Movie Review - American Hustle

GTuck -

I had high hopes for this movie.  Turns out I was becoming quite the David O'Russel fan and I didn't even know it.  I really liked Silver Lining Playbooks and Three Kings and enjoyed I Heart Huckabees and The Fighter a lot.  This movie just didn't do it for me, and I don't really get all the praise that's out there.  The acting is great, it's very well acted, but the story isn't that great and it's boring and predictable.  If it wasn't for the great acting and being set in the late 70's, the movie would get an even lower score from me.  The costumes and the setting were the best parts.  The first 30 minutes is definitely boring. I know I was bored.  Then the story picks up a little bit, and then it's boring again.  I'll certainly never watch it again, and I wouldn't be upset if Amy Adams wins an Oscar for it, but it's so boring.  I'm not quite sure why Jennifer Lawrence is getting so much praise for the movie either, she's fine in it, maybe it's just her character that's so annoying.  I think that Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner are just as good in the movie as Jennifer Lawrence.  Even Louis CK is great in the movie, and I haven't heard anybody mention that.  The next person to tell me they loved this movie is really going to have to tell my why, because I'm really not sure why you would.  I'm interested to read GurleeGirrl's take, she liked the movie even less than I did.  I give American Hustle a 6 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Well unlike GTuck, I really had no big desire to see this film.  The trailer didn't give me any indication that I would love it, but I had some interest since Silver Lining Playbooks was one of my favorite movies last year. I actually paid to see it twice at the theater!  That's RARE for me.  So I did go into it with an open mind.

First, I will say the movie was cast well and that the 5 major characters nailed their parts.  Everyone loves JLaw, including me, but this wasn't my favorite part for her, although she did carry it well.  Amy Adams was amazing.  She carried sexy off pretty well too, although I've never thought she did before.  I fell in love with her awesome 70's hair.  Her cut-down-to-her-navel dresses had me saying WTF?, but I guess I'm just lucky I never had to dress the 70's part, because it would be a big fail for me.  The fashion was my favorite part of the whole movie.

Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale both were deep into their characters as well.  Christian Bale just has an ability to make you forget that he is extremely attractive, because when you see him in this - he's far from it.

Now what didn't I like?  The story.  It wasn't amazing, it wasn't surprising, it was a little too predictable, although at some point I was questioning what was actually going on.  So maybe I'm just a moron.  Like why, out of nowhere, is there a shot of Bradley Cooper's character snorting cocaine?!?! Just one?!?! I don't know what I was supposed to get out of that.

I was pleasantly surprised with a DeNiro cameo - which he pulled off just fine.

I felt the movie was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG and if it wasn't for the wardrobe and music to keep me entertained, I would have really been pissed.   I am sad to say the great acting just wasn't enough for me to love it, so I give American Hustle a 4 out of 10.