Does anyone else hate AMERICAN HUSTLE? (1 Viewer)

[Ruz-El]

I liked Silver Linings Playbook a lot more than Hustle. I expected to not like SLP. It has to be high expectations going in.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I haven't seen this film so I won't comment on it, but regarding Hollywood more generally. Today's Hollywood is terrific at capturing the style and look of an era. In terms of that, it's never been better. This contrasts with classic Hollywood, which generally was not interested in realism. I even recall reading an article where the writer complained about The Searchers using geographically inappropriate Indian artifacts. Yet, classic Hollywood was much more focused on story and personality, and for me, that makes even many low budget films from the 1930s and 1940s more enjoyable than much of what it made today.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I certainly didn't hate it, but it left me flat. I thought it tried too hard to be quirky and was too derivative of other, much better movies.

That sums up my feelings on the film.

 

[Ruz-El]

Today's Hollywood is terrific at capturing the style and look of an era. In terms of that, it's never been better.

I would agree with that if you were talking about the Coen Brothers. Despite all the technology, I find that many of the Hollywood films today are just too glossy and polished to capture any realism, which was my problem with this film. It looked amateur cartoon-y as opposed to authentic.

 

[Thomas T]

..... which was my problem with this film. It looked amateur cartoon-y as opposed to authentic.

Well, it is a comedy. Comedies tend to exaggerate (which is what makes it funny) and clearly Russell and company were having fun with the period. It's not as if Russell were attempting an authentic Barry Lyndon style period recreation.

 

[albert_m2]

I really, really enjoyed it. I get that a lot of people can't get into it, and there are other acclaimed films that I can't get into, but this had strong performances and was done well I thought.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I would agree with that if you were talking about the Coen Brothers. Despite all the technology, I find that many of the Hollywood films today are just too glossy and polished to capture any realism, which was my problem with this film. It looked amateur cartoon-y as opposed to authentic.

I think Russell was more interested in making an entertaining film than a realistic one.

 

[Ejanss]

The first time I tried to watch this film was on a flight to Athens. I really wanted to get into it because I had heard some good things and it had won the New York film critics award for 'best picture'. OK. watching an inflight movie is not under the best conditions, but after about forty minutes into this film I thought What a piece of crap.and what artistic value there was in this film was beyond me. When I came home, I thought I would give it another chance on HBO. After about another twenty minutes into it, I had to switch channels.I have always respected the choices of the New York Film Critics, but what were they thinking?

Some could look at the Abscam story and see "Little known American sting operation", like Argo.
Russell looked at the story and saw "Seduced by the indulgent underbelly of the 70's"....Yeesh, thought the first movie was more imaginative.

 

[Ruz-El]

My problem that the cartoonyness distracted me from being entertained. Russell was able to balance reality with rom com tropes in Silver Linings, which has brutally true depictions of mental illness that isn't ruined by the goofy made for rom com dance stuff. Scorsese can balance humour and crime to make classic entertainments like Goodfellas, which Hustle is in the same wheelhouse of. Anderson nailed humour and the seventies look with BOOGIE NIGHTS, Russell pushed it too far to be fully credible. Russell is certainly talented enough, THREE KINGS, THE FIGHTER and I HEART HUCKABEES all show that he can balance comedy and drama to make not just entertaining pictures but films of depth. Not that AH was empty, just distracting.

Russell just seemed to hit the wrong balance on this one with me. Especially when there were some pitch perfect films like NEBRASKA on tap, that balanced reality with humour perfectly. Maybe a second viewing will play better, I had expectations from all the hype.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Thoroughly entertained here, and loved the music choices and the production design. I don't buy many recent movies on BD, but picked this up and have re-watched it since.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Considering who was in this, and all the nominations, I don't remember this winning a single oscar.

 

[battlebeast]

I loved it. Great movie and well deserving.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Considering who was in this, and all the nominations, I don't remember this winning a single oscar.

It was 0 for 10 at the Academy Awards. Which has absolutely no impact on my enjoyment of the film. Personally, I thought at a minimum it should have won Best Actress for Amy Adams, Best Film Editing, and Best Production Design. But I don't get a vote.

Also, I thought the sequence juxtaposing the disco and the restaurant was one of the most 'cinematic' moments I've experienced in recent years. It was a wonderfully choreographed segment in the film.

- Walter.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Well, it is a comedy. Comedies tend to exaggerate (which is what makes it funny) and clearly Russell and company were having fun with the period. It's not as if Russell were attempting an authentic Barry Lyndon style period recreation.

I had no idea AMERICAN HUSTLE was a comedy. The version I saw seemed to me to be designed as a serious drama. It had no laughs whatsoever, intentional or otherwise. Unless we were supposed to laugh at all the fake accents and fake ethnic identities.

 

[BRAD1963]

No. I loved it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I had no idea AMERICAN HUSTLE was a comedy. The version I saw seemed to me to be designed as a serious drama. It had no laughs whatsoever, intentional or otherwise. Unless we were supposed to laugh at all the fake accents and fake ethnic identities.

I wouldn't call it a straight comedy, but I laughed quite often during my viewings of the film.

 

[Thomas T]

I had no idea AMERICAN HUSTLE was a comedy. The version I saw seemed to me to be designed as a serious drama. It had no laughs whatsoever, intentional or otherwise. Unless we were supposed to laugh at all the fake accents and fake ethnic identities.

It's a black comedy! Didn't Jennifer Lawrence's rendition of Live And Let Die at least bring a smile to your lips? Its best picture and acting nominations for the Golden Globes were in the comedy category. The reviewers "got" it as these excerpts show:

"gleefully overstuffed and blackly comic take"
"a vivacious tale of reinvention, denial and love among the ruined
"Did I mention how laugh out funny it is?"
"The Me decade greed ignites comic nitro in American Hustle"
"There's more than mere fun going on here"

 

[Jari K]

Bale was (again) so great in this film.

 

[Vic Pardo]

It's a black comedy! Didn't Jennifer Lawrence's rendition of Live And Let Die at least bring a smile to your lips? Its best picture and acting nominations for the Golden Globes were in the comedy category. The reviewers "got" it as these excerpts show:

"gleefully overstuffed and blackly comic take"
"a vivacious tale of reinvention, denial and love among the ruined
"Did I mention how laugh out funny it is?"
"The Me decade greed ignites comic nitro in American Hustle"
"There's more than mere fun going on here"

Well, it sure went over my head. (A possible side effect of seeing a movie on an airplane. )

 

[CraigF]

I thought it was funny because the best and smartest con artist was the person not directly in their con game. That's all really. I could say more, but let's leave it at I very much recognize the Bale character, I see them every day.

And re the "Live and Let Die" sequence: I'm glad they cut most of it. Amusing, in a very small dose. This is one movie where I think the stuff they show as cut is better off cut.

But I still get the feeling there is more "good stuff" (not shown on the BD) cut because of "pressures". That's kinda what I meant when this movie doesn't have the full Russell feel, seems shallow, seems neutered WRT his usual deep dark black comedy.