American Hustle (2013)

5/5

David O. Russell's American Hustle is a phenomenal piece of entertainment. The plot is what it is: interesting but predictable. It is very loosely taken from real-world events, so much so that Russell doesn't even say that it was "based on a true story." Instead he writes that "some of this actually happened." Who knows what did and didn't. But does it even matter? While parts of the story may proceed out of historical necessity, I get the distinct sense that Russell's real joy in writing act after act was to unveil backstories, to reveal motivations, to delve into his characters. He focuses on the people rather than the plot.

Russell's directing is a bit more on point than last year's Silver Linings Playbook. He downplays the camera as an active participant, although it is not quite the invisible observer we are accustomed to. The cinematography and editing are unexciting. He steps back as a director to showcase his actors, and it was the right move. Russell allows his actors to breathe, to inhabit their characters, to follow them wherever they go.

Christian Bale somehow offers us a charismatic, sympathetic view of an intensely unlikeable, unattractive man. Underneath his bad combover is a hyper-functioning brain and below that still is a broken, aching heart. We care for him, although any rational person seeing his character in real life and hearing about his actions would find him repugnant and deplorable. That we are able to cheer for him at the end is a testament to his acting ability. Jennifer Lawrence gives an equally impressive turn as his wife. She unwittingly manipulates, she foolishly destroys, she ferociously loves. She is a mess, a chaos of emotion that falls apart and builds itself anew daily. She finds strength amidst mental illness in such a way that it tears us up. Lawrence makes her character human in the most unexpected of ways, in the simplest of words, in the subtlest of gestures.

I could go on and on about the rest of the cast--Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper deliver perhaps the finest performances of their careers--but I would rather you experience it for yourself. It is one thing to read about these characters; it is an entirely different thing to watch them light up the screen. And seeing this ensemble perform is absolutely mesmerizing.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/

End of Watch (2012)

4/5

End of Watch is a gritty police drama that combines elements of realism and truth with humor and warmth. It follows two young officers (Gyllenhaal, Peña) patrolling the streets of LA together. Instead of focusing on the minutiae of cop life, it centers on the relationship between the two leads and simply explores where their job takes them. The writing is filled with harrowing experiences that make your heart stop beating for a few seconds. The movie is exciting, thrilling, terrifying, and heartfelt.

The editing is just about perfect. It collapses time to focus on the most startling arrests and the biggest personal life events: weddings, birthdays, etc. It uses the found footage concept to perfection, unlike Chronicle. Chronicle took the concept too far, to the point where it impeded the storytelling and lessened your enjoyment of the film. Here, it provides a framework, a context, a setting. It gives shape and meaning to the story instead of forcing the story in one direction or becoming the story itself.

But, honestly, the actors are the reason to see this movie. Gyllenhaal and Peña give truly outstanding and memorable performances. They each bring their own individual charisma to the screen, and together they have a natural chemistry that takes your breath away. The movie is far from perfect, with numerous unbelievable scenarios and occasional unclear motivations. Be that as it may, the movie was a joy to watch and I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1855199/

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

3/5

Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer is an unexpectedly thrilling crime/courtroom drama. Mick Haller (McConaughey) is the titular lawyer who takes on the case of Louis Roulet (Phillippe), a wealthy playboy accused of assaulting a prostitute. Roulet is unwilling to take any deals or plead anything besides not guilty, so Haller considers it a challenge worthy of his skills. However, Haller discovers some information that makes him doubt Roulet's honesty and innocence, which ends up putting him in quite the pickle as he debates breaking attorney-client privilege.

The opening credits were well-done, evoking an authentic 70's feel that unfortunately was never carried through to the rest of the film. Likewise, the story started with enormous potential, but it quickly whittled its way down to the predictable and expected. Connelly's writing is exciting, but not particularly original or mind-blowing. The pacing unfortunately turned out to be one of the movie's weaker suits. The characters' motivations were revealed too early, which just left you waiting for events to unfold instead of having you sit on the edge of your seat wondering who was telling the truth and who was not.

All in all, the movie has its ups and downs, which balances it out to about 3 stars. McConaughey does a fine job as the lead, but there's something about him I just don't like in this film. I think it's his gaunt eyes and cachectic face that ooze a sense of unease and distrust. His character might be a little sleazy, but I don't think I'm supposed to find him so eerily unsettling. Some of the supporting actors are spectacular (viz. William H. Macy) while others are not (viz. Ryan Phillippe). For a mindless piece of entertainment, The Lincoln Lawyer is decent, but that's about all I'll give it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189340/

The Lucky Ones (2008)

4/5

Neil Burger's The Lucky Ones is a surprisingly poetic, true-to-life dramedy about three soldiers coming back from Iraq. Tim Robbins plays Cheever, a married man coming home to his wife and college-bound son. Michael Peña plays TK, a young soldier who thinks he knows more about the world than he does. Rachel McAdams plays Colee, a naive girl with too much trust in and openness towards others. They may seem like cliches on paper, but with excellent acting and writing, they become unbelievably human on the screen. And as the movie progresses, they seem to develop, mature, and change. But they don't, as much as we might want them to. Similar to the characters in The Band's Visit, here exist honest representations of real people. They are unable to change, just as we are. What changes throughout the film is our impression of them; we are allowed to witness more and more intimate details about their lives, personalities, and feelings and construct who they really are out of that. Their journey from New York to St. Louis to Las Vegas was no doubt memorable, depressing, and inspiring, but a few days on a road trip with random strangers would not make any of us quit our jobs or move to Canada. And neither will watching a memorable, depressing, and inspiring movie. The world just isn't that easy.

Despite my adulation of the film's realism, it is not without its share of problems. I didn't notice anything regarding the film's technical properties, which is more an indication of its mediocrity rather than greatness, I suppose. My main problem was with the plot, and in particular the preposterous situation in which Cheever must acquire $20k immediately to pay for his son's college tuition. Has nobody heard of student loans? As a lot of the movie does hinge on this desperate need for money, I can see how people might get hung up on this incredibly silly notion (I certainly was when I saw 21), but for some reason I was able to look past it here. I can easily recommend this film to anyone looking for a touching yet hilarious foray into humankind.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981072/