American Hustle (2013)

 

Year: 2013
Running Time: 138 minutes
Director: David O. Russell
Writers: Eric Singer and David O. Russell Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Michael Pena

American Hustle is now showing in Australian cinemas and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Opening in the USA and UK on the 20th January 2013.

Could a film like American Hustle possibly avoid the hype? Not likely. Director David O. Russell’s film making has gone from strength to strength, especially with his last two films, The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. Then there is the impressive cast which Russell is able to assemble for his latest film, all of which are past Academy Award nominees (Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence having won one award each and both under Russell’s direction) and all, except Jeremy Renner, who have worked with him before. So we have one of the most talented film makers in the business today and five of the biggest movie stars in the world working together on one film. American Hustle is a hit even before the first tickets are sold.

It’s a good thing that American Hustle does live up to its hype. Russell once again brings out the very best in his actors with some incredible and captivating performances taking place, especially that of Jennifer Lawrence. The performances do tend to hide the fact that even though the screenplay contains the usual brilliant dialogue Russell’s movies possess, it does try to do a little too much and ends up achieving the opposite of what it is meaning to in parts. It gives too much at times, and too little in others. Yet, the players in American Hustle still manage to overshadow these inconsistencies and make the film the hit it was always believed it would be.

Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a charismatic career con man who is in business with the seductive and deceptive Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), who cons everyone besides Irving into believing that she is the British Lady Edith with numerous valuable connections. At the height of their business, they are caught out by FBI agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). Agent DiMaso convinces the two to work with him in order to con those the FBI has had their eyes on. Together the three of them head into the world of New Jersey powerbrokers and mafia with their sights set on Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) who is looking to rework Atlantic City. The only thing that stands in their way is Irving’s unpredictable and unstable wife, Roslyn (Jennifer Lawrence) who has the power to overthrow everything if she says the wrong thing to the wrong people.

Firstly, the thing that has American Hustle missing the link between a very good film and a brilliant film is it’s screenplay by Russell and Eric Singer. The film isn’t consistently enthralling and at times tends to lull. At 138 minutes running time the film isn’t overly long, but it does try to pack too much into that time. This leads to the film spending a little time on everything and therefore not spending enough time on things which are important to the story, and too much time on little things which don’t have to be in the film. Yet the screenplay is not by a long stretch a failing one due to the brilliant and colourful dialogue given to its characters, which has become a trademark of Russell’s films and is always a favourite amongst audiences.

The late 1970’s is brought back in spectacular style. The fashion and hair is spot on for the time and add to the overall atmosphere of the film. The décor of locations such as Irving’s office and house is extremely reminiscent and spot on of life in the 1970’s, particularly of his house where domestic and psychedelic collide. The time period inspired soundtrack is also great fun. There are some wonderful cinematography moments, in particular during the opening credits with the three lead characters, Irving, Sydney and Richie walking up a corridor in unison, which straight away tells you how important these three will be. There are some strange and unexplained cinematography moments, like the close up of Sydney’s stiletto in the car. Yet this seems to be a recurring visual from Russell’s films as the is a similar vision in The Fighter of Melissa Leo’s high heels.

Russell has once again brought out the best in his lead actors. All of the top five billing actors give performances that will always be remembered as one of their best. Christian Bale is brilliant as Irving. One would normally think of a somewhat sleazy looking and overweight con man and think about how unlikable such a figure would be, but Bale makes him absolutely intriguing and astonishingly makes him likable. He is just so charismatic and full of character and towards the end of the film, you are really rooting for him. Amy Adams has once again morphed herself into another intriguing character. You never really find out exactly who she really is underneath her disguise, but through Adams’ acting we can see the hurt and insecure girl she really is underneath all her sexy glamour.

Bradley Cooper gives another stellar performance under Russell’s guidance. In the opening scenes, the first verbal confrontation between Bale and Cooper is just superb as watching these two amazing actors go at each other is a real treat. Cooper’s scenes where he loses control and goes slightly mad are so interesting to watch. Jeremy Renner is also superb. He is so likable as Carmine and as you watch him being deceived, you feel so embarrassed and bad for him. The only complaint about the films players is that there is not enough of the uncredited Robert De Niro.

It is Jennifer Lawrence who you remember the most when you leave American Hustle. . She is an absolute scene stealer whenever she is on screen and as she doesn’t have as much on screen time as her cast members, you really wish you could see more of her. Her dialogue is great and everything she does is so entertaining. Lawrence has the uncanny ability of being able to play someone who is supposed to be older and more life experienced than she is, and she is never questioned by anyone as she is so believable and brilliant.

American Hustle is a cinematic delight. The story may not be continuously riveting in its execution, but it has many redeemable qualities. A must see for fans of David O. Russell or any of the five main players. And what you have probably heard is also true, there is an astonishing amount off sideboob.

7.5/10


You may have also seen Christian Bale in....
The Fighter as Dickie
The Dark Knight Rises as Bruce Wayne/ Batman

You may have also seen Amy Adams in....
The Fighter as Charlene
Man of Steel as Lois Lane

You may have also seen Bradley Cooper in....
Silver Linings Playbook as Pat Solitano

You may have also seen Jennifer Lawrence in.....
Silver Linings Playbook as Tiffany Maxwell
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as Katniss Everdeen

You may have also seen Jeremy Renner in....
The Hurt Locker as Will James
The Town as Jem

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises

Year: 2012

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast:  Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman

Before I begin my review….

                Every so often I see a movie that reminds me and completely sums up why I love movies and writing about them so much. I am so happy to say that The Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare movies.

                I was completely speechless coming out of the cinema after this film. I just didn’t know where to start as to why this was such a brilliant film. Not only is it a brilliant film, but I loved it. That may sound ridiculous, but I believe you can acknowledge a film as being brilliant without actually liking it that much if it isn’t the type of film you actually enjoy. I really loved this movie.

                So I got to thinking. Yes, Heath Ledger was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but could a ‘superhero’ film actually be Oscar nominated?

                I was absolutely LOVE to see Christopher Nolan nominated come awards season for his The Dark Knight Rises direction. His direction in this film is better than his direction in Inception, which he was nominated for.  Yet, ‘superhero’ movies(in commas because it isn’t your typical superhero film we are talking about here, yet Batman is classified as a superhero) and often blockbuster films are snubbed by the academy. Not all blockbusters are exempted from nominations (for example, Avatar), but it is a rarity to see one right up there.

 I believe Nolan is completely deserving of a nomination here. What I love about what he has done with the last three Batman movies is that he took the films and put his personal directing stamp on each one of them. They weren’t like the previous Batman films which were typical of the superhero genre. He took the films and while providing the big action sequences and special effects that are typical of the genre, he bought great a great story and script, some amazing performances and that Nolan atmosphere of drama and thriller that is prominent in his films.

I’ve always been a Nolan fan, but after The Dark Knight Rises, I have no problem in saying that he is one of the greatest film directors alive at the moment. It would be like a welcome Christmas present come the end of this year to see his name up there amongst those names muttered during awards season…superhero film or not.

Review

There is no doubt, the last of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films is the greatest. He has saved the best for last.

Not only is The Dark Knight Rises the best of Nolan’s Batman films, it is a spectacular film in itself. You don’t have to be a massive Batman fan to enjoy it, but you do have to have some knowledge of the previous two films in order to completely understand what is happening. The direction, acting and screenplay are all impeccable and there is no denying that The Dark Knight Rises will be remembered and treasured for years to come…and there are not many films that will do that these days.

Eight years on from Harvey Dent’s death, Gotham City is in a state of peace and the one who was blamed for Dent’s death, Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) have not been seen since. The peace is unsettled with whispers that underground terrorist leader, Bane (Tom Hardy) is on the rise and gathering forces. Batman once again shows his face, but soon finds that Bane is perhaps the most evil and deadly enemy he has faced.

Nolan is a genius. His direction and screenplay written with his brother, Jonathan Nolan in this film are superb. Scenes such as when Wayne and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) are doing their doe-see-doe at the fundraiser, the police car and motorcycle chase, Bane’s airplane adventure and when Bane is approaching the football field are just brilliant. The cinematography, character placement and accompanying sounds completely enhance the feelings that are to be evoked in these scenes. Nolan takes advantage of every little feature of every scene to get the most out of every moment of the scene.  His use of flashbacks to help tell the story is also very good.

Although a little on the long side, every scene is worthwhile and contributes to the story. There is no stone left unturned and no questions left unanswered. Everything means something. The story also pulls on information from the past films to contribute to the film as a whole. This is perhaps the only downfall of the film. You do need to see the two previous Batman films to understand what is going on. There is quite a bit of assumed knowledge, but Nolan still tries to help by using flashbacks and providing beneficial scenes such as the opening scene with Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman).

The story is very well composed. There are the twists and turns you would expect to find in a thriller film and when you think you have it all figured out, you really don’t.

The acting in The Dark Knight Rises is simply perfect. There is not one bad performance in the film and nothing left to be desired. Christian Bale gives his best performance of the three films by far. There are no longer any comparisons to Michael Keaton to be made, Bale is Bruce Wayne. Everything about his performance is the man behind the mask. You see him change from the reclusive millionaire at the beginning to the high flying business man once again to the man with the tough exterior who is on a mission. And then of course, there his better than ever Batman.

It was reported that Anne Hathaway was worried about playing Catwoman and bring compared to Michelle Pfeiffer’s role in Batman Returns. She clearly had nothing to worry about. She fits the role perfecting acting wise and physically. Like the traditional Catwoman, you never know where her true loyalties lie.

Both Gary Oldman and Michael Caine also bring their best Batman film performances to the table. Oldman is always likable and you want to cheer for him as much as the masked hero. Caine just shines as Alfred. You have no problem believing that he truly loves Bruce Wayne like a son and he has some completely heartbreaking moments.

Tom Hardy. Terrifying. The man had massive shoes to fill as he is the main Batman villain to follow on from Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. Hardy’s Bane is what nightmares are made off. The man behind the mask with the booming and intimidating voice is the villain who the audience believes could really beat Batman. It is always a great thing to give a performance where you can’t see their whole face, but tell just from his eyes exactly what is going on in that head of theirs.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt also has to be paid credit to. He is no longer the little boy who we saw in 3^rd Rock From The Sun all those years ago and can swing it with some of the biggest names in acting on the planet. He is completely believable in every way as John Blake, the policeman turned detective that James Gordon takes under his wing.

The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect end to Nolan’s Batman films. The trilogy is rounded up in the best possible way and we have in fact witnessed a classic.

9.5/10

References
The Internet Movie Database
Sky News
Photo Credit- Wikipedia

The Fighter

Year: 2010
Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams

In My Own Words
I know, I know, but better late than never! I wanted to see "The Fighter" as soon as it was released. It just made it a tad difficult that it was released when I was overseas in a country where it hadn't been released yet, and was going to be released after Ieft. It would have made a lot more sense if I had reviewed this film before the Oscars...but better late than never! It's always hard trying to judge whether someone will win an Oscar for their acting talents in a particluar film when you haven't seen the film. However, these days you can pretty much telll whether they are going to win or not based on how many awards they win before the Oscars. Now, having finally seen "The Fighters", I can say that Christian Bale and Melissa Leo are deserved of their Oscars. Leo has redeemed herself slightly in my eyes now that I have since the film she won the award for, as I was really not impressed with her dropping the "F bomb" onstage upon recieving her award. There are some places that that word is just not appropriate for, and the most prestigious film event of the year is one of those places. She does have...interesting fashion sense as well as she showed at the Independent Spirit Awards. But she was given the Oscar based on her performance in "The Fighter" so let's just focus on that.

On that subject, the Best Supporting Actress category at the Oscars this year was probably the most competitive I have seen in years and any one of the five actresses nominated could have walked home with it.  Amy Adams was brilliant in this film, just as Melissa Leo was. Adams is another star who has come so close scooping up an Oscar and still hasn't taken the gold man home. This was her third nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category, with her first two being for her roles in "Junebug" and "Doubt". Adams is one of those rare actresses who is completely versatile. She can do the sugar and spice roles and make everyone fall in love, and she can also do the dramatic roles which will, more often than not, land her an Oscar nomination. I have no doubt she will eventually scoop one up. You never know what her playing Janis Joplin in the upcoming film "Janis Joplin: Get It While You Can" will do for her!

On another note, we all know what is going on in Japan at the moment with the earthquake and the tsunami. It is completely heartbreaking and terrifying to watch. There have been several world events in the past few months like this such as the floods in Queensland in Australia and the eartquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, which are horrifying to watch and can make you feel pretty horrible. In times like this when watching the news gets us down, we can be thankful for film. Film provides you an escape from reality, if only for an hour or two. They're not going to fix the world, but they can take you away from the terror for a few hours and depending on the film, can help you to remember that there is so much beauty in this world and many things we can be thankful for. Say a prayer for those in Japan, we're thinking of you.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review

David O. Russell's masterpiece, "The Fighter" is one of the best sports films to come out in years. Whether boxing is your thing or not, this film completely captures you from beginning to end. "The Fighter" isn't so much about boxing than it is about the character in it and the relationships they form. It is a perfect character cased film, and how many awards and nominations it had for the stars during awards season is perfect proof of this. The film is based on the true story of boxer, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his brother and trainer, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky, once a boxer himself, has plummeted into cocaine addiction and eventually lands himself in prison. "The Fighter" looks at the relationship between the brothers and the whole Ward family and the lingering question is, does Micky stand a better chance of taking the world welterweight championship with out or without Dicky and his family's influence?

The best part about this film is indeed the acting. Mark Wahlberg gives a splendid performance as Micky Ward. However, it does feel as though he is constantly overshadowed by his supporting actors. Wahlberg's Micky is perhaps the easiest role to play in the movie. He does it well, but it isn't too much of a change from Wahlberg's other roles and he isn't taking any great risks in his role. However, Wahlberg is one of the producers of "The Fighter" so credit must be given to him in his achievement of the film overall. Christian Bale gives a career best performance as Dicky, the older brother with the addictive and slight offbeat personality. Bale completely becomes his character in every way and you completely forget that you are watching Christian Bale and truly believe that you are seeing the real Dicky Eklund on the screen. He is definately deserving of his Oscar and every other award he has taken home for this role. Melissa Leo also gives a superb performance as Alice Ward, Micky and Dicky's obsessive mother. Like Bale, she completley transforms herself into the character, both in mannerisms and in appearence. She isn't a likable character, but great to watch and captivating in every scene she is in. One tends to back Mickey's girlfriend, Charlene Fleming, played by Amy Adams over Alice. Adams plays smart mouthed Charlene perfectly. Although she can be quite crass at times, she is generally likable and the audience identifies with her as the one who stands by her man through thick and thin. She captures just the right amount of emotion for every scenario in every scene and is completely relatable.

The acting isn't the only thing about this film that is brilliant about this film. The construction of these characters and the way they are portrayed on screen is the result of a great achievement in direction by David O. Russell. He knows the ins and outs of all of the characters and passes on all his knowledge to his actors. The film is tightly knit and absolutely captivating from beginning to end. The script is very well written and every scene is meaningful. The cinematography is also brilliant. One of the great moments of cinematography is the way which Russell focuses in on Micky's fighting hand and the way which his hand shows the way he feels about each of the charcaters he forms a relationship with. Unlike the majority of other sports related films, this film isn't as feel good as the others. Yet it does make you feel good. It is another one of those amazing films which make you happy just by watching it and witnessing something fantastic.

"The Fighter" is a masterpiece by David O. Russell. He has brought to the big screen a story of tragedy and triumph with colourful characters and beautiful film making. This film will always be remembered for the amazing performances by the amazing actors who took part and shined.
9/10