American Hustle & Saving Mr. Banks

American Hustle

I read an interesting story about director David O. Russell. It had to do with the fact that on this movie, American Hustle, he let his actors improv so much. The story has Christian Bale pointing out to his director that the way they just improvised an scene utterly changes the plot of the movie at a later point. To which, O. Russell supposedly replied (and this isn't a direct quote), "I don't care about plot. I care about characters." And perhaps that's really all you need to know about American Hustle, a movie that is so superficial, that cares so little about its plot, that it's utterly a disappointing mess instead of the masterpiece I was hoping for.

American Hustle is a fictionalized version of Abscam, in which the FBI enlisted real life criminals (con men) to help set up politicians in order to arrest the bigger fish. In O. Russell's story, Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the mid-level cons who go after mostly desperate men down on their times with a scheme in which the men give them a non-refundable $5000 deposit to take their money to some "connections" in London, who are supposedly going to turn their money in to $50,000. Of course, that never happens. All of this is going great until they try to con the wrong man, in this case, undercover FBI agent Richie (Bradley Cooper) who arrests them and then enlists their help. Their initial plan is to bring down a family man mayor (Jeremy Renner) who wants nothing more than to help build up the job market of his town - Atlantic City. This is all well and good, until Richie gets greedy and wants to go after even bigger fish. Then there's Jennifer Lawrence as Bale's unpredictable, unstable wife.

So, in a nutshell, that's the plot. The plot isn't so much bad, as it is too glossy for its own good. O. Russell is trying to make his version of Goodfellas, which there isn't anything wrong with. If you want to rip off a movie, you might as well rip off one of the masters at his best. But the problem is, the movie relies far too much on looking cool, with great actors playing outlandish against type characters, none of whom feel real in the least. For focusing so much on characters, these guys are more like caricatures. I'm not trying to say the movie is bad, because it isn't, necessarily. It's a good movie, it's just a disappointing one. I've been looking forward to this movie for months and it was such a let down for me.

The performances are (almost) all spectacular. In a movie starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, it's as much a shock to me as it might be to anyone else, but best in show goes to Bradley Cooper. His out of control, cocky, power hungry FBI agent is so wildly entertaining, that you can't keep your eyes off of him. Adams is fantastic as well, slipping in and out of different characters with such ease (and those low cut dresses!!! Girl looks gorgeous!). Renner is fine but his role is so limited that it barely matters. Bale is great, as usually, playing the second most outlandish characters, a role that could have easily slipped into over the top, craziness. But Bale is such a great actor that this never happens.

Now here is where my review will become very, VERY unpopular. I don't think Jennifer Lawrence is as good of an actress as everyone thinks she is. I don't think she's a bad actress, just not deserving of quite so much praise. Just think about this fact: Come March, she's going to be a three time Oscar nominee (with one win) in just four years. That's INSANE. Here are some people (off the top of my head) who have never even been nominated: Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Kirsten Dunst, Donald Sutherland, Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Kevin Bacon! But that's besides the point. I think this movie just proves my point, because Lawrence isn't good in it. In fact, I think she's most of the reason why I didn't care for the movie. She, like Bale, is so over the top, that it's distracting. Unlike Bale, Lawrence doesn't quite have the chops to reel it in, keep it from going over that line into campiness. So, it just makes me want to roll my eyes anytime she's on screen, which takes me completely out of the movie, which is not something you want to happen.

It doesn't matter what I have to say anyway. This movie will keep getting nominated for all kinds of awards. Sure, the movie is greatly entertaining at times, but it's no Oscar worthy movie, in my opinion. Jennifer Lawrence will probably win a book end for last year's Oscar. This is a movie about conning people, after all, and maybe the best con of all is conning the audience that it's a better movie than it actually is.

Grade: B-

Saving Mr. Banks

Just a few words about Saving Mr. Banks - it's a nice movie. I don't watch enough nice movies, and that's sort of a shame. The story is about Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson, killing it!) who very reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to meet with Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) about selling him the rights to her books. However, she is VERY opinionated. Anyway, the scenes with Hanks and Thompson are absolutely wonderful. The movie suffers from pacing problems - too many flashbacks, not evenly dispersed. It also suffers from the fact that the flashbacks are sort of on the boring side. I mean, they serve a purpose, to further the story along, but they also are not nearly as entertaining as watching Hanks and Thompson go toe to toe. I could watch that forever.

Grade: B

The Avengers

Some of the reasons I wasn't a huge fan of The Avengers has absolutely nothing to do with the movie itself. The theater in which I saw the film had terrible sound. I guess they were expecting the action scenes to be so loud that the volume was so low during the dialogue that I missed a lot of it. For the first hour or so, I only understood about every fifth word, missing important plot points and funny dialogue. Not to mention, I was lucky enough to be sitting next to two pre-teen girls who clearly didn't spend their money on the movie, because if they did spend twenty-two dollars to see The Avengers in 3D, they would not have gossiped and gabbed for two and a half hours straight. I mean, I guess I understood the basic plot which was that Loki stole that giant glowing blue thing and threatened to demolish the world and the Avengers had to stop him and his alien army. If there were any finer points to the plot, they were all but lost on me thanks to the universe working against me. I'm the kind of person who likes to get lost completely in a movie so that I can fully enjoy it. Due to all the theater distractions, that just never happened with The Avengers, and that's a shame, because I was stoked about seeing the movie.

Then there are the reasons I didn't love The Avengers that were in the control of the movie. First off, it was at least twenty minutes too long. They definitely could have trimmed that final epic battle scene (although it was bad ass... it just could have been a little shorter). Plus, the first hour or so was pretty much catching up with your favorite super hero. And while it was fun to see what Iron Man and Captain America and The Hulk have been up to in the years since we've seen them on screen, that sequence could have been streamlined a little bit so that it played quicker. Then there's the relationship between Thor and Loki. I know it was touched upon in the film Thor, but I think more attention should have been paid to the interesting dynamic between a heroic man when your brother is trying to decimate Earth. That's an interesting concept and was broached only in a small throwaway scene completely with a funny one liner I barely heard.

This isn't to say there weren't good things about The Avengers. There were. I mean, it was FUN! Watching Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye beat the crap out of aliens during that last big battle scene was FUN! Yes, it was so much fun that the word deserves to be in all caps. The action sequences are thrilling, exciting and well done. Kudos to director Joss Whedon for not getting too bogged down because sometimes in action movies, the sequences can end up looking like a jumbled mess but that's definitely not the case here.

The acting is absolutely top notch but that's sort of to be expected from a super hero movie that boasts the most Oscar nominees featured in a film from that genre. Playing billionaire genius Tony Stark / Iron Man must be second nature to Robert Downey Jr. by now and he continues to be exciting in the role. Tony Stark, with his dry wit and sarcastic humor, is the perfect character for Downey and he nails the character every time. Chris Evans as the loyal leader Captain America is great as well, nailing the earnest, good natured vibe of the character. Mark Ruffalo is fantastic as Bruce Banner / the Hulk and you get the feeling that if he'd been playing the character previously than the last two incarnations of the character wouldn't have been so unsuccessful. He's fantastic and endearing as the character and ridiculously likeable. Chris Hemsworth is sort of a waste as Thor. With such a missed opportunity for a great storyline for his character, he pretty much just goes through the motions as a big, powerful demigod. Scarlett Johansson is totally bad ass as the Black Widow, a deadly assassin / spy. I genuinely hope that rumored spin off happens because her character is mysterious enough that I'd love to learn some back story. Jeremy Renner, who, in my personal opinion, is the best actor in The Avengers is totally and completely wasted. He barely gets any screen time at all until the big climax and then he just gets to shot arrows at things while looking in another direction. He's cool, I guess, but completely wasted.

But, of course, any super hero movie is only as good as its villain. That's why The Dark Knight is (and probably always will be) the greatest super hero movie of all time. And the villain in the Avengers is superb. Played by Tom Hiddleston, Loki is a damn good bad guy, always one step ahead, always smarter than he appears. Even in captivity, you know he has the upper hand and he plays it so cool and collected, you can't help but believe he has the power to destroy the Earth.

Overall, The Avengers definitely was a great ride and lots of fun, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more, and that's not all necessarily the movies fault.

Grade: C+

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actor 2010

10. Kieran Culkin in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Despite being very uneven, there were parts of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World I liked very much. The thing I liked most about it was Culkin as Scott's gay best friend Wallace. Kieran has always been my favorite Culkin, and I think he's a terribly underrated actor. He was spot on in this film with his dry humor and perfect comedic timing.

09. Chris Cooper in The Town - In only one scene, Cooper manages to almost steal the entire movie away from a bunch of younger dudes. These younger guys are trying to act tough and be tough but Cooper IS tough. He makes you believe that he is a hardened criminal, stuck in jail like a lion in a cage at the zoo. So raw and so, so good.

08. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right - I'll admit, I don't quite understand the fascination with this movie. I liked it, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. One complaint I don't have, however, is with the acting which is excellent all around. Ruffalo, who was also excellent in Shutter Island, is all free spirit, a man who has done his best to not get tied down, finally coming to terms with being an adult.

07. Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island - As a slightly menacing doctor, Kingsley plays into the general feeling of paranoia that is found in every little piece of this film. He walks this perfect line between being a trust-worthy, good doctor and being someone who might harm you, or even kill you, if given the opportunity. In a film with great acting, he shines.

06. Vincent Cassel in Black Swan - Cassel plays Thomas, the artistic director of a ballet company. Sure, he's a cad, putting the moves on Nina and Lilly and Beth and Lord knows who else. But he is also incredibly charming. And kind of frightening. He's intense and enigmatic. Cassel plays all the different facets of his character with such impressive ease.

05. Armie Hammer in The Social Network - I know there was a body double involved and also a whole lot of technical wizadry from David Fincher and his tech friends, but it's still pretty damn impressive that Hammer is playing TWO characters! He manages to make the Winklevoss twins completely seperate entities to the point where you swear they are being played by two different people. Plus, he gets one of the most fun lines in the whole movie.

04. Tom Hardy in Inception - Okay, so Inception was already an amazing movie. But then in walks Tom f-ing Hardy with that swagger and those lips and he all but steals the entire damn movie right away from so many bigger, more famous stars. He's hilarious and also charming. He is such a chameleon and here's to many more projects from Hardy in the future!

03. Jeremy Renner in The Town - Renner is electric as Jem, an explosive bank robber. He takes a character that could have been so one-note, so boring, so cliche and manages to turn him into someone you can't keep your eyes off of. Renner has been one of the best working actors for at least a decade. Thank Lord, someone else is finally noticing.

02. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network - Okay, so Garfield gets to deliver the absolute best line in the best script of the year. But, from the first frame, you can't take your eyes off Garfield and his mesmerizing performance of Eduardo Savrin, a young college co-ed who becomes a millionaire and then loses all of it. He also loses his best friend in the process. Since he's probably the only fully likeable character in the movie, his performance really burrows into your brain and you find yourself rooting for him through the entire film.

01. Christian Bale in The Fighter - So, if I was an actor I would probably quit the profession after seeing Christian Bale BECOME Dicky Ecklund in The Fighter. I haven't always been fond of Bale but I was completely blown away with him in this movie. I read an article about how when people who grew up with Dicky saw Christian on set, they thought it was really him. Then at the end of the film, they show a clip of the real Dicky and by God, he looks and moves and talks exactly like Christian in the movie. This is not only the best performance by a supporting actor, it's also the single best performance of the entire year.

The Town

A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a film called Gone Baby Gone. I remember see it and being very impressed with his directing skills. I may have even said something along the lines of, "He should quit acting and just direct." Listen - I'm the kinda gal that admits when she is wrong and, boy, was I wrong. Not about Affleck's directing. He's got skills. The Town is just as good, if not better, than Gone Baby Gone. I was wrong about his acting skills which, back then, I thought were non-existant. I was wrong. His performance in The Town (and that was one of the drawbacks for me before I saw the film. I not-so-secretly wished he had cast his brother Casey in the lead instead) is the best of his career and is extremely impressive.
The Town was filmed on location in Boston, more specifically Charlestown, which is the bank robbery capitol of the United States (according to the movie). Affleck plays Doug, the leader of a rag-tag team of townies who rob banks and armored cars. He and his pal Jem (the excellent, as always, Jeremy Renner) grew up together and now they even rob banks together. Doug used to be involved with Jem's sister Krista (Gossip Girl's Blake Lively who is very impressive playing the complete opposite of Serena van der Woodsen). In the intense opening segment, Doug, Jem and their two friends rob a bank in Cambridge. They decide to take bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage and let her free after taking her for a little joy ride. Eventually, they discover she lives just blocks away so Doug decides to befriend her and make sure she doesn't know anything. Needless to say, they fall in love which only complicates things even more. Add in Jon Hamm as an FBI agent hot on their trail, Titus Welliver (!!!) as his partner, Pete Postlethwaite as a Charlestown florist/gangster and Chris Cooper as Doug's imprisoned dad and you've got a hell of a cast.
The performances are all top notch. As a director, Affleck has a way with actors and that's no surprise since he's spent the last decade or so as an actor. Renner probably gets top honors although it's really hard to say. His Jem is a hot-headed bad ass who pulls out a gun with the ease it takes the rest of us to breathe. Cooper makes a lasting impression with just one scene and Postlethwaite is truly intimidating despite his wiry frame. Lively plays against type as a white trash mother to a daughter named Shyne and she does it super well. But it's Affleck and his truly layered, complicated character who is most impressive. I honestly didn't believe he had the skills to create and portray a character with such emotional depth. His chemistry with Hall is sweet and honest. The script (co-written by Affleck) is so tight and exciting and well done and the directing is truly top notch. This is the second movie in a row for Affleck as a director that has been gritty, realistic, honest, exciting and excellent.
For me, 2010 has been a truly awful year for movies but The Town is one of the best.
Grade: B+

Top Ten List - Best Actor 2009

10. Peter Sarsgaard in An Education - Once again, An Education belongs to Carey Mulligan but Sarsgaard is also pretty damn good as an older, "worldly" man who seduces the 16 year old student. He takes her to Paris and on romantic weekends and convinces her he'll marry her. All the while Sarsgaard is charming everyone, there's that slight creepiness that makes the audience realize something isn't right here.

09. Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes - Downey is good at lots of stuff but very, very good at one thing - playing flawed leading men, men who are suave and charming and a little bit cocky. Add Sherlock Holmes to that list. With Downey in the role, Holmes becomes a sexy, charming, clever cad. Plus, his is a pretty convincing British accent.

08. George Clooney in Up in the Air - Clooney could probably play this role in his sleep - uber suave and charming man coming to terms with getting older, unable to settle down, flying from one city to another just about every day. Still, Clooney layers the role with a sense of naturalism and subtlety and is still impressive. He may take a backseat to the ladies in the film, but he's still the classic example of a leading man.

07. Joaquin Phoenix in Two Lovers - If Joaquin Phoenix really is retiring from acting, well, then, at least he went out on top. Two Lovers is the perfect showcase for him and he gives his character so much depth and so much emotion that it's hard to not cheer for him, even when he's playing with the emotions of a perfectly nice girl so he can try his hand at the unattainable beauty.

06. Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are - In a perfect adaptation of the classic kids book, Records shines as the lead - disobedient, rebellious, and so perfectly childlike. It's really a testament to the child actor. He's so good that he makes you feel Max's pain and his hope and his utter and unabashed joy.

05. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer - I've been a fan of Gordon-Levitt's for, well, ever. He's FINALLY breaking into mainstream consciousness and I couldn't think of a better movie that the utterly unique (500) Days of Summer. Gordon-Levitt is perfect as Tom, the idealistic greeting card writer who yearns for true love with Summer, the girl who doesn't believe in love. He's hopeful and romantic, the ideal of a perfect boyfriend. Then he gets his heart ripped out and you feel his pain. He's also damn funny too. Great performance all around.

04. Tobey Maguire in Brothers - The most suprising thing about Brothers, for me, was Maguire's performance. I really didn't know he had this kind of intense, layered, totally passionate kind of performance in him. I knew he was a good actor but I really didn't realize how really, really good he could be.

03. Sharlto Copley in District 9 - Another surprise of the year. Not the fact that District 9 is one of the best movies, but the fact that Sharlto Copley, a complete unknown, is so good in the lead role. He doesn't waste time trying to get you to like him. In fact, he's not very likeable at all. I mean, he's actually kind of a jerk. Still, his performance is really remarkable. His character was so complex but never felt forced. It only ever felt sincere.

02. Matt Damon in The Informant! - Damon gained a ton of weight and put on a really terrible wig and managed to give one of the best performances of the year. His character in The Informant! is making lots of money every year but still decides to turn over evidence against his company to the police. He's naive enough to believe he'll be made the head of the company and he starts playing everyone against each other. His performance is so tricky and so utterly fun to watch that it almost makes you forget how boring the movie really is.

01. Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker - I've also loved Renner since I saw him in Dahmer and knew what an amazing actor he was and could be if he got the right roles. Well, guess what? This is the right role for him. As James, he's addicted to war and, really, the adrenaline that comes with defusing bombs for a living. He's fearless and reckless but yet cares about his teammates. There are certain scenes that are filled with so much tension and intensity and emotion and Renner is just perfection.

Tomorrow - Best (and worst) Films!

Paranormal Activity, Saw VI, The Hurt Locker

Paranormal Activity - The thing about Paranormal Activity is this: if you believe in ghosts and the supernatural, then you will more likely than not find it creepy and scary. However, if you do not believe in ghosts or the supernatural, like yours truly and that statement comes on the heels of becoming addicted to the TV show Supernatural thanks in part to my boss, then you'll think Paranormal Activity is a little bit, well, boring. Nothing happens in the movie for a long, long time. I will admit that the last 15 minutes or so are pretty intense and slightly creepy. But 15 good minutes a good movie does not make. The story follows a young couple who have been having experiences in their house. They buy a video camera to document what happens while they sleep. We watch the footage. It's a simple as that. As a fan of film, I can admire a film that was made for $15,000 and went on to make over 60 million. That's an accomplishment (and means there will probably be some brain dead sequel). As a fan of independent film, I can admire the low key vibe of the film. Two actors. One setting. Seemingly no script. This film will get a lot of comparison to the Blair Witch Project but the thing about the Blair Witch Project is this - the "found footage is it real?" thing hadn't been done in so long that it actually was creepy. In a world of reality TV, we don't even question that kind of thing anymore. Overall, I really wanted to like this movie but ultimately, it just wasn't a frightening experience for me.
Grade: C-

Saw VI - My momma always told me if I don't have anything nice to say... So, we'll leave the review at this: The Saw franchise needs to die.
Grade: F

The Hurt Locker - In a word: Amazing. I officially have a new favorite film of the year. Sorry, Inglourious Basterds. The movie is intense and intriguing. Director Katheryn Bigelow (who did one of my favorite horror movies, Near Dark) is amazing in every sense of the word. The Hurt Locker is a riveting character study and an intense thriller, all at once. The movie has to be intense. It follows probably the most nerve-racking job on the planet - a bomb expert who is defusing bombs in Iraq. Said bomb expert is played by the AMAZING Jeremy Renner. Now, I've loved Renner since I first saw him in Dahmer and that was almost a decade ago. It's nice to see him getting great work that truly showcase his talent. He plays a guy who truly loves his job. It's intense but it's probably the only thing he loves. His performance is plain powerful. He is ultimately an adrenaline junkie and he's a little reckless, a little funny and totally badass. Anthony Mackie is damn good too although his performance isn't nearly as ridiculously awesome as Renner's. The thing I loved most about the movie is how it wasn't political at all. This is a war movie but there is no message really. Iraq is more like a backdrop. There is no preaching going on in this movie, just damn fine story telling. I also love how unbelievably different this movie is. There is no clear protagonist (although Renner should clearly be nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars). There is no climax or character development. It's just a story with no beginning and no end, really. It's a moment in the life of these characters. Without all of these things, the movie still manages to be powerful, interesting, intense, suspenseful and just straight up great. This movie is a masterpiece without compromising to Hollywood's sell-out standards.
Grade: A (maybe A+, I have to see it again to be sure).