American Hustle

In 1978, Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser work together as con artists. Sydney, posing as English aristocrat “Lady Edith Greensly”, has improved the scams. Irving loves Sydney but is unwilling to leave his unstable, histrionic wife, Rosalyn, fearing he will lose contact with adopted son Danny. Rosalyn has also threatened to report Irving to the police if he leaves her.

FBI agent Richie DiMaso catches Irving and Sydney in a loan scam but offers to release them if Irving can line up four additional arrests. Richie believes Sydney is English but has proof that her aristocratic claim is fraudulent. She tells Irving she will manipulate Richie, which distances her from Irving.

Irving has a friend pretending to be a wealthy Arab sheikh looking for potential investments in America. An associate of Irving’s suggests the sheikh do business with Mayor Carmine Polito of Camden, New Jersey, who is trying to revitalize gambling in Atlantic City, but has struggled to find investors. Carmine seems to have a genuine desire to help the area’s economy and his constituents.