American Hustle (2013)

7.6/10

Irving Rosenfeld: She was the Picasso of passive-aggressive karate.

It is always a pleasure to indulge in the world of the 1970s. Especially when that world involves some clever plot narrative and an exceptional string of actors to acccompany this tale of conning. 

'American Hustle' tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down. (source: www.imdb.com)

The film starts off demanding the viewer's attention. Introducing heads on, one by one each character, letting us know throughout who's who and what's what; a technique that lets us focus more on each character's individual journey and dramatic unravelling. Everyone has it's own little story to tell; from the con-man to the corrupt police-officer sitting beside his safety desk. 

David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter, Three Kings) is a cunning director, who cleverly popped into the filmmaking rader and made sure that we give him a chance. And boy, what a chance he got. The art of crafting visual stories is but a puzzle to him that he simply cannot wait to share with his audience. First indulging us into their lives, their small-town drama that seems to be taking on a more human note throughout the film. The intermixture between the comedic and the dramatic seems to have a key role in thickening of the plot, as it doesn't let the audience get weary of the variety of story lines. 

Likewise, just as the story interchanges from one character to another it tends to be a bit demanding of the director to keep up with who's dealing with who and what's going on when. All this trivial information tend to get entangled something which can easily make for a complex viewing, something which is not very well received from the average viewer. 

However, the brilliance here lies in the cast as well; the thespians. The talanted Mr. Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Machinist, The Prestige, American Psycho), who is the king of kings, a sort of Ozymandias to this entire expedition, portrays the key con-man, that woos and seduces his way through everything. Along the way, love seems to be his driving force, that ultimately leads him to a tone of redemption in his character. Bale is the kind of actor who put the phrase 'good acting' to shame; not because his in lack of it, but because he's in an overflow of it. His evocative presence on screen is something that we are unwilling to resist. Quite rightly so that he is also up for an Oscar of Best Actor.

Similarly so, the stunning and ever so glorious, Amy Adams (Enchanted, Doubt, The Fighter, Julie and Julia) she seems to bedazzle the audience; after one stops learing from her alluring physical seduction, he is in awe of what an incredible acting performance she gives out. Her engagement with her character, the warmth and her passion into the story is but a few examples that make one rethink of this hometown sweetheart who seems to not only blossoms in front of our eyes but engross us into her character's dramatic narrative. Adams is a worthy contender of this year's Best Actress nominations, and one should not underestimate her acting skills for she has come a long way and in 'American Hustle' she seems to be shinning as bright as she possibly can. 

Likewise, it would be a terrible omission not to include the likes of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, who both seem to have been somewhat of a charm for David O.Russell. In all fairness, David O.Russell cleverly put his two most productive cast actors from his previous films together ('The Fighter' and 'Silver Linings Playbook') and once again seems to have struck gold in the hearts of his audience and for the Academy's committee too. 

'American Hustle' may not be the most brilliant con-plot story in filmmaking history but it's definitely clever, if not amusing to say the least. 

Hope you enjoy it. Make sure to take notes on how to avoid getting caught. The key is to pay attention to the details. 

           

American Hustle (2013)

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

8.3/10

Tiffany: I was a slut. There will always be a part of me that is dirty and sloppy, but I like that, just like all the other parts of myself. I can forgive. Can you say the same for yourself, fucker?
Can you forgive? Are you capable of that? 

Five minutes in watching the 'Silver Linings Playbook' and this film had me guessing what it was all about. Given the very unique cast, I've decided to keep an open mind about this 'social drama'-look alike film and give it a go. After all, that is what a true film lover does.

The story tells us about Pat Solatano, a young man who lost everything - his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother and father after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet - and to share their 
family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives. (www.imdb.com)

What intrigued me about the story first and foremost was the delicate approach of how the creative team decided to treat and pass on a story about people who suffer from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or Bipolar Disorder or even Sex addiction. Very sensitive matters to deal with on screen and to try to make people understand or even sympathize with the characters, unstable at times, emotional journey. Yet, screen writer/director David 
O. Russell managed not only to create a stabilized chemistry between his actors but guide them through this process steadily and with an open mind on what they were trying to get across. 

David O. Russell made sure to give his characters multiple sides to them, both good and bad, without though eliminating any ethical emotional ups and and downs out of the right-wrong equation. This served well in the atonement of the two main protagonists most of all; is Pat really ready to rebuild his life with his ex wife, do we side with him in this obsessive journey of rekindling his marriage, do we criticize Tiffany for her addiction, how do we see her approach towards Pat and do we really condone with their odd, yet profound, 
bond between them. But hear lies the rub; David O. Russell manoeuvres carefully the plot so that we can digest first the problems of each character, absorb them and then sets us free to distinguish our emotions, whether that is pure abhorrence or pure wholesomeness. 

Onto the actors now; quite admittedly I was not too enthused to see Bradley Cooper (Limitless, The Words, The Hangover, He's Just Not That Into You) as he predominately comes from more of a comedic background. With this one I had my reservations. I am glad to say I was happily surprised that not only he manages to make me sympathize such an sardonic character but also develop an emotional bond with his character. He is an odd character to play, but his struggles become sort of his personal confessions to the viewer.He leaves you the space and the time to understand him, hence empathize with his actions as well.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter's Bones, X-Men: First Class) on the other hand comes up abruptly, like a hurricane, and blows your mind. She is the twister in the story but also the cherry on top. She does not want you to like her, well at least not right away. But she intrigues you. She lures you in, to question where is she going, what does she want and how deep her wounds are. She portrays a very dynamic character, full of zest and pain, but does not let any viewer linger from her side. She demands attention, with her bizarre actions and her very secretive sensitive nature. Once again, she is up for an Academy Award nod for Best Actress. Quite deservedly, as she does a superb job in her portrayal of Tiffany.

Needless to mention the astounding performances of Robert DeNiro and Chris Tucker. They both bring vibrant and exuberant performances to the whole story line, as they enhance the main protagonists' with layers to their personal drama but also a more humane aspect of their daily lives. 

Technical aspects of the film are smooth paced, cinematography registers the events in shaky rhythms and more steady tones whenever needed. Music composition offers a beautiful combination to the story line. All in all I believe this film is very sensitive. It touches and delves with very precise matters, trying to make people who are even unaware of how to distinguish people that are going through such issues and make them more sensitive and
understanding towards them. All I know is that, alone the fact that David O.Russell drew from his personal experiences to create this film, makes you choke more than once throughout the film. 

Well worth the time to sit down to watch. Sweet little story with multiple messages. 

Enjoy!