The one thing I noticed watching this movie is how much it reminded me of Goodfellas. Not because of the story line, but because of the way it's narrated, the quick camera movements and zooming in and out on things, and the way they used the music.
American Hustle of course falls way short of being up to the quality of Goodfellas. The movie was well acted but the movie didn't go anywhere and ultimately fell flat.
It was more than influenced by Goodfellas, rather I think it was trying to pay homage to Goodfellas, but instead came off as a cheap copy.
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Your mama was a snowblower!
I completely agree. I really, really wanted to like this movie, but could not shake the feeling that I was watching an ensemble of actors (all terrific in their own right) play Goodfellas dress-up.
I adore Amy Adams but found her character too distant to connect with (looked terrific though). I usually like Jennifer Lawrence but thought she was not only over-the-top, but lacked the maturity needed to inform this tough character. Bradley Cooper was excellent, but again, there's a detached air about the whole thing. I like Christian Bale, but I put him in the Daniel Day Lewis realm where his performance schtick becomes a distraction. Sometimes, it's just too much as to be comical (likewise, I Day Lewis was hilarious in There Will Be Blood, but I don't think that was intended). Granted, this film has a sense of humor, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the integrity of the characters. Tends to undermine the overall, you know?
Of course, so much of what made Goodfellas was in its direction, and we get Goodfellas 101 in spades here in everything from the editing style, the use of music (I actually loved that Dirty Work credit sequence....a little goes a long way though), etc. But the real kicker is the DeNiro cameo. Yes, he's getting old, and many view him as a caricature of his former greatness, and on & on. But he's still a great actor, folks, and he can "walk through" a role and manage to out-act everyone around him with apparent ease. Seeing him amidst this young cast served to remind me that I would rather be watching Goodfellas.
I do think there's a level of streetwise, tough or whatever you want to call it, that is extremely hard to act. I've watched DiCaprio try over & over & over and yet, as much as I admire his efforts and abilities, I just can't quite believe it. Look at the old guys: Cagney, Bogart, Hackman, Holden, Mitchum, Eastwood....these guys weren't from the Olivier school but all they had something that can't be taught - experience, wisdom & grit which informed their performances. It can't be learned. Cagney grew up poor in a NYC tenement. He seemed tough because he was. Plain & simple. I'm not saying it can't be done with that personal background, but it's not a coincidence either that the great screen toughs had it.
Goodfellas is the obvious comparison, but in some ways Casino might be a more appropriate one.
shareI really don't get the Goodfellas comparison. American Hustle has none of the kinetic editing or breaking the fourth wall moments from what I remember. Nor did it have the constant narration / voice over. There might have been a freeze frame or two that is similar to Goodfellas, but Scorsese didn't exactly invent all these techniques. Goodfellas was borrowing from the French new wave.
American Hustle was more of a noir-ish caper plot, and was pure Coen Brothers.
Comparing it to Scorsese is a superficial evaluation, imo, simply because it was set in the 70s and involved mobsters. The film seemed to me more of a parody of crime thrillers and 70s movies than it did an emulation.
~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.
Just to understand.....in your opinion, this film is a parody?
shareIt's part comedy, screwball, farce, caper, and parodies other elements.
~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.
I think it's obvious the director was influenced by Scorcese, Goodfellas, Casino, etc. Very similar storytelling, subject matter, era, techniques, etc.
But I liked the movie. I thought the director did a good job overall. I just watched it last night for the first time and thought it was compelling and held my interest the entire time. And I'm picky.
Two things annoyed me: Jennifer Lawrence's "Live & Let Die" moment was stupid, IMO. I like the song and didn't mind that it was in the movie, but the dancing bit seemed like a director being too smitten with an actress and allowing a superfluous scene. (I think Scorcese did the same thing with the overly-redundant Jonah Hill & DeCaprio stuff in "Wolf of Wall Street.")
Secondly, way too much slow-motion stuff. Yeah, I get that David O'Russell admires Scorcese, but too many scenes of paying homage can detract. It becomes too self-conscious and distracting.
That said, I liked the overall movie and can excuse the director for a couple of indulgences and didn't find them so distracting that it ruined my viewing experience. I also watched some of the extra scenes on the DVD and was glad he left those out. More isn't always better. I have to say as much as I enjoy most of Scorcese's work, I thought "American Hustle" was much better, more disciplined & tighter than "Wolf of Wall Street." I was not familiar with this director by name, but after reading up on this movie, now see that I have respected O'Russell's work in the past -- "Three Kings" and "I Heart Huckabees," both being original works in a copycat medium.
SPOILER ALERT
Final note: I'm glad I didn't know DeNiro was going to be in it, or it may have affected my viewing experience, as in being distracted waiting for his appearance. What I found amazing was that despite the numerous times he's played a gangster -- in dramas and comedies -- he was still convincingly scary AGAIN! I didn't recognize him at first and had to rewind the flashback, but man, his scene was like watching a real gangster from Miami, and gave a very believable feeling of malevolent power that shifted the movie into another gear at just the right time.
Well I guess you're right, the Scorsese influences are apparent. But it's not like it was a rip off with no original style or its own. It seemed to have this outlandish and bizarre humour to it that differentiated it from a Scorsese movie.
I also agree on the self indulgent J Law scenes. Russell realizes he's got the It girl of Hollywood, so he's not wasting any chances to give her a sideshow. But it was distracting. However, at least they took the opportunity to make her look like a bumbling baffoon, which was amusing. The cameo from De Niro was also well executed.
I didn't care for WoWS too much either. American Hustle had the more interesting characters, and I was really surprised about the turn around with Bale's character. He goes from a slimy conman to a very vulnerable and empathetic person, it was a moving moment. The people that populated the film felt like real human beings. I just didn't have that same connection in Wolf.
~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.
I agree with your whole post Degree7. I didn't think it was a rip-off or unoriginal, either.
I liked the humor, too, and found myself LOL'ing several times - even at J-Lawrence's character, whom I thought she played pretty well. Having know gals like that, I thought she pegged her pretty well. A "quirky" character can be a caricature, but I really believed her being true to that character throughout. It wasn't just "examples of quirky" that have been done a million times. (I just didn't think the "Live & Let Die" scene fit. Reminded me of that suddenly out-of-place, stupid dance/music sequence in the Breakfast Club.)
I also really liked Bale's & DeNiro's performances. "What are you, a farmer?" LOL.
Jennifer Lawrence's "Live & Let Die" moment was stupid, IMO. I like the song and didn't mind that it was in the movie, but the dancing bit seemed like a director being too smitten with an actress and allowing a superfluous scene.
I thought "American Hustle" was much better, more disciplined & tighter than "Wolf of Wall Street."
Yeah, this flick was Scorcese-lite.
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