"American Hustle" reeks of the 1970's. Everything from the costumes to the hairstyles to the soundtrack which ranges from Tom Jones to Wings. Director David O. Russell continues his hot streak and brings together a dream team cast that combines to make one of the most misleading, yet immensely entertaining films of the year.
"American Hustle" is the basis of a true story wrapped around in fiction (think Titanic). Set around the real life "Abscam" scandal of the 1970's. Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the two con artists who've mastered this scheme involving counterfeit art dealings as well as using bribery to bring in New Jersey powerbrokers (mafia) and corrupt politicians. When a hot wired FBI agent played gloriously by Bradley Cooper infiltrates the scam the con goes to a whole new level and can be brought down by their own bullshit as well as Bale's unhinged wife played by current Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence. "American Hustle" draws comparisons to past films but is most notably an offspring of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas".
With arguably the best movie trailer of the year "American Hustle" opens with countless awards buzz as well as high "must see" status from both film aficionados and Joe the Plumber and his wife. The biggest misconception coming in the pre release buzz is that this is a comedy, while there are definitely dark funny moments "American Hustle" is better appreciated as a crime drama. Following "The Fighter" and my pick for best film of 2012 "Silver Linings Playbook", director David O. Russell goes in a somewhat different direction then he did in his previous two films. There is a great comfort here between the director and his 4 leading actors, this comes as no surprise as both Adams and Bale were nominated for Oscars for their turns in "The Fighter" (Bale won) and Cooper and Lawrence both nominated for "Silver Linings" (Lawrence won). Because of some slow character development scenes early on I can't say that "American Hustle" is the best film of the year, however it is definitely in the top 10 and the cast's performances make it easily far and away the best performance based film and each of the four and good bets for Oscar nominations in the lead and supporting actor fields.
Cooper especially runs circles around his fellow actors here, echoing whispers of classic 70's Pacino as FBI agent Richie Dimaso. Going deeper and deeper into the con, as well as getting involved with Adam's character further unhinges Cooper's character and we get some great scenes, especially between Cooper and his boss played in a great small role by comedian Louis CK. Bale, trades the batsuit for extra pounds and the comb over to end all comb overs as lead con man Irving Rosenfeld disappears into his role which is not half as flashy as Cooper's but you actually forget that its Christian Bale you are watching.
Amy Adams as former stripper turned "British" financial advisor Sydney Prosser turns in yet another stellar supporting performance, this time with the help of 70's glam, her wardrobe becomes apart of her performance and one would be hard pressed to find another such performance this year. Jennifer Lawrence, looking like a young Ellen Barkin is absolutely in her own category here asIrving's bored housewife Roslyn. Her role here is pretty minor even in supporting actor terms yet every time she is on screen the movie becomes that much more interesting. Highlights include her take on the risks involving "Science ovens" and a performance of "Live and Let Die" while wearing dishwashing gloves. Lost under these 4 powerhouse performances is the 5th lead, a good-hearted yet corrupt New Jersey mayor played by Jeremy Renner. Renner, a good actor does a good job here but even with a poof hair do that would make Snooki jealous gets lost in the shuffle other than a great confrontation scene between him and Bale's character.
As stated earlier the biggest flaw with "American Hustle" are the character development scenes early in the film. While character development and introductions are necessary as the actors do such a good job with their roles the lengthy development is not needed. Once all that is finished this is where the movie really gets going. The film has narration by multiple characters which is again a tribute to "Goodfellas" though I would have liked to have had more of that, especially during the main con scene as it is so elaborate its almost dizzying.
"American Hustle" is going to divide viewers. The marketing campaign has been both the films best friend and worst enemy. What cannot be denied is the exclamatory performances that anchor the film as well as the entire vibe that the movie gives out. Director Russell has become such a director that his films have become event status features and will continue to incite great debates between moviegoers.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
The sequel to "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" has been eagerly anticipated by myself as well as San Diegites all over the world. Sequels to popular comedies for the most part are immensely underwhelming, I'm looking at you "Hangover Part II". The first "Anchorman" was a modest hit upon initial release but grew a massive pop culture following by those who waited til DVD or had to watch it a 2nd time to actually get it (me). In what seems like a never-ending promotional blitz since 2012 when the sequel was announced we finally have another adventure with Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 News team. The question is, how does it hold up to the original? The answer to that is that while "Anchorman 2" is not the near perfect comedy that "Anchorman" is, it is still very very funny with a lot of great quotable lines that will make fellow fans happy and satisfied.
Ron Burgundy is one of the best characters created in the 2000's. It's everything from his mustache to his overall outlook on life. Created from the mind of star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam Mckay Burgundy is the poster boy for mid 70's political incorrectness and male chauvinism. McKay and Ferrell have been writing partners since their days on SNL and their comfort level with each other shows on screen in "Anchorman" along with other collaborations such as "Step Brothers" and "Talladega Nights", they are not afraid to go outside the comfort zone sometimes taking chances on bits that are just too out there and don't stick but more times than not are hilarious. The first "Anchorman" focused mainly on sexism in the 70's with a local San Diego news station as the background. "Anchorman 2" shifts the setting to New York City in 1980 with Burgundy and his news team taking a job at one of the first 24 hour news stations in the world.
Gone in this sequel are a lot of the political and social undertones from the first instead giving us a lot more of the goofiness of Burgundy and other cast of characters who all return for the second go around. The rest of the channel 4 news team consists of Paul Rudd as "man on the street" Brian Fontana, sportscaster Champ Kind played by David Koechner and fan favorite weatherman Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. Paul Rudd is again the MVP of the news team in terms of getting the most laughs for me. Carell, now arguable as big of a star as Ferrell thanks to his role in "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" now seems kind of out of place in the role of Brick but while he is not as memorable as he was in the first he still gets a few good laughs.
The one problem that "Anchorman 2" has is that there are almost too many jokes to go around, this is a complicated problem. There are moments in the film that I laughed out loud more so than I have in a theater in a long time but there are also moments that just fall flat. Brick showing up to his own funeral and a scene in Ron's Winnebago come to mind. Scenes such as this could have easily been removed to make the scenes that do work (which there are a lot of) stick with the moviegoer. A lot of the funniest scenes come by so quickly and in succession of each other its almost hard to keep up. Christina Applegate also returns in very funny form as Veronica Corningstone and her scenes with Ron and their son are some of the best in the movie. Instead of introducing another female love interest for Ron played by the beautiful Meagan Good I would of liked to have seen more of Veronica in the mix.
While there is light commentary on how we receive the news now and even a bit on race in America Anchorman plays mainly and best as a spoof in the vein of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun". Everyone involved is completely on board for the ridiculousness and not in it just for a cash grab, looking at you "Meet the Fockers".... The appeal of the characters shows in the plethora of cameos, everyone from cinema icons to rappers to even an Oscar winner. There are a lot of great quotable lines that I think will remain in the pop culture pantheon along with "I love lamp" and others from the original.
The finale of "Anchorman 2" is a major hark back to the original. It is both one of the best scenes in the movie along with being one of the most absurd scenes I think I've seen. Without any spoilers I'll just say that a werewolf, minotaur and the ghost of Stonewall Jackson among many others are involved. "Anchorman 2" will certainly not bring any new converts to Burgundy's gang but if you are a fan of the original get your jazz flutes out and spray on a little Sex Panther and enjoy!
Ron Burgundy is one of the best characters created in the 2000's. It's everything from his mustache to his overall outlook on life. Created from the mind of star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam Mckay Burgundy is the poster boy for mid 70's political incorrectness and male chauvinism. McKay and Ferrell have been writing partners since their days on SNL and their comfort level with each other shows on screen in "Anchorman" along with other collaborations such as "Step Brothers" and "Talladega Nights", they are not afraid to go outside the comfort zone sometimes taking chances on bits that are just too out there and don't stick but more times than not are hilarious. The first "Anchorman" focused mainly on sexism in the 70's with a local San Diego news station as the background. "Anchorman 2" shifts the setting to New York City in 1980 with Burgundy and his news team taking a job at one of the first 24 hour news stations in the world.
Gone in this sequel are a lot of the political and social undertones from the first instead giving us a lot more of the goofiness of Burgundy and other cast of characters who all return for the second go around. The rest of the channel 4 news team consists of Paul Rudd as "man on the street" Brian Fontana, sportscaster Champ Kind played by David Koechner and fan favorite weatherman Brick Tamland played by Steve Carell. Paul Rudd is again the MVP of the news team in terms of getting the most laughs for me. Carell, now arguable as big of a star as Ferrell thanks to his role in "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" now seems kind of out of place in the role of Brick but while he is not as memorable as he was in the first he still gets a few good laughs.
The one problem that "Anchorman 2" has is that there are almost too many jokes to go around, this is a complicated problem. There are moments in the film that I laughed out loud more so than I have in a theater in a long time but there are also moments that just fall flat. Brick showing up to his own funeral and a scene in Ron's Winnebago come to mind. Scenes such as this could have easily been removed to make the scenes that do work (which there are a lot of) stick with the moviegoer. A lot of the funniest scenes come by so quickly and in succession of each other its almost hard to keep up. Christina Applegate also returns in very funny form as Veronica Corningstone and her scenes with Ron and their son are some of the best in the movie. Instead of introducing another female love interest for Ron played by the beautiful Meagan Good I would of liked to have seen more of Veronica in the mix.
While there is light commentary on how we receive the news now and even a bit on race in America Anchorman plays mainly and best as a spoof in the vein of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun". Everyone involved is completely on board for the ridiculousness and not in it just for a cash grab, looking at you "Meet the Fockers".... The appeal of the characters shows in the plethora of cameos, everyone from cinema icons to rappers to even an Oscar winner. There are a lot of great quotable lines that I think will remain in the pop culture pantheon along with "I love lamp" and others from the original.
The finale of "Anchorman 2" is a major hark back to the original. It is both one of the best scenes in the movie along with being one of the most absurd scenes I think I've seen. Without any spoilers I'll just say that a werewolf, minotaur and the ghost of Stonewall Jackson among many others are involved. "Anchorman 2" will certainly not bring any new converts to Burgundy's gang but if you are a fan of the original get your jazz flutes out and spray on a little Sex Panther and enjoy!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Nebraska
"Nebraska" the newest movie from heralded director Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) in all its black and white glory is both a triumph as a film as well as a showcase for heralded yet underappreciated actor Bruce Dern. For the type of movie that "Nebraska" is I cant find a more appropriate word to describe it other than it is perfect.
"Nebraska" centers around Dern's character Woody Grant who has received a letter in the mail declaring him the winner of 1 million dollars. Woody takes it upon himself to walk from his home in Billings Montana to Lincoln Nebraska to collect his supposed winnings until his ne'er do-well son played impressively by SNL/MacGruber alum Will Forte to take this opportunity to bond with his estranged father on this road trip . Along the way they stop off in Woody's former hometown where word of his "millions" soons spreads fast and Woody becomes a living legend in the town no matter how obvious it is that Woody is in fact not going to be a millionaire.
Director Payne is one of America's most consistent directors of the last 15 years, all of his films share a dark comic undertone that is not lost at all on "Nebraska". Payne's most popular film has to be considered "Sideways" and "Nebraska" is actually a good companion piece to it, even though its almost completely opposite. "Sideways" took place in wine country on California's central coast, its beautiful scenery was showcased. "Nebraska" in contrast is shot in black and white and shows the dull, flat landedness that is America's Midwest, its dull and boring and that's the way it should be. What's similar between the two films is the depiction of the characters as being actually believable, flaws and all. Woody's pursuit of the money is not so much a thing of greed, he wants a new truck because he has never had a new truck before, he wants a new air compressor because his previous one was stolen by a "friend" 30 years ago. The Odyssey that takes place shows Woody's son David that underneath the alcoholic, distant father he grew up with was a man who couldn't say no to anyone and never went for his dreams. I do promise this is a comedy.
Actor Bruce Dern has worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarentino. He is a name you might not know but a face you would definitely recognize. His role here is probably the safest bet there is for an Oscar nomination if not a win, its both funny and heartbreaking. If you come from or at least know a dysfunctional family then you will find humor in this movie and the supporting cast does nothing but enhance this experience. The before mentioned Will Forte is a great surprise here and the scenes between him and Dern are some of the best between two actors in recent memory. Relative unknown June Squibb is a scene stealer as Woody's long suffering wife and another great character actor Stacy Keach shows up as a former business partner of Woody's who is looking to settled an old debt. everyone involved from Dern to the actresses playing waitresses are pitch perfect here.
On paper a movie about an old man's odyssey for a cash prize that is shot in black and white and not starring Clint Eastwood is obviously not an easy sell nor probably appealing to the average moviegoer. I can say that if you appreciate dark humor and great acting you will appreciate "Nebraska", whether or not you can exactly relate to it.
"Nebraska" centers around Dern's character Woody Grant who has received a letter in the mail declaring him the winner of 1 million dollars. Woody takes it upon himself to walk from his home in Billings Montana to Lincoln Nebraska to collect his supposed winnings until his ne'er do-well son played impressively by SNL/MacGruber alum Will Forte to take this opportunity to bond with his estranged father on this road trip . Along the way they stop off in Woody's former hometown where word of his "millions" soons spreads fast and Woody becomes a living legend in the town no matter how obvious it is that Woody is in fact not going to be a millionaire.
Director Payne is one of America's most consistent directors of the last 15 years, all of his films share a dark comic undertone that is not lost at all on "Nebraska". Payne's most popular film has to be considered "Sideways" and "Nebraska" is actually a good companion piece to it, even though its almost completely opposite. "Sideways" took place in wine country on California's central coast, its beautiful scenery was showcased. "Nebraska" in contrast is shot in black and white and shows the dull, flat landedness that is America's Midwest, its dull and boring and that's the way it should be. What's similar between the two films is the depiction of the characters as being actually believable, flaws and all. Woody's pursuit of the money is not so much a thing of greed, he wants a new truck because he has never had a new truck before, he wants a new air compressor because his previous one was stolen by a "friend" 30 years ago. The Odyssey that takes place shows Woody's son David that underneath the alcoholic, distant father he grew up with was a man who couldn't say no to anyone and never went for his dreams. I do promise this is a comedy.
Actor Bruce Dern has worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarentino. He is a name you might not know but a face you would definitely recognize. His role here is probably the safest bet there is for an Oscar nomination if not a win, its both funny and heartbreaking. If you come from or at least know a dysfunctional family then you will find humor in this movie and the supporting cast does nothing but enhance this experience. The before mentioned Will Forte is a great surprise here and the scenes between him and Dern are some of the best between two actors in recent memory. Relative unknown June Squibb is a scene stealer as Woody's long suffering wife and another great character actor Stacy Keach shows up as a former business partner of Woody's who is looking to settled an old debt. everyone involved from Dern to the actresses playing waitresses are pitch perfect here.
On paper a movie about an old man's odyssey for a cash prize that is shot in black and white and not starring Clint Eastwood is obviously not an easy sell nor probably appealing to the average moviegoer. I can say that if you appreciate dark humor and great acting you will appreciate "Nebraska", whether or not you can exactly relate to it.
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