We all do what we have to do to get by in life, even if it means pretending we’re someone we’re not to our closest friends and family, and sometimes ourselves. Even if the masquerade is bullshit, people will never stop trying to hide their true selves in order to get by or get ahead. This is the underlying message of American Hustle, a movie that was once more appropriately titled American Bullshit. Set in the 1970s, American Hustle stars Christian Bale as a portly, balding con man named Irving, a man who makes a living from the art of bullshit and hustling. As a child, he drummed up new business for his father’s glass company by running through the neighborhood throwing rocks at windows. Nowadays, he continues in his father’s footsteps with an extra laundromat empire on the side. He meets a kindred spirit named Sydney (Amy Adams) at a party and the two experience mutual attraction in its most intense form. Sydney will do anything to leave behind the life she once led as a stripper, conning her way to a good position at Cosmopolitan magazine while still looking for an excuse to reinvent herself. Irving presents Sydney with a new business endeavor involving the art of promising bank loans to desperate people, taking their down payments and giving them nothing in return. Sydney invents a new persona, Lady Edith of London, and a new business begins to blossom.
A film and television review blog with an emphasis on Oscar and Emmy potential.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
American Hustle (Russell, 2013)
We all do what we have to do to get by in life, even if it means pretending we’re someone we’re not to our closest friends and family, and sometimes ourselves. Even if the masquerade is bullshit, people will never stop trying to hide their true selves in order to get by or get ahead. This is the underlying message of American Hustle, a movie that was once more appropriately titled American Bullshit. Set in the 1970s, American Hustle stars Christian Bale as a portly, balding con man named Irving, a man who makes a living from the art of bullshit and hustling. As a child, he drummed up new business for his father’s glass company by running through the neighborhood throwing rocks at windows. Nowadays, he continues in his father’s footsteps with an extra laundromat empire on the side. He meets a kindred spirit named Sydney (Amy Adams) at a party and the two experience mutual attraction in its most intense form. Sydney will do anything to leave behind the life she once led as a stripper, conning her way to a good position at Cosmopolitan magazine while still looking for an excuse to reinvent herself. Irving presents Sydney with a new business endeavor involving the art of promising bank loans to desperate people, taking their down payments and giving them nothing in return. Sydney invents a new persona, Lady Edith of London, and a new business begins to blossom.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Top 10 Shows of 2013
2013 in television has been one of the greater years in recent memory, making it particularly hard to narrow the best shows of the year to just 10. From exciting new comedies to consistently amazing dramas, 2013 proved that television is no longer the younger sibling of movies. Some of these shows were better than most movies released this year, and many movie stars have noticed and transferred to television.
It’s rare for television comedies to come out of the gate with a confident voice. When Fox premiered Brooklyn Nine-Nine in September, it bolstered recent SNL vet Andy Samberg and longtime television favorite Andre Braugher, both of whom I assumed would be hogging all the screentime. I was surprised to tune in to the premiere and see a strong ensemble, not just from the TV vets but from the relative unknowns as well. Samberg’s Jake Peralta is essentially Samberg playing Samberg, but his particular brand of humor works as a kooky but competent lead. Braugher’s take on the police chief is one of the more complex new roles on television, playing a traditional straight man (who ironically happens to be gay) in a group of wackos.
The strength of Brooklyn Nine-Nine come from the interplay of the ensemble and the strength of the writing. Particularly strong is Joe Lo Truglio as Boyle, the awkward yet honest detective with a crush on the hardcore, enigmatic Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). Though it is inherently a procedural, the show has gradually made the characters and their relationships stronger with each new episode. It’s fortunate to have a comedic ensemble work so well from the first episodes, and I can only see it growing stronger. More than anything else, though, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is like hanging out with your friends for a little while, and that’s one of the best things a sitcom can be, let alone a new one.
10. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
It’s rare for television comedies to come out of the gate with a confident voice. When Fox premiered Brooklyn Nine-Nine in September, it bolstered recent SNL vet Andy Samberg and longtime television favorite Andre Braugher, both of whom I assumed would be hogging all the screentime. I was surprised to tune in to the premiere and see a strong ensemble, not just from the TV vets but from the relative unknowns as well. Samberg’s Jake Peralta is essentially Samberg playing Samberg, but his particular brand of humor works as a kooky but competent lead. Braugher’s take on the police chief is one of the more complex new roles on television, playing a traditional straight man (who ironically happens to be gay) in a group of wackos.
The strength of Brooklyn Nine-Nine come from the interplay of the ensemble and the strength of the writing. Particularly strong is Joe Lo Truglio as Boyle, the awkward yet honest detective with a crush on the hardcore, enigmatic Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). Though it is inherently a procedural, the show has gradually made the characters and their relationships stronger with each new episode. It’s fortunate to have a comedic ensemble work so well from the first episodes, and I can only see it growing stronger. More than anything else, though, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is like hanging out with your friends for a little while, and that’s one of the best things a sitcom can be, let alone a new one.
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