haighyboy2009 Reviews

American Hustle (2013)

David O Russell at his best

[7/10 · 5 January 2014]

Ah David O'Russell, you continue to impress me.

American Hustle stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremey Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. Besides Renner, each of these actors/actresses have worked with O Russell before, and oh god does this man know who to work with.

Last year the director brought us Silver Linings playbook, a fresh burst of energy and entertainment which most audiences loved, Jennifer Lawrence even won an academy award for her role in the film. Oh and lets not forget 'The Fighter' the first David O Russell flick I saw in which American Hustle's lead Christian Bale snatched up an academy award. When I left the screening of this movie I couldn't help to think to myself 'who's next?' for the Oscar, its safe to say the performances in this film are definitely worthy.

Christian Bale, the master of method acting, is incredible as sleazy con-man Irving Rosenfeld, the films protagonist. 'He wasn't necessarily in good shape' Amy Adams states early in the film referring to Bale who gained over 40 pounds to play Irving, you may be thinking its ridiculous how Bale can transform his body for a certain role, however don't be conned into believing its more ridiculous than Irving's highly laughable comb over, which may be more out of shape than the character himself.

Irving and his seductive lover Sydney are forced into working for FBI agent Richie Dimaso, played dynamically by a curly haired Bradley Cooper, who is astounding in this film. I previously mentioned how impressive Christian Bale's performance was, but Cooper's on screen chemistry with Amy Adams was one of American Hustle's triumphs, the actors seem to bounce off each other, leading me to believe that the film benefited from the often improvised scenes. Smart, snappy and sexy, Amy Adams delivers a passionate performance as Sydney proves how versatile of an actress she is; hats off to Adams, who deserves an Oscar nomination for her role.

Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Irving's unpredictable, beautiful 'trophy' wife Rosalyn, is great here, the 'live and let die' scene was crafted spectacularly, a personal favourite out of so many enjoyable scenes, Once again Jennifer Lawrence proves that she is one of the finest, most likable actresses working in Hollywood today. Jeremy Renner, the newcomer, stars as Carmine Polito, a New Jersey politician who seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during the latter period of the film. Renner shines and is at his very best here, and even though the film's pacing is often dragged out from time to time, and it may be a little too long, all of these characters are so interesting to watch, whether we pity them, show empathy for them or want to scream at them, they are so damn enjoyable and interesting to watch; David O Russell could not have chose a better cast.

It's not just the cast that really sells American Hustle to its audience, its how energetic and smooth David O Russell's directing is. The film is packed with a nostalgic 70's soundtrack and Scorsese influenced set pieces that go hand in hand with the rich, elaborate cinematography and often exaggerated, emphasised costume designs, David O Russell sells his audience a film that seems to come natural to him. People have already started to criticise that American Hustle is often too reminiscent of Scorsese films such as 'Casino' but the scenes are so well directed that certain nods to Scorsese become merely a gesture from O Russell to show that he has leaned from the best.

The script, originally titled 'American Bullshit' is superb, often heavily dialogue driven, as viewers we don't get bored of the quirky, peculiar conversations these characters have, in fact, we anticipate more of it. The film is completely unpredictable, who would have thought a story about ice fishing would have been so funny? And who would of thought Robert De-Niro's Miami mobster could speak Arabian? Nobody, not even the characters themselves, who are so convincing. If you get the chance, go and see American Hustle, I promise you, it isn't a con to try and take your money, however, you will be conned into realising that David O Russell as a filmmaker just keeps getting better, and better.

The Machinist (2004)

Bale at his best.

[7/10 · 30 May 2012]

There are many fine actors in cinema today, with many great performances in many great films, however when it comes to method acting,it doesn't seem to get much better than Christian Bale. For his role of Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, Bale dropped a whopping 63 pounds for his portrayal of the stick thin Insomniac. It is often common for actors and actresses to gain or lose a few pounds for an upcoming role, but to drop such an excessive amount of weight, I think its safe to say that no one can accuse Bale of taking his profession lightly. As a huge Bale fan before seeing The Machinist, one could say my opinion is quite biased, but regardless of my own opinion, Bale's performance in this film is absolutely incredible, and throughout the film I literally felt as though Bale had disappeared into another person. I found it nearly impossible not to gasp at Bale's transformation in this movie.

Near the start of the film we're told that Reznik hasn't slept in a year, which, well, kind of looks obvious. This immediately left an enigma, hooking me in and making me want to know why hasn't this seemingly innocent, lonely Machinist slept in so long, and also why we are introduced to a man who looks like a walking skeleton.

What I absolutely loved about this film is that director Brad Anderson and writer Scott Kosar really did hit the nail on the head of displaying themes of isolation, repression, loss and guilt in this film, as though the story is shown through Reznik's eyes, yet somehow a constant feeling of mistrust of him makes the film rather unsettling. The dark lighting that is constantly drained and ghostly adds to the idea of the themes and loss and guilt, which I found worked very well at creating quite a gloomy atmosphere full of tension and suspense in the film. The exceptionally clever camera work reflects upon the haunting imagery represented throughout different scenes, making the film particularly stand out for me especially because of how dark this film is.

When I say dark, I don't mean black and white, or poor lighting, however every colour in this film seems to be faded and greying, adding to the protagonists weakened state, as though the world around Trevor is sinking as well as himself, which I found very creepy. For the duration of the film Reznik is plagued by an unpleasant character named Ivan, played very well by John Sharian, an apparently new employee where Trevor works who causes him to result in a horrific accident at their workplace which causes Trevor to become alone and mistrusted, endorsing the theme of isolation, making the film somehow darker than Trevor's eye sockets, which are a perfect reflection for his guilt and sin.

There is easily recognisable suspense and mystery throughout the film which is wrapped up in the complex and well written plot, which was built up from great character development shown from Jennifer Jason Leigh's pleasurable portrayal of Reznik's 'friend in need' Stevie, as well as rather mysterious characters such as Ivan and Marie. I feel that some would find the climax of the film predictable and bleak, however I found that the twist was so dark and gripping I honestly felt as though Trevor has become part of my own life because of how much I ended up feeling sorry for this character, instead of it decaying my enjoyment of the film.

For viewers who are just casual movie watchers as something to pass the time, or viewers who don't like anything more complicated and unsettling than Twilight or Transformers, I certainly don't recommend this film as it is disturbing, complex, and well written. However for those who appreciate a fantastic script and memorable cinematography, as well as a plot twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I recommend this, as it definitely engages with those points. I very much enjoyed the film, although I did find it quite unsettling at times, as it really does represent a man's horror and fragile state of mind. The Machinist is a film I will most certainly remember, which leads me to giving it a well earned 8/10.