American Hustle

JP Liz V1

David O Russell's new film has finally has got a new name (American Bullsh*t was previous name) and a very impressive cast including past collaborators Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence plus Jeremy Renner, Louis CK, Michael Pena and Jack Huston

I'm quite looking forward to this given the cast involved and the plot, of course probably won't be out here until early next year

Source

The film is based on
the true story of the ABSCAM sting operation that took place in the late 1970s
on Long Island. The story revolves around notorious financial con artist Melvin
Weinberg (Bale) and his mistress/partner in crime Maxine Gardner (Adams), who
were later forced to cooperate with an out of control federal agent Jimmy Boyle
(Cooper) to help uncover other con artists, mobsters, and corrupt politicians.
Lawrence fits into the mix as Weinberg's wife and Renner as passionate and
volatile New Jersey state senator and assembly leader Angelo
Errichetti.
Russell told IndieWire
last year that the film will be a blend of comedy and drama, due in large part
to the fact that the true story is "stranger than fiction," and that his actors
are fully embodying their real-life characters. "They're very intense in an
insane drama," he said.

Professional Griefer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhB6o3Dtwjs

JP Liz V1

Loving Bradley Cooper's afro :P

Sad Professor

Bale is going to own this.

Oh and Amy Adams! *swoon*

JP Liz V1

Another trailer released

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Cb4SFt7gE

Adamantium

WOW, Russell basically slammed the casts of two of his majorly acclaimed films together, James Cameron style

AnonoBoy

Anyone else think Jeremy Renner is looking like a young Harvey Keitel in this one?

JP Liz V1

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_hustle/


Reviews are good and not long now for release here

Patty O Furniture

Adamantium wrote: »

WOW, Russell basically slammed the casts of two of his majorly acclaimed films together, James Cameron style

What did he say about them? As with the rest of the cast,
Isnt this Amy Adams 2nd or 3rd film with O'Russell as this is Jennifer Lawrence's 2nd & a 3rd planned already with O Russell, but this could be Adams chance this year, as she's been nominated quite a few times 5 or 6 i think?

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_hustle/


Reviews are good and not long now for release here

Jan 1st i think?

Catcher7791

I've seen it - legitimately - and think you're in for a treat. The cast are fantastic, and it's one of the most fun and enjoyable films I've seen all year. Highly recommended.

Alfred Borden

Can sense an Oscar nomination for Bale hopefully. Needs some recognition for just how good of an actor he really is!

PunkFreud

Raf32 wrote: »

Can sense an Oscar nomination for Bale hopefully. Needs some recognition for just how good of an actor he really is!

In fairness he already has won an Oscar, so if that's your benchmark for recognition - he's reached it.

Frank Bullitt

His oscar was for best supporting though, no?

Hande hoche!

Looking forward to this.

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Anyone else think Jeremy Renner is looking like a young Harvey Keitel in this one?

Yep, very similar.

Dermighty

Looking forward to it

Liam O

It's good. Not the out of this world film that the reviews are making it out to be. It's difficult to really care for any of the characters. Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner and Robert De Niro were actually much more convincing on far less screentime than Bale, Cooper and Adams I feel. Louis CK was only ok as some comic relief, could have been better written but some laughs. Entertaining enough but not the best film I've seen this year.

hedgehog2

Have to agree,it was just ok as I had expected much more from the reviews it got.
Christian Bale puts in a stellar performance and he works well with Amy Adams(who is v sexy in her role) but the film is lacking something,its like they rushed the ending.
I thought out of the furnace was far more powerful starring Bale,its worth a watch but nothing amazing.
Credit is due for the wardrobe and sets they fit right in with the times.

Agent Coulson

I to felt it was missing something. I enjoyed it and Bale and Adams are a treat watch on screen together.

Jennifer Lawrence maybe the flavor of the month, But for me Adams is the flavor of the decade.

I also felt Bale has done quite a good Les Grossman, He might need to sent some royalties Tom Cruise for image infringement.

FloatingVoter

Agreed on the Tropic Thunder / Tom Cruise image rights. The movie takes an hour to get going then rushes to a hasty conclusion. Nowhere near as good as the hype but worth a watch anyway.

Snake Plisken

Bale deserves the Oscar for that Brilliant Hoop (beer belly) lol, thought he was better in this then Out of the Furnace. It's a good movie, story is a bit weak.

Bullseye1

Really enjoyable film with excellent performances from the three main leads. Adams is a stand out for me.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Good film but expected a lot more. Adams and Bale were outstanding together.

Outkast_IRE

Good, enjoyable, some good performances.

But....... honestly didn't really care about the characters, took a good while to get going and then it was over in a flash.

I think some of the individual performances are better than the ensemble really.

Not the best movie I have seen in the last year but certainly good.

To me not as good as the directors last few films, silver linings playbook and the fighter.

Sephiroth_dude

Going to see this friday,its on for about 2 and half hrs?

DrFloppy

Was getting bored senseless towards the end to be honest. Some good performances - thought Renner, Lawrence and Cooper were particularly good - but the way the story was told was just... bland. It felt like an hour longer than it was.

Royal Legend

performances are excellent, but the film goes nowhere and its ending is obvious, not all its hyped up to be, but the acting is brilliant

marco_polo

Pretty much the same reaction for me, lots of very good, and some great acting performances in here, but beyond that its just a fairly enjoyable film (IMO).

Better than an awful lot of other films that are out there, but relative to expectation levels I was ever so slightly disappointed with the end result.

wonderfullife

marco_polo wrote: »

Pretty much the same reaction for me, lots of very good, and some great acting performances in here, but beyond that its just a fairly enjoyable film (IMO).

Better than an awful lot of other films that are out there, but relative to expectation levels I was ever so slightly disappointed with the end result.

That's always the killer for me anyway. I do my best to avoid but it's hard these days with Twitter, Facebook and the like not to raise expectations when a lot of people are raving about a movie

I remember seeing Forrest Gump as a teenager when it came out having literally heard zero about it, not a thing and thoroughly loved it at the time but i'd say if i'd have read reviews i might have been a bit more meh about it.

Can someone clarify is it worth going to see? I'm sensing a lot of lukewarm sentiment in here - is it worth making an evening of?

opr

More curious that anything, can anyone tell me why none of the IMC cinemas are showing this?

Opr

MisterAnarchy

I liked this review of the film ,very accurate

I could not wait for this movie to end. It was a complete atrocity. The overly-indulgent, sloppy chaos amounted to nothing in terms of character or story. A vague lesson spoon-fed to the audience during the first 20 minutes is I'm guessing what is supposed to excuse the senseless and bumbling bore of a circus for the next 100.

I absolutely do not understand the praise of the acting in this film. I never bought into the actors as their roles, though, honestly, there was not much else holding it together for me. Was there a script? Was there a director??? The entire sad excuse for a film seemed to be the improvised work of the actors themselves contrived in a garage somewhere after a long night of drinking.

I never was really motivated to read into the movie, and I was never really fully engaged or entertained by the shallow antics, long-hanging scenes that go on way too long, or 70's retro-obsession. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be mesmerized by watching makeup applied to Christian Bale's head or how cool walking into a 70's themed wardrobe would be. It seemed none of the actors could keep their accents. I would never label this as a comedy-- I did laugh from time to time because of how badly I wanted it to be over.

TheMollusc

Just back from seeing this, so I'll try and gather my initial reaction and thoughts. Might ramble and rant a bit.

I went into American Hustle cautiously as I'm not a fan of David O'Russell and also because I'd heard quite a few questioning all the praise this was getting. I have to say, it was nothing special at all in my opinion.

It took an age to get going and for an awful lot of the first hour I was disinterested and honestly disappointed even with my low enough expectations. The film just didn't feel right, it felt completely hollow and lacking in depth. I've seen a few people say that's intentional in that it mirrors the fakeness of the characters but I think that is nonsense. However it did pick up eventually, especially it's humour. It ended in quite a rush which was odd considering how much I felt could have been cut from the start. This wasn't a long film (not that I mind watching a film that is long once it's worth it's running time) but I really felt 30 minutes could have been cut from it.

There was good things about it too. The costumes and set design. Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence gave good performances I thought, with Louis CK and Jeremy Renner also doing well.

Honestly though I can't see where this is getting all of the praise from. Judging by this thread I am not the only one. For me it seemed completely forgettable. Definitely not a fan.

Hopefully 12 Years A Slave, Wolf of Wall Street, Inside Llewyn Davies, Her and the rest of the films getting awards buzz will be better. Shouldn't be hard as this has definitely not set the bar high!

baldshin

opr wrote: »

More curious that anything, can anyone tell me why none of the IMC cinemas are showing this?

Opr

Long standing argument with the distributors.

Looper007

It's no where near the film you'd expect from the cast assembled or the awards buzz it's been getting. The Fighter and Silver Lining Playbooks are better films. It's very clear O. Russell is going all out rip off Scorsese, it fails sadly. Bale is great as usual as is Bradley Cooper who's turning into a fine actor. Adam's gives a decent performance but Lawrence is wasted (she must have done this as a favour too Russell) cause it's a nothing role and Renner and De niro were okay.

It's no where near a bad film and is worth a watch but no way deserving of all the Golden Globes and Oscar talk.

Ole Rodrigo

I thought this was great, with - as many internet reviews indicated - some stand out performances. Jennifer Laurence in particular is hilarious. It also captured the flavor of the era very well with excellent costume and set design.It reminded me of Argo is that respect. The narrative pacing was a bit stalled initially but this was compensated for with good character development. Its principally a character driven story of how people make their way in difficult economic times, about what they have to do to get by and get ahead, which must resonate with many people today. From that point of view it succeeds as it could easily have been a film with a less entertaining tone. However, given that humor is so subjective its not surprising it hasn't lived up to the hype for some.

Red Crow

e_e wrote: »

Anyone know why this isn't playing in any of the IMC cinemas?

I recall I couldn't see Silver Linings Playbook in Dun Laoghaire last year either, maybe someone higher up just hates David O Russell.

Read the thread dude

Sad Professor

Does anyone know what the dispute between Ward Anderson and Entertainment Film is over? It’s been going on for at least 5 or 6 years now. I can’t imagine a UK cinema chain getting away with this nonsense.

expectationlost

i thought this was great, a real whirling film

Da Shins Kelly

Went to see this tonight, and I have to agree with the overriding sentiment here. It's good, but not great. Felt very drawn out towards the end, especially when you start to realize what's happening before it happens. Didn't think the improvisational nature of the script was any help at all. Christian Bale gives a very good performance though, easily the best of the lot. Bradley Cooper holds his own and Amy Adams was decent too. I enjoyed Jeremy Renner's role. However, I thought Jennifer Lawrence was the poorest of the lot, to be honest. I think it was in part to do with the character, but also she seemed to have a lot of difficulty pulling off the accent in any convincing manner. The costuming and overall aesthetic of the film was quite nice.

I feel the same way about this as I do about Silver Linings Playbook - it just doesn't live up to the hype at all. The Fighter is better than both of them.
The film was somewhat entertaining, but I don't think I'd watch it again, and I certainly don't think it's deserving of all the praise being heaped on it.

pixelburp

An entertaining, if hollow Scorsese knock-off. It looked great, sounded great (though it feels like cheating if you're just using a whole bunch of 70s tracks) and the performances were uniformly excellent but there was little going on between the ears. Or should I say, between the hair-pieces; honestly if there's one good reason to see this film it's for the series of bad, bad 1970s hair-doos. Bale leads the way with his fascinatingly elaborate combover - say what you want about him, the man commits to a role 100% - but everyone else wore a vulgar, OTT doo that made me think this started as a project to affectionately tease a bygone era.

From the fake & grainy '70s logos of the production companies to the aforementioned hairstyles & soundtrack, it suggested to me this film was created to be a (mocking?) riff on 70s filmmaking & fashions and maybe that's why it has garnered such high praise - it's basically a 'Grindhouse' movie masquerading as legitimate cinema. There's no schlock, gore or blood, but the film felt like it was coming from the same stable that nostalgia junkies just lap up, where there's always just the slightest touch of a tongue against cheek.

Don't get me wrong, as I said the performances were fantastic (I feel like an ass for dismissing Bradley Cooper as a talentless prettyboy, cos he's really showing some good form these days), and while it sounds like I hated the 1970s landscapes, if I'm honest it was so slickly done it was hard not to get pulled into it. But it just left me feeling very unfulfilled.

johnny_ultimate

Enjoyable enough fare, certainly heavily reliant on the skills of its cast. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence effortlessly acted everyone else off screen, and that's even with Bale, Cooper and others turning in very strong performances. A lot of the characters felt underwritten or inconsistent, but even when the script gave them little to do (Adams, for example, is very close to redundant for the second half of the film,) their commitment and talent still shine through.

Outside that, it was very uneven. Took an age to get going, but from around the forty-five minute mark onwards there were some brilliantly presented scenes that benefited from O. Russell's off-kilter, fidgety directorial style - I'm thinking the three leads having their heated confrontation in the hotel room or the increasingly weird interactions between Cooper and Louis C.K. These scenes just feel like they could go anywhere, even when the overall film holds minimal surprises.

I'd definitely agree it's a poor attempt at aping a Scorsese styles. There's little artistry in the almost needless voiceover or blindingly obvious music choices (not to say a few songs weren't used effectively as an integral part of their respective scenes), and there's none of the visual boldness or visceral editing that makes a film like Goodfellas... well... Goodfellas. The film's momentum is all over the place as well, and ends up flubbing the epilogue.

But it is sometimes very funny and owes a lot to its game ensemble cast. As has become par for the course with David O. Russell films, though, it lacks that undefinable spark, feeling like it was rushed to the finish line instead of lent that final layer of polish and refinement.

expectationlost

are we doing spoilers still? bradley cooper's character

really went off the rails at the end, did bradley cooper?

Decuc500

I really enjoyed this. I wasn’t aware of much hype surrounding it. I had actually read some lukewarm reviews.

I think any hype was associated with the acting and lets face it, they’re the kind of flamboyant, attention grabbing roles other actors would love.
So I’m not surprised the performances are getting recognised.

I thought it was a breezy and stylish conman movie with great period detail. An enjoyable night at the cinema. Also great to see the Lighthouse so busy.

Looper007

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Enjoyable enough fare, certainly heavily reliant on the skills of its cast. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence effortlessly acted everyone else off screen, and that's even with Bale, Cooper and others turning in very strong performances. A lot of the characters felt underwritten or inconsistent, but even when the script gave them little to do (Adams, for example, is very close to redundant for the second half of the film,) their commitment and talent still shine through.

I have to disagree Johnny on saying that Adam's and Lawrence out act the male actors in this. I'm a big fan of female leads but I though Adam's was slightly wasted and Lawrence too, especially as they are great actresses, they performed better in The Fighter and Silver lining Playbook for me. This film belongs to Bale all the way, even though I think he gives a better performance in Out of the Furnace which is coming out later this month.

OwaynOTT

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Enjoyable enough fare, certainly heavily reliant on the skills of its cast. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence effortlessly acted everyone else off screen, and that's even with Bale, Cooper and others turning in very strong performances. A lot of the characters felt underwritten or inconsistent, but even when the script gave them little to do (Adams, for example, is very close to redundant for the second half of the film,) their commitment and talent still shine through.

Outside that, it was very uneven. Took an age to get going, but from around the forty-five minute mark onwards there were some brilliantly presented scenes that benefited from O. Russell's off-kilter, fidgety directorial style - I'm thinking the three leads having their heated confrontation in the hotel room or the increasingly weird interactions between Cooper and Louis C.K. These scenes just feel like they could go anywhere, even when the overall film holds minimal surprises.

I'd definitely agree it's a poor attempt at aping a Scorsese styles. There's little artistry in the almost needless voiceover or blindingly obvious music choices (not to say a few songs weren't used effectively as an integral part of their respective scenes), and there's none of the visual boldness or visceral editing that makes a film like Goodfellas... well... Goodfellas. The film's momentum is all over the place as well, and ends up flubbing the epilogue.

But it is sometimes very funny and owes a lot to its game ensemble cast. As has become par for the course with David O. Russell films, though, it lacks that undefinable spark, feeling like it was rushed to the finish line instead of lent that final layer of nail polish and refinement.

That_Guy

Really good film. Oozes all sorts of cool. I haven't seen Bale act so good in a long time. Great film overall and despite her not being in it all that much, Jennifer Lawrence really knows how to steal a scene.

Great stuff from all involved but is anyone else still

wondering what happened with the ice story?

Dermighty

I like McAdams but she wasn't anything more than good in this movie.

The story was the weakest part of the whole movie.

WHIP IT!

I guess I don't really have much to add that hasn't already been said. Like alot here, I thought the film could've been a half hour shorter. Bale was very good, I thought Cooper's character was poor - if not not his performance - and I really don't get the fuss about Adams, she's an average actor getting an awful lot of undeserving praise in general if you ask me.

Bale and Renner - very good. Lawrence - good. Cooper/Adams - fair.

Worth a watch but it wouldn't bother me to never see this film again...

Dermighty

The film was a meandering love affair that I never really got interested in, the story was very bland.

I love heist style movies (which I feel this was to an extent) but this was not a good movie.

At the end when they double cross the FBI in order to get their freedom I felt that it wasn't necessary and I would have liked the movie if it ended without that part of the story

(I understand it's partially based on actual events). I enjoyed Bale and Lawrence for the comedic back and forths they had and Cooper for his eccentric character and the dialogue with Louis CK.

I'm unsure why but I expected Renners character to be a corrupt asshole and didn't really believe that he was a goody two shoes. I feel that he had the perfect look for the part but perhaps was miscast for that part.

TL;DR: Excellent acting, average movie.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

I thought American Hustle was pretty good. Took a while to get into and I'd agree with the poster that said that a lot of the characters were badly fleshed out

Some really funny moments and Jennifer Lawrence steals the show but not a patch on Silver Linings Playbook

tunguska

I thought it was ok, nothing great. I mean the acting is stellar, especially Amy Adams, I thought she played and absolute stormer. But like others have said I found that there seemed to be something lacking from the whole thing, like it was a bit soulless or something. It seemed to be much ado about nothing really.

Da Shins Kelly

Don't really get all the praise for Jennifer Lawrence "stealing the show". Thought her part was the poorest of the lot, to be honest.

And I don't agree at all that either she or Amy Adams acted Bale off the screen. He completely kept the movie afloat for me. By far the best in it.