American Hustle - 2013 - Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence

Quality acting.

Directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook), American Hustle is the story of  two con artists (Bale and Adams) who are forced by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey (played by Jeremy Renner). 

The stand-out area of American Hustle, and where I begin with this review, is the acting. Phenomenal acting is the most memorable part of the picture. Playing Roselyn, Irving's (Bale) wife, Jennifer Lawrence produces another breathtaking performance as a woman obsessed with self-help books and constantly making trouble for Irving. Lawrence takes over every scene that she's in, once again showing why she is currently the hottest star in Hollywood. Personally, the other brilliant performance is by Christian Bale as con man Irving Rosenfeld. I don't think I'll forget the opening scene to American Hustle for a long time, especially seeing as I watched The Fighter the night before. The opening scene sees an overweight Bale (a huge contrast to the extremely thin Bale in The Fighter) fixing his toupee; with the entrance of Bradley Cooper's Richie DiMaso causing a simply hilarious sequence that I don't wish to ruin for anybody who has yet to watch the film. Another performance to watch out for is the cameo of Robert De Niro, although an extremely minor role De Niro shines.

David O. Russell has created, just as with Silver Linings Playbook, a mixed-genre film that contains elements of thriller, political, comedy and drama. However, I find that Russell's emphasis throughout the whole film is on the characters rather than crime or violence, which has proved a plus with Bale, Cooper, Adams and Lawrence all receiving Academy Award nominations.

If there is an area of the film that I could criticise it would be that, to the casual film viewer, American Hustle may not be captivating enough. After speaking to friends, who are passive film viewers, they felt the film just lacked a thrilling element that would keep them interested throughout the 138 minute running time.

Overall I found that the acting truly steals the show and makes the headlines for this picture. Watch out for a couple of Oscar wins!

J.Henderson

7.5/10

The Wolf of Wall Street - 2013 - Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill.

Exhilarating and hilarious.

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a New York stockbroker who goes from working on penny stocks to a life of corruption and excess. Following Belfort during his twenties, he, along with right-hand man Donnie Azoff (Hill), takes the financial world by storm with his stockbroking skill and aggressive partying.

Martin Scorsese directs this masterfully funny and daring picture. Although being criticized for its glamorizing of the drugs and sex lifestyle, I don't see this as a huge issue. What this content gives is a fast paced (which was definitely needed in this 3 hour film) thrill ride that keeps you laughing and shocked throughout. Personally, I find this one of the most enjoying Scorsese films ever produced. The daring and outlandish characters were gripping to watch, in particular Jordan Belfort whose lack of remorse for his actions, combined with his love of drugs, created a villain who an audience just can't keep there eyes off.

The acting throughout The Wolf of Wall Street is simply remarkable. Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna, during the short time that he is present in this picture, controls each scene and has the full attention of Belfort. McConaughey's 'Money Chant', which is on the soundtrack, is actually a warm up technique used by McConaughey, and when seen by DiCaprio he felt it would have worked in the film; it definitely did with the sequence being a stand-out moment in the 3 hour spectacular. Jonah Hill produces an Oscar-nominated supporting role that proves his ability as an actor. When I saw Hill in Moneyball (2011) I thought he had the skill and talent to become one of the top actors in Hollywood, after watching The Wolf of Wall Street this opinion has not faulted. Hill is compelling and gripping as Belfort's drug-fueled aide, however, I don't feel he will have much luck at the Oscars with the likes of Jared Leto and Michael Fassbender further up the pecking order.

I feel the one area of the film that lets it down is the length. At three hours long the film is Scorsese's longest and most definitely could have benefited from having a few scenes cut down. The vast number of speeches were incredibly long and self-indulgent, at times there was the feeling that an epic speech had been made with a great final line only for it to continue for another five minutes and ultimately gave the audience a reason to lose concentration. On the other hand, the ridiculous and insanely entertaining parties bring every viewer back to the film.

The most exciting film of 2013.

J. Henderson.

8/10