"American Hustle" stars on reuniting with David O. Russell
"American Hustle" has been boogieing up rave reviews and lots of awards buzz, with some now wondering if the new 1970s-era crime drama will sweep this year's Academy Awards.
Based on the infamous Abscam sting operation, Christian Bale stars as Irving Rosenfeld, a fictionalized version of real-life con man Mel Weinberg. Rosenfeld gets hired by the FBI to help with one of their cases and partners up with agent Richie DiMaso, played by Bradley Cooper. Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence also star.
Many of the cast members have previously worked with the film's director, three-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell. Bale and Adams co-starred in Russell's "The Fighter" while Lawrence and Cooper played the leads in the filmmakers' other big hit, "Silver Linings Playbook." Bale and Lawrence both won Academy Awards while Cooper and Adams received Oscar nominations for their performances.
At the "American Hustle" New York red carpet premiere on Sunday night, Cooper, who sports an era-appropriate perm in the film, told CBS News that he lept at the chance to work with Russell again, given the high-energy feel of the director's shoots.
"It was crazy on set," Cooper said. "There was a lot of energy, like 'Silver Linings,' like all of David's movies. It's high-octane stuff."
During our interview with Adams, Russell couldn't resist interrupting our chat to show the "Man of Steel" actress drawings of the "Hustle" cast which had just been given to him as a gift. Afterwards, she said that you never know what to expect when it comes to Russell.
"Yes, you get pulled away from what you're focusing on. But yes, it creates a wonderful excitement and energy and real passion for the work," she revealed.
Bale shared those sentiments.
"We have a good relationship," he said about Russell. "We got together in my back garden and talked about what we wanted to turn [the film] in to."
"I like the turmoil. I like the spontaneity. I like the very creative chaos that is generated on all of David's sets," the "Dark Knight Rises" actor added.
Watch video above to see the stars at the premiere, and to hear Bale discuss why he gained 40 pounds for his role.
"American Hustle" opens in select theaters on Dec. 13 before going on to a wide release on Dec. 20.
Tell us: Do you look forward to seeing "American Hustle"?
