Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a 2-disc Limited Edition SteelBook of American Hustle (2013) that celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the film. The movie was directed by David O. Russell and written by Russell and Eric Warren Singer, inspired by the FBI Abscam operation of the late 70s and into the early 80s. American Hustle stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence.
Video
Let’s start with the video. Sony has done an excellent job with remastering this Oscar-nominated film in 4k with Dolby Vision HDR (approved by director David O. Russell). The 2160p picture is an impressive upgrade with perfect edges in the details and wide color gamut. The HDR video opens up the shadow areas without influencing the overall image contrast. The color grading is exceptional in this film, with an earthy palette that is subtle in its relationship to the story and characters. There’s a lot of warm light in the interior scenes that give the characters so much humanity.
On 4k Blu-ray, bitrates averaged 60Mbps – 70Mbps, with a noticed peak at 101Mbps. The HDR video enables maximum light levels up to 997 nits with a max frame average of 284 nits.
Projection Screen Photos
Audio
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack (also approved by Russell) is a good upgrade from the DTS-HD 5.1 channel mix found in the previous Blu-ray release (and the BD included with this 2-disc edition). The dialogue is crisp and clear with good dynamics. No hot points were detected at all in this soundtrack, even in the loudest and most dramatic scenes where the characters may have been screaming. There are quiet moments in the story when we may have wanted the dialogue to be just a little bit louder. As a result, in a noisy environment, viewers might find themselves raising the volume.
Surround sound isn’t like what you would find in a superhero film, and appropriately so, as there are no gimmicks that distract you from the story. However, it’s worth noting the Atmos really kicks in when the songs from the soundtrack come into play, hitting all speakers: rear, sides, and height channels as well as subwoofer bass that will momentarily rock your home theater.
Bonus Materials
As far as bonus materials, the 10th Anniversary release of American Hustle features almost 15 minutes of new deleted scenes and footage. The video is in 4K, which isn’t always the case with extras, but not Dolby Vision or HDR10. However, the color grading looks just about as good as the main presentation, just lacking some color depth. And, instead of Atmos, the audio is mixed in 5.1. The included HD Blu-ray also offers the deleted scenes, as well as an additional feature titled “The Making of American Hustle” with a total runtime of 16 minutes and 35 seconds.
Summary
To summarize, this 4k upgrade of American Hustle is a must-own for home theater owners. It’s just one of those films that received an excellent scan from celluloid, as it was shot on 35mm (as well as some footage in 8mm and 16mm). The transfer retains the grain quality (which we are extremely happy about) and truly looks cinematic in home theater applications. The soundtrack gives viewers a boost when the Atmos kicks in, adding another level of improvement from the previous HD presentations.
Scores
Movie
5/5
Video
5/5
Audio
4/5
Bonus Materials
5/5
Logline: A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild F.B.I. Agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.
Description: The con is on when scam artists and lovers Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are entrapped by ambitious FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) and coerced into participating in a major sting operation which hinges on snaring politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) and his associates. Complicating matters is Irving’s wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), who could bring the whole operation crashing down around them all. From the director of Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, AMERICAN HUSTLE is outrageously entertaining and one of the most acclaimed films of 2013.
