is the plot. I was simply disinterested. I did not find it particularly compelling, and it took me a while to get invested. This is a 138 minutes film, and it took about 40 minutes for me to get interested. Another problem for the film was the camera work. While at times it was appealing, more often than not it was a major distraction. It took me out of the film, and was just a bit sloppy. Overall, American Hustle is not a bad film, just not the masterpiece I was expecting. It’s worth a watch for the performances and dialogue, but the plot and camera work keep it from achieving greatness.