American Hustle is acclaimed director David O. Russell’s follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Silver Linings Playbook. And even though he took on that film’s two co-stars once again — Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, the latter fresh off The Hunger Games — Russell went in an entirely different direction with the two of them and the plot itself.

He’s abandoned his more of-the-time approach, with help from co-writer Eric Warren singer, and transported audiences back the late ’70s/early ’80s for a comedy-crime film. But does it work? Absolutely.