‘American Hustle’

Jennifer Lawrence appears as Rosalyn (left), and Amy Adams stars as Sydney in “American Hustle”. (photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures)

When a film begins with the disclaimer, “Some of this actually happened,” it’s sure to challenge our notions of history and hyperbole. Get ready for “American Hustle” –– a knockout romp that does psychedelic right.

It’s difficult to tell what’s factual or not, so let’s just say according to “Hustle”, the 1970s FBI used to employ some unsavory characters, like Rickie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), who’s a little too hell bent on moving up the ranks. After catching con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) — in her most scantily clad role to date — Rickie forces the pair to help him take down other cons. But when they catch wind of a potentially corrupt politician, Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), the deal changes.

Irving, the best thief in the biz despite his preposterous comb over, deceives the seemingly goodhearted city leader, while Sydney, feigning a British accent, considers her options: flee the country, remain Irving’s mistress or sincerely seduce the young FBI agent. Did I mention Irving’s married? While he spends his days conning cons, his wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), does just fine conning him. They haven’t been happy for years. And despite Irving’s pleas for divorce, his young wife knows just how to guilt-trip her man.

Cooper, Adams and Renner perform adequately, but Bale, as Irving, and Lawrence, as Rosalyn, out-hustle the rest. Always gold on screen, Bale proves once more that a bad attitude and temper off-screen mean little when the camera is rolling. He’s beefed up and slimmed down for roles (he reached double digits in “The Mechanic”), Here, he sports quite the hefty beer belly. It adds to the character’s charm.

While Adam’s British accent waivers, Lawrence channels “Jersey Shore” like a boss (or a Cake Boss, if you will). She’s largely absent in the first act, but her introduction paves the way for the film’s most laughable scenes. Yes, she’s a caricature, but that accent and some truly spectacular moments make her the film’s primary standout.

This is director David O. Russell (“The Fighter” and “Silvering Linings Playbook”) in true form. Gone are the days of Russell’s quirky stories (I will forever champion “I Heart Huckabees”), but “American Hustle” merges his love of true stories with an indie sensibility worthy of those Oscar noms he’s all but guaranteed to acquire for a third time in a row.

‘Anchorman 2’

David Koechner stars as Champ Kind (left), Will Ferrell returns as Ron Burgundy, Paul Rudd appears as Brian Fantana and Steve Carell stars as Brick Tamland in “Anchorman: The Legend Continues”. (photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” wasn’t an immediate hit. But as many viewers, like myself, watched and re-watched it, the jokes sank in, the shock of the crazy antics moved beyond ironic chuckles and the many excessive scenes became the film’s charm. While “Anchorman” eventually met with public praise, “Anchorman: The Legend Continues” pulls a “Hangover”, replicating jokes from the original with less effective results, journeying into far too familiar territory.

While the plotline of its superior predecessor relied more on improv humor and outlandish scenarios, “Anchorman 2” actually features a driving narrative. Fired due to incompetence, San Diego’s best evening anchor, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), once again, finds himself lost amid a changing world. Disenfranchised from his wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), Ron all but gives up on his life’s calling until the Global News Network approaches him to be a part of the first 24-hour news network.

It’s time for the news team to assemble. And with the combined powers of Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and Champ Kind (David Koechner), the original wolf pack are ready to dominate the 2 a.m. timeslot. But Ron won’t be forgotten in the night, so he revamps the entire news gathering process, replacing hard-hitting stories with cat videos, scandalous celebrity pics and car chases. Sound familiar? Why bother watching an interview with a Middle Eastern dignitary when cute and shocking visuals go down just as easily as top-shelf scotch.

Ron raises a baby shark. Brick meets his soulmate, Chani (Kristen Wiig). Fantana and Ron enjoy some meth on air. All the pieces are there for an equally ridiculous film that can only lead to hilarious locales. But it’s all so forced. Sure, plenty of the film is still improvised, but it’s about as funny as the average stand-up special on Comedy Central: one or two gut-busting jokes followed by yawningly long droughts.

“Anchorman 2” met with some critical acclaim, but it’s hard to distinguish between enjoyment of the film, nostalgia for the first chapter or an appreciation for the film’s biting critique of broadcast journalism.

Perhaps too much time has just past on this franchise. Shockingly, Ferrell proves to be the least humorous. This just in: prepare for a two-hour-long disappointment.