Yeah, David O. Russel really indulges his actors/characters and doesn't seem to steer away from slowness. My wife LOVES slow films and even this was brisk compared to The Station Agent or Tully which are two of her favorites and too slow for me.
American Hustle won Best Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes last night and both lead actresses, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, also won Actress awards.
The Oscar nominations are set for this Thursday and I would look for this film to get nods in all of these categories.
I'm curious on people's thoughts on Christian Bale as one of Hollywood's lead actors. Alot of people argue Leo is the top male actor in the business and I can see that because he can play so many types of characters and play them well, but I would give honorable mention to Bale. Even though you don't see him in any comedies or even romantic comedies, when it comes to drama or action, I would consider him in the top 10.
I thought the movie was quite good, a little slow in the beginning as others have pointed out but I didn't mind because the acting was strong enough to keep each scene entertaining. I loved the style of this movie, the set and costume design were another strength of this movie in my eyes.
Bale is a really good actor, and I think has more than proven that he is capable of acting in a broad variety of roles (Batman, The Fighter, The Prestige, 3:10 To Yuma, etc.). Leo is a great actor for sure, but there's a reason Bale has won an Academy Award and Leo hasn't. Yes Leo has a wide range of characters he could play successfully, but I think Bale has just as wide of a range.
Liked it a lot, on the whole. It was definitely entertaining, and I agree with everyone about the acting (Bale and Lawrence particularly, though I wasn't as keen on Cooper.) I also loved how much I hated all the hair and the costumes. They were so deliberately over the top and so obscenely 70s I couldn't take my eyes off them.
If I had one complaint, it would be a lot of the way it was shot. The always moving camera, the rapid cutting, it looked like a bit derivative of Scorsese (in the Goodfellas, Casino vein.) But I still had a ball.
quite a few scenes could have been trimmed or cut to improve the pace of the story.
As recently as a year or two ago I would have complained about this too, but recently it seems bloat is everywhere. I've just resigned myself to the fact that most contemporary movies I see are going to feel too long.
I'm curious on people's thoughts on Christian Bale as one of Hollywood's lead actors. Alot of people argue Leo is the top male actor in the business and I can see that because he can play so many types of characters and play them well, but I would give honorable mention to Bale. Even though you don't see him in any comedies or even romantic comedies, when it comes to drama or action, I would consider him in the top 10.
Sure, top ten, he's damn fine actor. For the top? Forget movies, go to television; it's either Bryan Cranston or Idris Elba.
Bale is a really good actor, and I think has more than proven that he is capable of acting in a broad variety of roles (Batman, The Fighter, The Prestige, 3:10 To Yuma, etc.). Leo is a great actor for sure, but there's a reason Bale has won an Academy Award and Leo hasn't. Yes Leo has a wide range of characters he could play successfully, but I think Bale has just as wide of a range.
Di Caprio doesn't have Bale's range. Have you noticed a trend in his recent roles? That said, he's an amazing actor within his range, and I think this year he's more likely to go home with an Oscar than Bale is.
I found it clever what the did with Bale's character in American Hustle, though, and very difficult to execute properly: he is introduced in the first couple of scenes as a shallow, superficial, petty, bitter, and disagreeable person functioning in a vaguely antagonistic way, but he is actually built into the protagonist.
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This looks like it's shaping up to be one of the best films of the year, and personally I'm really looking forward to watching this.
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Jennifer Lawrence was awesome.
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The Oscar nominations are set for this Thursday and I would look for this film to get nods in all of these categories.
I'm curious on people's thoughts on Christian Bale as one of Hollywood's lead actors. Alot of people argue Leo is the top male actor in the business and I can see that because he can play so many types of characters and play them well, but I would give honorable mention to Bale. Even though you don't see him in any comedies or even romantic comedies, when it comes to drama or action, I would consider him in the top 10.
Bale is a really good actor, and I think has more than proven that he is capable of acting in a broad variety of roles (Batman, The Fighter, The Prestige, 3:10 To Yuma, etc.). Leo is a great actor for sure, but there's a reason Bale has won an Academy Award and Leo hasn't. Yes Leo has a wide range of characters he could play successfully, but I think Bale has just as wide of a range.
My Mafia Stats - My Helpdesk
G Omnath, Locus of Mana U Arcum Dagsson BUG The Mimeoplasm GW Gaddock Teeg X Karn, Silver Golem
If I had one complaint, it would be a lot of the way it was shot. The always moving camera, the rapid cutting, it looked like a bit derivative of Scorsese (in the Goodfellas, Casino vein.) But I still had a ball.
As recently as a year or two ago I would have complained about this too, but recently it seems bloat is everywhere. I've just resigned myself to the fact that most contemporary movies I see are going to feel too long.
Di Caprio doesn't have Bale's range. Have you noticed a trend in his recent roles? That said, he's an amazing actor within his range, and I think this year he's more likely to go home with an Oscar than Bale is.
I found it clever what the did with Bale's character in American Hustle, though, and very difficult to execute properly: he is introduced in the first couple of scenes as a shallow, superficial, petty, bitter, and disagreeable person functioning in a vaguely antagonistic way, but he is actually built into the protagonist.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.