Last film you watched and your rating

I wasn't keen on it. Thought it was a bit of a fluff piece, really. Most of the primary cast overacts something ridiculous, Amy Adams seems to participating in a different film to everyone else and I really don't get the praise Jennifer Lawrence has been getting. She's not bad but what annoyed me was how her character was pitched, like some kinda comic relief kooky character. She wasn't, she was a younger version of Livia Soprano; mean-spirited, spiteful and reckless. It could've been an interesting character but instead depth is substituted with cheap chuckles. Which was another issue for me; it's not particularly funny. It's light-hearted and campy for long stretches, but not funny. And then it tries to go serious, which left me scratching my head.

I'd go for a 415/1000, personally.

American Hustle is very much a surface-level movie. I did like Jennifer Lawrence, but Amy Adam's wandering accent (sometimes English, sometimes not, even when she was playing her "character") and a plot that really wasn't clever (which as a con movie, it should have at least a twist you don't call as it's happening) were it's main weaknesses IMO. It looked good and didn't drag for my viewing, but I have interest in watching again and I really don't think it deserves the award attention.

I think to a point American Hustle being style over substance is on purpose, because the character's exude that quality. However what it should have had to make up for that is a hidden depth and a few more touching character moments.

I enjoyed it a lot though. Louis CK was great in it and I'm totally with the critics on Jennifer Lawrence being amazing in it. After watching 12 Years a Slave last night I don't see how Lupita Nyong'o can beat her.

What is amazing about Lawrence in it? She irritated me and like the rest of the main players I thought she was overacting something stupid.

She was just really good. Funny, manic and delivered the great script perfectly. Her character was the film's wildcard and that's just how she played it

How didn't Tom Hanks get a nomination for Captain Phillips? The Academy have probably been too kind to him in the past, but his performance in Captain Phillips is one of his very best. Only Ejiofor competes as far as I'm concerned.

Skippy wrote:She was just really good. Funny, manic and delivered the great script perfectly. Her character was the film's wildcard and that's just how she played it

This isn't me trying to be argumentative, but I didn't get any of that from her (as I'd already said, I didn't think the film was funny in general, apart from Louis CK), in particular I don't think manic is necessarily a good thing. I'm never really impressed by actors trying to do crazy, especially in this kind of thing where it's played for laughs and thus robs the character of any worthwhile development. And to call the script great is a bit much; on a basic level I'd argue it can't hold to a consistent tone and it lacks focus in terms of both plot and character development. Tries to do too much and consequently doesn't do anything particularly well.

Kill List - 9/10

Menacing and strange in the best sense. The ending was one hell of a sucker punch shock.

Fantastic film. If Down Terrace and Field in England are as good then Mr Wheatley is fast becoming one of my favourite directors.

Is American Hustle better than Argo?

It's this year's Argo.

I can see that but is it a better film?

Red 5 stella wrote:

Buffalo wrote:The Hunt - *****

Mads Mikkelsen in this is just outstanding. Really gripping story. Amazing.

The blu ray dropped through my letter box only yesterday, glad you enjoyed it.

The day after I watched it, the first 9 pages of the daily newspaper was all about the child abuse cases going on right now. A very timely watch.
The quality of the blu-ray is very good, too.

GRcade wrote:It's this year's Argo.

In what sense

I think I rated them the same but I'd probably say Argo was comfortably better. American Hustle drags it's heals a bit and the story isn't as well told.

Herbi wrote:

GRcade wrote:It's this year's Argo.

In what sense

Awards material I don't see the appeal of.

Classic Banjo

The Wolf Of Wall Street 9/10 strawberry floating incredible. Up there with Scorsese's best for me. The "meeting" where they discuss the hiring of the midget may be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Playing it completely straight made it so much better. Had tears in my eyes I was laughing so much. Whole film was surprisingly funny and superbly acted by one and all. I did not expect it to be a comedy at all but I ended up laughing my ass off a heck of a lot. The strawberry floating scene at the country club! Leo DiCaprio is amazing.

Movie did run a little bit long, though.

The score in 12 Years a Slave is really distracting. Other than that, what a magnificent film. A little thing I specifically want to mention was that I was on the lookout for the now-traditional long take that McQueen is so fond of using, and by christ he puts it to powerful use in this film. A valid complaint I've heard is that the passage of time isn't conveyed very well but for once this didn't bother me; Northup's journey is a consistent tale of oppression and atrocity, and the lack of a clear timestamp helped to push the notion that it was about day-to-day survival.

It even had a better Django Uchained moment than Django Unchained. 9.

GRcade wrote:The score in 12 Years a Slave is really distracting.

Totally agree here, was very strange and sounded a lot like the end of this

chalkitdown wrote:The Wolf Of Wall Street 9/10 strawberry floating incredible. Up there with Scorsese's best for me. The "meeting" where they discuss the hiring of the midget may be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Playing it completely straight made it so much better. Had tears in my eyes I was laughing so much. Whole film was surprisingly funny and superbly acted by one and all. I did not expect it to be a comedy at all but I ended up laughing my ass off a heck of a lot. The strawberry floating scene at the country club! Leo DiCaprio is amazing.

Movie did run a little bit long, though.

I want to see this, doesn't it have NZ in it?

GRcade wrote:The score in 12 Years a Slave is really distracting. Other than that, what a magnificent film. A little thing I specifically want to mention was that I was on the lookout for the now-traditional long take that McQueen is so fond of using, and by christ he puts it to powerful use in this film. A valid complaint I've heard is that the passage of time isn't conveyed very well but for once this didn't bother me; Northup's journey is a consistent tale of oppression and atrocity, and the lack of a clear timestamp helped to push the notion that it was about day-to-day survival.

It even had a better Django Uchained moment than Django Unchained. 9.

Damn, I'll need to go and see this when I can.