jokersonyou
Joined Sep 2000
Badges2
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews12
jokersonyou's rating
We went to Rock the Kasbah for an early screening. Neither of us had heard much of anything about it, but I enjoy Bill Murray's work and it seemed to have a strong cast.
But the first half of the film seemed different than the second half. Actors seemed wasted in their roles. I just wasn't quite sure what to make of the movie.
The film is about an over-the-hill music producer, Richie Lanz, scrambling to make a last go of the industry. He brings his last big talent (Zooey D) overseas as an entertainer for the troops, where he will be sure to collect some big money. However, she promptly decides she doesn't want to be there, leaves, and Bill Murray is left to fend for himself sans papers or money. That is how the movie opens. After that we get Scott Caan, Bruce Willis and Kate Hudson appearing in varying roles as Bill Murray finds his way in Afghanistan.
Kate Hudson may or may not be intentionally faking an accent, but tries hard to pull off sex appeal as a hooker for hire. I don't see her appeal. Bruce Willis is the necessary, and typical gun for hire. Zooey comes and goes, and sadly never comes back. Scott Caan is the necessary character who comes and goes to provide necessary funds to Lanz to survive. I didn't find him funny and was a plot device only to basically say the first half of the film is rendered irrelevant.
It's just weak compared to other Bill Murray fare and each character seems to be a cameo, until the end becomes just another old-music-producer-finds-a-talent. It doesn't seem to push many boundaries, which is ironic since the film is about pushing boundaries in Afghanistan.
It was okay, but nothing more and nothing less.
But the first half of the film seemed different than the second half. Actors seemed wasted in their roles. I just wasn't quite sure what to make of the movie.
The film is about an over-the-hill music producer, Richie Lanz, scrambling to make a last go of the industry. He brings his last big talent (Zooey D) overseas as an entertainer for the troops, where he will be sure to collect some big money. However, she promptly decides she doesn't want to be there, leaves, and Bill Murray is left to fend for himself sans papers or money. That is how the movie opens. After that we get Scott Caan, Bruce Willis and Kate Hudson appearing in varying roles as Bill Murray finds his way in Afghanistan.
Kate Hudson may or may not be intentionally faking an accent, but tries hard to pull off sex appeal as a hooker for hire. I don't see her appeal. Bruce Willis is the necessary, and typical gun for hire. Zooey comes and goes, and sadly never comes back. Scott Caan is the necessary character who comes and goes to provide necessary funds to Lanz to survive. I didn't find him funny and was a plot device only to basically say the first half of the film is rendered irrelevant.
It's just weak compared to other Bill Murray fare and each character seems to be a cameo, until the end becomes just another old-music-producer-finds-a-talent. It doesn't seem to push many boundaries, which is ironic since the film is about pushing boundaries in Afghanistan.
It was okay, but nothing more and nothing less.
American Hustle feels like a good movie that is a retread. The performances are outstanding, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence are given the chance to shine and they don't miss. However, the story (who is hustling who?) is thinly veiled. It's well done, but nothing that hasn't been done before ("The Sting").
The story is essentially Bale and Amy Adams are con artists. Eventually they get picked up by the FBI (Bradley Cooper). They set up an operation designed to implicate the mayor (Jeremy Renner) but eventually seem to be knee-deep in trouble as the mob and politicians get involved. Then the question becomes who is the hustler, and who is being hustled.
The story is essentially Bale and Amy Adams are con artists. Eventually they get picked up by the FBI (Bradley Cooper). They set up an operation designed to implicate the mayor (Jeremy Renner) but eventually seem to be knee-deep in trouble as the mob and politicians get involved. Then the question becomes who is the hustler, and who is being hustled.