  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | I felt like we had a secret, just the two of us. Like that thing where you just wanna be with one person all the time. You feel like the two of you get something no one else gets. | „ |
| ~ Irving describing his relationship for Sydney. |
Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser are the main protagonists of the 2013 crime film American Hustle, based on the actual ABSCAM sting operation which convicted federal officials of bribery charges.
They are a pair of con artists who soon engaged in a secret relationship despite Irving being married. However, when they are caught by FBI agent Richard Dimaso, they are entangled in a sting operation to capture government officials accepting bribes. Now, the two must work to outsmart not the government, but the Mafia as well. They are based off of Mel Weinberg and Evelyn Knight, the real con artists involved in the sting.
Irving was portrayed by Christain Bale, who also portrayed Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Walter Wade Jr. in Shaft, Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder, and Augustus Landor in The Pale Blue Eye. Sydney was portrayed by Amy Adams, who also portrayed Jodi Melville in Smallville and Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions 2.
Biography[]
In 1978, con artists Irving Rosenfeld meets Sydney Prosser meet and improve on a scam that charges $5,000 from people looking for a line of credit outside of the bank. Using her fake identity of British aristocrat Edith Greensly, the business seems more legitimate and people are more trusting. Both Irving and Sydney also begin to have a passionate affair, but Irving doesn't want to leave his adopted son Danny with his high-strung and overbearing wife Rosalyn, who doesn't want a divorce. This leads to him being conflicted about starting a genuine relationship with Sydney.
However, they are eventually caught by Richard DiMaso, an ambitious FBI agent who arrests them, but decides to use the both of them in a scheme to capture some powerful politicians committing fraud. Learning that Irving is married from Richie, she breaks of their relationship. Hoping to get close to Richie to manipulate him, she begins seducing Richie, who still believes that she is British and her fake identity is her real one.
The sting involves a fake Sheikh who will pose as a false investor in order to catch the officials in the act of bribery. Richie decides to start with Carmine Polito, the mayor of New Jersey who wishes to legitimize gambling and needs the funds to do it. Richie gets overexcited with the thought of catching a mayor in the sting and immediately asks his bosses for a $2,000,000 wire transfer to keep the illusion alive.
At the original meeting, Richie goes overboard and ends up driving Carmine away, until Irving catches up to him and convinces him to go through with it. The two immediately begin a fast friendship as the two begin to get closer to each other. When Carmine invites Irving to dinner, Irving brings Rosalyn, who immediately starts to chat up the guests much to Sydney and Irving's chagrin. She catches the eye of Pete Musane, a mobster that was also present at the party. As Sydney confronts Rosalyn in the restroom, both of them get into an argument concerning Irving's loyalty and how both of them are caught within a love triangle. Eventually, Richie manages to arrange a fake sheikh with Paco Ramirez, an undercover FBI agent who is undercover. Irving is against this, but goes along with it hoping that it would end the charade.
However, at a casino party run by Polito, Irving is introduced to Victor Tellegio, Meyer Lansky's right hand man. Tellegio wants to invest in the Sheikh, but that would require for Ramirez to get American citizenship. Carmine agrees to expedite the process, even if it means to bribe other officials. Tellegio also asks for $10 million dollars as a down payment, which Richie agrees to despite Irving's insistence. At this point, Irving realizes that this operation has spiraled out of control and tries to find a way out of it. Meanwhile, Sydney is forced to reveal her true identity when Richie attempts to sleep with her without her consent. As Richie suffers a breakdown and threatens to get violent, Irving arrives to protect her. He then asks the ambitious agent to forget the deal because it's gone too far. However, Richie doesn't care and says that if they back out, Tellegio will go after them and kill all of them. After Richie leaves, Sydney tells Irving that they have to outsmart all of them if they are going to get out of this.
Meanwhile, Rosalyn hints to Pete that Irving may be working for the IRS, which spurs him to almost torture Irving when he meets up with him and Carmine. However, Irving is able to convince Pete that the Sheikh is genuine. Having noticed Rosalyn's nail polish in the car, Irving confronts her about her almost getting him killed. She screams that she felt unloved by Irving for constantly sleeping with Sydney and wanted to hurt him back. In the end, Rosalyn finally agrees to a divorce as long as she keeps her mouth shut about the sting operation, much to Irving's relief and disbelief. In a fancy hotel room, Richie is able to capture government officials receiving bribes in return for the sheikh receiving American citizenship. While the bribery sting is successful, Richie still wants to get to Tellegio, and assaults his boss Stoddard to give him the $10 million. In the end, Richie receives $2 million instead and meets up with Tellegio's lawyer, Alphonse Simone. While Tellegio himself doesn't appear, Richie is able to capture some admissions of criminal activities, which seemingly convicts Tellegio. As the FBI celebrate, Irving finally admits to his part in the scam to Carmine, who is angry and betrayed by Irving's lying. He forces Irving to leave and their friendship is forever ruined.
However, the $2 million is still missing and the FBI is looking for it back. An anonymous source reveals that he will return it in exchange for Sydney and Irving's pardon and a reduced sentence for Carmine. While Richie's boss is willing to honor the terms, Richie believes that the two of them conned him and threatens to arrest them both. Irving counters that Richie asked for the money and either knows where the money is or is so incompetent that he lost it. In truth, Tellegio's lawyer was a fellow con artist that Irving knew who pretended to be Tellegio's lawyer to have leverage over the FBI. Knowing that its over, Richie's boss removes him from the case and most likely tarnishes his career. As Richie leaves, he has another breakdown as he was conned by the same people he used for his scheme.
In the end, Irving and Sydney open a legit art gallery and Rosalyn shares custody with Irving after the divorce. Since Irving deflected attention to the Mafia, the mob decides to leave him alone. Irving and Sydney are finally together and are no longer hiding anymore, ready to embrace their relationship.
Personality[]
Despite both of them being scam artists, they are both desperate people trying to make a living in an era where the outside is more important then the inside. However, the most genuine part of their lives is the love they have for each other, despite Irving hiding his unhappy marriage to Rosalyn and Sydney seducing Richie to stay ahead of the FBI. Both will go through hell and back for each other, which makes them affective partners in crime in both scheming and passion.
Irving genuinely believes in loyalty and friendship and is a loving father to his stepson Danny. He's very practical and tries not to aim to high in his scams, such as when he tries to back out of his deal with Richie DiMaso when he wants to ensnare the mafia. Irving is also trapped in an unhealthy relationship with Rosalyn, who is vindictive and controlling of his life. Not wanting to lose his son, he tolerates her self-destructive behavior until she nearly gets him killed. Irving also forms a genuine friendship with Carmine Polito, which compels him to confess his part in the sting operation and leverage Carmine into getting a reduced sentence. This costs him his friendship with Carmine however.
Sydney is a lot more manipulative and passionate about her schemes, hoping to secure a future for herself. Using her identity of "Lady Greensly," she escapes into a role where she isn't herself. While she does love Irving, she finds herself conflicted due to his unwillingness to let go of Rosalyn to take care of his son Danny. This leads her to try to seduce Richie in an attempt to get close to the FBI. However, when the ABSCAM case spirals out of control, she can no longer keep pretending anymore and decides to reconnect with Irving to outsmart Richie and end the sting before it's too late. Deep down, she genuinely loves Irving and wants to have a stable relationship with him.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- As the movie states during the opening sequences: "Some of this actually happened". And it did. Christian Bale's character was loosely based on Melvin Weinberg. The FBI employed Melvin Weinberg, a convicted swindler, international con artist and informant, and his girlfriend Evelyn Knight, to help plan and conduct the FBI sting operation. They were both facing a prison sentence at the time and in exchange for their help, the FBI agreed to let them out on probation. Although Weinberg was a previously convicted criminal and had been involved in previous scams, he avoided a three-year prison sentence and was paid $150,000 in concurrence with the operation.
- David O. Russell wrote the characters of Irving and Sydney specifically with Bale and Adams in mind.
- Amy Adams is actually friends with Bradley Cooper, which is ironic considering that in the film both of their characters have a relationship that soon turns antagonistice.
- Both Christian Bale and Amy Adams worked together on another of David O. Russell's films The Fighter.