I really don't get the two running criticisms in this thread. I don't care for the 70's disco, cocaine aesthetic myself, but that is not really an issue in this movie. It's there, because that's the time, but not everywhere and it's definitely not glorified. Second, I have seen several people mention that there was too much going on and the result was that the film seemed unfocused or bloated. I really didn't see this either. This is pretty linear story that focuses basically on one guy. It's not Pulp Fiction or Memento complex. I was actually prepared for this to be a disco themed, indulgent, look how cute and fast-paced my movie is, Tarentio inspired, caricature flick, but that's not what it was. Just a really great script based on a fascinating true story with knockout performances. Entertaining as hell. Go see!
Remember this film is basically from Irving's point of view (he even narrates). It's up to the audience to decide who's right/wrong, treated fairly or unfairly. The real ABSCAM story was actually very controversial. It's pretty interesting, worth reading about.
I thought the performances from Bale and Lawrence were terrible. Plot was weak, predictable even though I didn't know the true story. Lawrence's character was very strange to me, the dialogue was no good and I still have no clue what she even wanted throughout the whole film. Everything else was good. It's a nice little film, worth maybe half the $40m they spent on it.
uh, she didn't want to change, but somewhat did, so she didn't really have a clue either, and just rolled with it. That was what was so awesome about her unique character, because she wasn't predictable to normal movie roles for a wife like that. and you complain because the movie was predictable but her role wasn't?
Oh, come on, terrible? He played that masterfully- that was a role that was just calling out for him to turn into some wife-beating, smashing s**t bada**, but he restrained it all the way through (well, maybe one or two outbursts). It's amazing how opinions vary. To each his own.
SPOILER Spoiler You mean the guy who accepts the $2m and it turns out he was the host of an earlier party they went to? That was obvious to me, though it could be a lucky guess.
Maybe you saw something I didn't see. All I could see was Christian Bale in a 70's outfit. Could have been way better IMO, but I think the fault is with the crew rather than the cast.
I don't know, I think characters should want something, even if they don't know they want it at the beginning. She never wanted anything. Even when she got the new guy, it didn't feel like that's what she wanted. Things just seemed to be happening TO her and she wasn't reacting to them. She didn't want Bale or her kid either from what I could gather. Her medical disorders forced her to need certain things, but that's not a replacement for what she would want. Don't get me wrong, Jennifer Lawrence is one of my favourite actors. The script seems like it was very very very very well written. The plot was weak to me, but lots of scripts are intentionally not big on plot (though this shouldn't have been one of em). Whats very clear to me is Lawrence's character wasn't well developed and she couldn't put on an accent that doesn't sound like the year 2014 so it didn't come out right though she LOOKED perfect for the part and other than her accent she acted the hell out of a poorly developed character.
It's clear that you have little taste in movies then. That list includes some of the all time greats. American Hustle was good. It wasn't outstanding but it was really solid. Better than Wolf for sure (though that was decent too).
I just thought he did a great job of reacting and exercising restraint. I thought it could have easily been a role where he could fly off the handle, especially at the actions of his idiotic, firestarter wife, but I liked how he kept up that hapless/fearful persona throughout. Plus, his accent, unlike the others, was consistent throughout. But I haven't really seen him in a lot of other movies (I'm more of a 50s/60s/70s/80s/90s movies buff), so maybe that's why. It's why it's hard for me to see Jack Nicholson as different in a lot of roles, except for maybe About Schmidt.
I thought it was an amazing movie. I watched this from download, since the movie isn't out in my country as yet. Bale was spectacular as usual. One of the better movies of 2013. The very last con they ran I wasn't expecting. My favorite scene was in the discotheque.
So is this movie fairly predictable? even if one's uneducated on the story it's based on? wifey wants to go see it but i don't want to watch a movie i can call from the start. Like "Oh I can tell she's going to screw him over for the loot, and then run away with this guy with all the money." i hate those movies
Saw it. While it was a solid movie, it was terribly over hyped by all the award buzz. Acting was good all around, but Bale and Adams probably stood out the best. I feel like Cooper acts the same in all his movies but that's just my opinion. I like Lawrence but I this wasn't her brightest moment.
Exactly, not sure what people were expecting to see. Story is pretty straight forward to me and did anyone yet mentioned Science Oven???
Well, I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. I really enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook, so I had high expectations. I was unaware the movie was about the Abscam scandal until I was half way through the movie. I remembered the scandal, but I couldn't remember the details. I felt like it was a six hour movie that they were trying to squeeze into two hours. Everything moved a little too fast. I also have a problem with movies that have too much fiction built around real events. I would prefer to see the movie stick more closely to the actual facts. I enjoyed the performances by the actors, but overall I was disappointed in the movie.
Golden Globe for Best Picture. I guess the Hollywood Foreign Press has an erection for 70s drug disco movies.
As much as I liked it, I would have picked either Nebraska or Inside Llewyn Davis. I really like everything Payne's done- Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, and Nebraska- I'm not sure if any director's first 6 movies are as solid as those. Even Scorsese had downers like New York, New York
