o'russell's ABSCAM movie AMERICAN HUSTLE

wow i hadn't considered that, here's your cake back

It's slightly more obvious that the movie has nothing to say in this case.

Haven't given this much thought; I don't mean to be anti-intellectual, just being honest, but I only sometimes spend time on this if a film first engages me at the level of performances, direction, and story. And then I may or may not go forward from there. Some of my favourite films of the last 15 years--Zodiac, No Country for Old Men, Boogie Nights, The Virgin Suicides--I've got my own version of what they're trying to say. Sometimes--Rushmore comes to mind--I'm not sure that they have anything to say. That's fine--I don't need it. And when films like The Tree of Life or The Master come up short at the level of engagement, what they have to say won't make me like them better.

American Hustle is definitely trying to say something, but like tipsy says above, I responded more to the Bale-Adams relationship than any statements about identity, America (yikes), or whatever.

"if you want to send a message, use aol instant messenger" - samuel goldwyn

lol old people

That's funny--I was actually thinking about Nat Hentoff's famous Bob Dylan interview, slocki:

Well, anyway, second of all, you've got to respect other people's right to also have a message themselves. Myself, what I'm going to do is rent Town Hall and put about 30 Western Union boys on the bill. I mean, then there'll really be some messages. People will be able to come and hear more messages than they've ever heard before in their life.

Yeah I don't think it's even trying to be a political film. There's the overall sense that everyone's on the make or on the take, but that seems more like general human behavior than anything specific to a place or time. It's more about the web of relationships, loyalties, jealousies, and how all of those affect everyone's individual actions. Not that that's inherently profound -- it's a deliberately light movie, maybe deliberately slight too. But I was entertained.

http://variety.com/2013/film/awards/how-american-hustle-conned-the-critics-1200963635/

That’s why last year’s “Silver Linings Playbook” was such a delight:

stopped reading

Yeah, I never saw that one or the boxing one before that. I've only seen Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and Flirting with Disaster. Never saw Spanking the Monkey, either, come to think of it. Maybe if I had seen Silver Linings and the boxing one I would have liked this one less?

I should re-watch Three Kings. Loved it at the time.

Hmm, wonder why Marky Mark didn't make it into this one? He's in three of the others. The director clearly inspires some loyalty.

I loved three kings when it came out, but between my reaction to everything he's done since and my experience reassessing other clas of 1999 films I'm afraid to look.

That’s why last year’s “Silver Linings Playbook” was such a delight:

stopped reading

― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, December 28, 2013 2:03 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i didn't stop reading but i definitely stopped caring after that point

actually this bit induced vomiting:

A few years back, a video of Russell sparring with actress Lily Tomlin on the set of “I Heart Huckabees” hit the Web, in which Tomlin complained about how difficult it was to deliver a performance when the director kept changing his mind. The video left the impression that Russell was difficult to work with, while his oeuvre, beginning with the semi-autobiographical incest comedy “Spanking the Monkey” and the no-less-dysfunctional family portrait “Flirting With Disaster,” hinted that the director himself might be mentally unwell, the way certain impressionistic paintings — by Goya, Van Gogh or Munch — give viewers the sense of being trapped inside the head of a crazy person.

typical Variety insider bullshit. Who the fuck cares?

On the bright side, he didn't say "helmer" anywhere.

Hmm, wonder why Marky Mark didn't make it into this one? He's in three of the others. The director clearly inspires some loyalty.

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, December 28, 2013 6:27 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

they had a falling out over Silver Linings Playbook, DOR wanted wahlberg to be in it for scale and MW was like fuck that, so he was replaced with bradley cooper (boooo), looks like they still havent made up - which is a pity bc they brought out the best in each other imo

otoh it frees MW to work with James Gray.

I can't really get past the fact that this 70s period piece has the word "Hustle" in its title, not to mention the word "American," and all those costume shop getups in all the promos.

Oh yeah why was Louis CK's boss doing a Christopher Walken voice the whole time? That was odd.

orig title was American Bullshit, which fits by me

Morbs OTM re: Bale doing DeNiro in a film where DeNiro appears. Great set and costume design, J Lawrence looked lush and acted circles around Amy Adams but this was an annoying bore.

which is a pity bc they brought out the best in each other imo

― Hungry4Ass, Saturday, December 28, 2013 8:48 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah this is a national tragedy

this movie is kinda bad tho

yes, Calum Marsh has the right idea:

"Comparing this even unfavorably to Scorsese is too high a compliment. This isn't second-rate Goodfellas; it's second-rate The Cooler."

wow this was crap. i've given up on david o. russell.

This was fucking awful. Felt less alone when Calum tweeted shortly after I watched it.

It is a really shitty movie, Bradshaw's 4 star review is a stinker. Made even worse by that annoying trait of fake bald characters - just hire a bald actor ffs.

Do you have a theory on costumes?

AH > Wolf as far as bloated expensive Hollywood pics about excess, but only marginally better.

I think they're both equally flawed and ultimately unrewarding. Scorsese's movie is undoubtedly the smarter of the two, but also the more hypocritical.

But seriously why was that guy talking like Christopher Walken?

Because he had a watch up his ass.

wolf of wall st was like 1mx better than this

In a pig's eye.

....covered with coke

Wolf made Hustle (which I liked, too) seem like someone's impressive debut. They've very different films though.

BTW, regarding Jordan's asshole behavior, I thought he and his crew, a la party frats, exemplified the axiom that the only people who think assholes are awesome are other assholes. This was a closed ecosystem of nothing but assholes.

this isn't about excess, this is about 'when you think about it, love is a con job', bale's character nearly explicitly says this in voiceover at the beginning of the movie - that's how dumb this movie is. maybe it's an improvement over 'when you think about, love makes you crazy' in the previous one, i don't know. i don't think there was any choice as inspired as scoring a manic episode to 'what is and what should never be' but deniro's better in american hustle and american hustle's not nearly as offensive on the whole - call it a wash, they're both garbage. if wolf felt like just the documentary parts of casino, this felt like just the sharon stone love triangle parts. it reminded me of almost famous in that it took what should be a gimme for an entertaining movie - going on tour w/ led zeppelin, abscam - and managed to bleach out all of the entertaining and interesting and ridiculous aspects of the story.

Russell obv wants to make Flirting With Disaster at larger and larger scales; that's what he's done with the last two movies. But he can't stop condescending to the audience: when AH began with closeup of Bale adjusting the hairpiece it was like 'lol seventies.' The "Live and Let Die" setpiece was misconceived too; none of the damn musical cues work.

lot of actors having fun acting in this one

crazy costumes and get a load of my hair o yeah well get a load of this accent you think that's something get a load of this gut good times

he's the Sturges of his generation

i think even more than being stupid or w/e it was just incoherent and disjointed, like i liked silver linings playbook and fwiw thought many people misconstrued it but yeah it was def pretty corny and basic, but it worked as a movie, like it had a cohesive rhythm and plot and everything people acted the acting and it made sense it had some jokes, this one was just a mess

amy adams boobs did look super incredible tho

maybe it was cause i ffwded through some scenes but i didnt realize til the big reveal that brad cooper thought she was english all along lol

btw she is v attractive

Nothing in SLP made sense! A funny-sad account of Coop with mental problems, a family drama, Lawrence getting slut-shamed, Coop and Lawrence doing Dirty Dancing: Duluth Afternoons. The tone was wobbly and no one had any idea what they were playing.

naw it was cool it worked

he wore that shopping bag lol

man i wish walhberg had played that role

Coop isn't even believable as a dude who would try to read Hemingway.