American Hustle (2013)

[mattmav45]

3 days later, and I don't really remember a damn thing about this film except Bale is the best actor working today. What a shame.

[Ezen Baklattan]

Somewhat of a mixed bag for me. The performances are mostly great, but Adams is a clear standout, IMO. I also liked the production design and period flair without going too over the top. At the same time, the script is somewhat problematic. There are a few great lines and character moments, but it the coherence and strength of the core story feel weak, things just keep happening, so I felt somewhat disconnected to the plot. I still enjoyed it overall, but it's fairly obvious that David O. Russell is better at directing actors than directing stories.B

Edited December 23, 2013 by Spaghetti

[baumer]

I found the first 20 minutes to be very off.  The pacing didn't match the rest of the film and it seemed like they switched editors at about the 20 minute mark because it got a whole lot better.  Amy Adams, imo, should be a shoe in for a nomination and a win.  She's absolutely hypnotic in here.  JLaw is good but completely overshadowed by Adams.  Bale is so good as well.  Overall I give it very high marks and if the beginning was better, it would get an A.

 

7/10

Edited March 26, 2014 by baumer

[Gopher]

And conversely the first 20 minutes were maybe my favorite section of the film because it was entirely about the two characters the movie cares about most. As soon as the ABSCAM actually started I lost interest rapidly. 

 

BAUMER HATES MOVIES. 

[baumer]

I just kinda felt like the first 20 minutes was a tiny bit frenetic which made it feel off.  I didn't hate the beginning but it's definitely a movie that imo gets better as it goes along.

[acsc1312]

Adams and bale are the clear stars here. Adams is incredible. Jlaw is given the best dialogue imo (wasn't the role written specifically for her)? I think she's meant to bring the GA back in and I loved her. This should win the SAG.

[dashrendar44]

Renner was the one who also surprised me the most. Pretty all his previous roles have been as an action man.

 

Check out 12 and Holding, North Country and Dahmer. It's Hurt Locker's great performance in 2009 that got him typecast in action movies. He was pretty much an Indie item since 2002 and action movies were not his only bread.(SWAT and 28 weeks later were minority among indie movies)

 

I don't know how people think Jeremy Renner is a bland actor only judging on his Bourne Redux and Hawkeye's performances then got a revelation watching American Hustle, even if he is a charismatic and talented actor with range outside action movies.

 

He's like Matt Damon in that matter. Works well with ensemble cast and small movies but charisma get sucked and neutered as a lead in a blockbuster.

Edited December 24, 2013 by dashrendar44

[Jake Gittes]

Damon is pretty damn charismatic as Bourne, especially in Greengrass' films. Not in Elysium or Green Zone, though.

 

But yeah, I haven't yet seen AH but I would think if you saw The Hurt Locker and The Town you'd know Renner is a damn good actor.

[Phil in the Blank]

How has this got more B's then A's

 

Y'all mad Yo.

 

Great film and one of the best for the year.

[baumer]

How has this got more B's then A's

 

Y'all mad Yo.

 

Great film and one of the best for the year.

 

Probably because people have different opinions.    

[Gopher]

This should win the SAG.

Figures that in an incredible year for movies the one Oscar contender I don't like will probably win everything. Ugh.

[Phil in the Blank]

Probably because people have different opinions.    

 

People are free to have different opinions than me, it simply makes them mad

[Klingo]

Can't please everyone.  Last year some my friends like SLP, some don't.  AH setting its the 70s so that is also another factor.

[Ezen Baklattan]

Figures that in an incredible year for movies the one Oscar contender I don't like will probably win everything. Ugh.

Ironically, I hope Amy Adams can win Best Actress (prior to seeing Emma Thompson, though) and she might not even be nominated. 

[4815162342]

DOR aping Goodfellas and Casino. Very good movie. JLaw very very miscast.

[Cmasterclay]

I'm more with baumer on this one here. I thought it took a while to find the right gear, and when it did, it took off. It became much more interesting and funny after it stopped being a Marty parody. After that, I loved it. Adams, Cooper, Louis, Renner, and Lawrence are all special performances. But my fucking word, Christian Bale man. Christian fucking Bale. This guy is so talented it should be illegal. Unbelievable performance. Makes the whole movie. Dude might top Leo, DDL, and Seymour Hoffman as the best actor in his prime today. Such a chameleon. As an actor myself, I'm fucking jealous.

[Dementeleus]

I'm in B-/C+ territory. It felt that the story got away from Russell; pacing was all over the place, digressions spun off into their own little eddies and meanders, Lawrence was not only miscast, her character seemed awkwardly inserted into the story... the list goes on and on. Taking each scene as an individual piece, it was entertaining enough, but overall it was a very mixed movie. At times it felt on the verge of parody, at times it seemed more like a 70s production/wardrobe fetish run amuck, at times it was clever. Russell's weakest film in awhile (since HUCKABEES, I think), and a clear step down from SLP (which I wasn't a huge fan of either).

[The Stingray]

The Lawsbians will burn you at the stake, Tele.

[Dementeleus]

Let them come with the armies of Hell -- they will not pass!

[AniNate]

Took awhile to get going, but once it really lays out the complicated character relationships it becomes far more entertaining to watch. That's clearly where O. Russell's strengths lie as opposed to the Scorsese gangster style he riffs on early in the film. It was kind of interesting to compare this with The Wolf of Wall Street, which seemed much more consistent in its style even in its self-indulgence.

 

B+