Quick Take: 'American Hustle' (2013)

It seems that David O. Russell has somehow flown under the radar over the past few years despite pumping out The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, two of the more entertaining (extremely entertaining for that matter) films that the given time period has offered. Both The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook have a highly energetic pace but Russell’s latest, American Hustle, is nearly absent of this which is a real shame considering that a faster, sporadic pace would nicely complement the sting operation plot and the characters that come with it. The story it’s self is flat but that could largely be contributed to Russell wanting the focus to be on the characters involved. Aiding in this is a more than capable cast in the form of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner that take on these already solid characters, causing for the films issues to be easier to look past. Each of the main characters is interesting in their own right due to not just what is revealed but what isn’t. There is depth to these characters and if one can dig deeper than the upfront entertainment value that each has they become even more special. American Hustle is a film that looks at how easy or how difficult it can be to deceive or create a perception of a situation for someone else and how human relationships and personalities can get in the way of this. This is carried out the only way it can be, through the characters that make up the film.         

Grade: B                      

Quick Take: 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook focuses on Pat (Bradley Cooper), a man who has recently been released from a mental health facility after having a break down following the discovery of his wife with another man. Cooper in the role could not be better. It is a much different character than what we are used to him playing but due to the life he gives to the character, the audience has no choose but to root for Pat to find that silver lining. Matching the solid performance of Cooper is Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany, a woman who isn’t completely mentally or emotionally stable after the death of her husband. This character demands quirkiness, charm along with vulnerability and Lawrence not only meets these demands but exceeds them. Silver Linings Playbook isn’t great due to these performances alone but great because complementing the quality of performances is the direction and writing of David O. Russell.  Russell brilliantly matches the high strung characters and situations with the way he blocks each scene and uses a shaky camera to capture them. Yes, Silver Linings Playbook is well crafted to say the least but it is its story that will have you feeling several different emotions which includes a smile long after the credits role.                  
 Grade: A-