American Hustle-A Movie Review
[imdb id=tt1800241]
We both really wanted to like this movie, but we both hated it. I remember some of the news coverage of the events, and was really disappointed. It just never seem to grab my attention.
First of all David O. Russell is one of my favorite directors. I’ve enjoyed his films and absolutely loved “The Fighter” and “Flirting with Disaster”. This film also boasts an incredibly talented cast including Christian Vale, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams. The problem is with the story, the film’s pacing and length. Of course if I was enjoying the film the length would not be an issue. This movie is a classic case in amateurish, dialogue-heavy scenes. Constant, ceaseless dialogue really bogged down the film for me. This film didn’t have a single bone of subtlety in its entire body.
As of this writing, the current user rating on IMDB is 8.1, and with ten – yes, 10 – ratings of 100 from the critics, I feel crazy not liking this movie. This film didn’t have a protagonist, and I could not have cared less about any character in this film. What was very strange, and a little unsettling, to me was that I felt this immediately, within the first five minutes of the film.
Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner are particularly effective in their parts. Bradley Cooper does a solid job with the most complex character in the film. Amy Adams is fine, but not award worthy.
Honestly, the NY Film Critics Assn. must have gotten a con-sized pay off for calling this the best film of the year. Is it awful? No. But neither is it memorable. Fun soundtrack, great costumes, hair/make-up and photography can’t make up for a plot which is dull and characters who are so uninteresting.