Christian Bale collaborated with David O. Russell.
American Hustle is a 2013 American black comedy-crime film directed by David O. Russell . Christian Bale . His portrayal of Dicky Eklund in the David O. Russell-directed biographical film The Fighter ( 2010 ) , earned him critical acclaim and a number of awards , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . He has since gained further acclaim as well as subsequent Academy Award , Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Russell 's American Hustle ( 2013 ) and Adam McKay 's The Big Short ( 2015 ) . The Fighter is a 2010 American biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell , and starring Mark Wahlberg , Christian Bale , Amy Adams and Melissa Leo .