The criminal-political tragicomedy "American Scam", whose actors created vivid and memorable images on the screen, and director David O. Russell - an indescribable retro atmosphere, based on real events, and the main characters in it have historical prototypes.
According to USA Today, this film has one of the best cast members in 2013. And this statement is not unfounded. All participants were awarded very warm reviews, and D. Lawrence earned the most praise.
What is the movie about?
The plot is based on a real story that happened in America at the turn of the 70-80s of the last century. The code name for the special operations carried out by the FBI was Abscam, and the main goal is to investigate crimes related to the sale of stolen goods. For this, agents were introduced into the criminal environment. However, the operation gradually turned into a real raid on corrupt officials at various levels.
Actors of the film "American Scam": Christian Bale
The star of the Gotham City superhero trilogy, British-American actor Christian Bale, plays the role of an aging scammer who owns a network of urban dry cleaners - Irving Rosenfeld. In addition to the main business, he is also engaged in the sale of counterfeit paintings and the issuance of loans to those who are denied banks. He has a beautiful, but capricious wife and child, as well as a lover (former stripper), who has also become a companion in financial fraud.
In the film "American Scam", the leading actors have real historical prototypes. The character of Christian Bale is largely “copied” from the swindler, fraudster and FBI informant Melvin Weinberg. He became a key figure in an operation called Abskam, which was planned to stop the sale of stolen goods, but resulted in a large-scale investigation of a corruption scandal in politics.
For the sake of the film “American Scam”, actors (photos are placed in the article) sometimes went for desperate actions. So, for a brighter and more colorful embodiment on the screen of the image of M. Weinberg, Christian Bale scored an extra 18 kilograms.
Amy Lou Adams
The five-time nominee for the prestigious Oscar film award, singer and actress Amy Adams played the role of Sidney Prosser, for which she was awarded the Golden Globe. Her character is a former strip dancer who moved to New York for money and fame. Working in Cosmopolitan Magazine, she accidentally meets Irving, and an attraction arises between them. He is so passionate about Sydney that he offers her a collaboration. She agrees and turns into an English aristocrat who has certain connections among bankers. Her charm and charm make it possible to attract an increasing number of customers, contributing to the prosperity of the business.
In the film “American Scam”, the actors and roles are selected perfectly, each of them partially embodies a real character. The prototype of the character Amy Adams is Evelyn Knight.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is another star in the cast of the film. To the viewer, he is familiar primarily with the films “Bachelor Party in Vegas”, “My Boyfriend is Crazy”, “Areas of Darkness”, “Aloha”, etc. It is interesting that this is not the first and not the last film where he is shot with D Lawrence.
B. Cooper plays the role of the business and impulsive FBI agent Richard Dimatso (Ricci), who works undercover and one day appears in the office of scammers. Having caught a couple on an illegal transaction, he begins to blackmail them and offers to work with the investigation. In other words, surrender several large scammers in exchange for their own freedom. In the film “American Scam”, the actors embody images on the screen with some irony. So, the idea of a perm hair agent of the FBI agent belongs to Bradley Cooper himself, as well as the idea of the scene in which he appears with curlers on his head.
Jennifer Lawrence
Star of The Hunger Games, American actress Jennifer Lawrence has been approved for the role of Rosalyn's housewife, Irving's wife. Relationships in a couple, to put it mildly, are not sugar. However, Rosalyn does not give a divorce, manipulating her husband with the help of his adoptive, but very beloved son, Danny, and blackmailing with threats, which will tell the authorities about all his dark affairs. In the course of the development of the plot, she starts an affair with a gangster. Having accidentally blabbed about her husband, she almost frustrated the whole operation.
It is interesting that when the script for the film "American Scam" was written, the actors for the main roles were already known, moreover, it was created specifically for them. According to Jennifer Lawrence, she prepared for the film in advance. For the most realistic and vivid embodiment of the image of a wife sitting in four walls, she was inspired by the series “Real Housewives of New Jersey”, from which, in addition, she drew a characteristic accent.
Jeremy Renner
The American actor is famous for his roles in the films “Lord of the Storm”, “City of Thieves”, the trilogy “Avengers”, “Witch Hunters”. In the film “American Scam” (actors and roles, photos - everything is in the text), he got a more than real character - the mayor of Carmine Polito (the prototype was the head of Camden Angelo Errichetti).
In one scene, he kisses a baby as a welcome sign to the townspeople. A charming girl is his own daughter Ava, who was born literally before the start of the filming of the film. And the girl who holds the baby in her arms is her mother, actress Sonny Pacheco.
“American Scam” is an atmospheric, dynamic movie with a brilliant cast, recognized not only by the viewer, but also by critics. Of course, it will become a pearl not only in the collection of the director, but also in general American cinema. Confirmation of this are numerous awards: Sputnik, Screen Actors Guild Awards, producers, screenwriters of the USA, three Golden Globes (best film, best supporting actress and supporting roles - Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence), BAFTA, 10 Oscar nominations " and others.