2013 End Of The Year Awards- Most Overrated Film- American Hustle

**This post contains spoilers**

Wait a minute. Ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The next American classic?

Let's start with Christian Bale's Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Bale's Irving Rosenfeld? it's a good performance, but an Oscar worthy performance? I don't think so. On top of that, if we're comparing Bale to this year's list of nominees and the winner, Matthew McConaughey, Bale is stuck in the third or fourth spot for the rankings. Need some more food for thought? Here's one name for you: Robert Redford. You can make a legit argument for Redford as a noticeable snub at the Oscars this year, and if you take the time to watch All Is Lost, you'll see why Redford deserved a spot in the Best Actor category.

And let's be honest, if we're comparing American Hustle's Irving to Bale's outstanding career as an actor, Irving doesn't deserve a spot in the top three (in no particular order, American Psycho, The Machinist, The Fighter) for Bale's best performances.

I'll give credit where credit is due. Jennifer Lawrence was on top of her game, as the schizophrenic livewire, Amy Adams deserves praise for her performance, Bradley Cooper is a suitable fit for Richie, and Jeremy Renner proved he's still capable of being one of the best actors in Hollywood, as the devoted Mayor with a good heart. Also, Robert De Niro's cameo during the meeting with Sheik Abdullah (Michael Pena) is a great shocker.

Still, American Hustle didn't win one Academy Award this year. Why? Because American Hustle is not a great film. A star-studded cast, featuring former Oscar winners and Oscar nominees, and the trio of David. O Russell, Lawrence, and Cooper rode the huge wave of momentum from Silver Linings Playbook. On top of that, Jennifer Lawrence is a hot commodity for young actresses with a bright future, so you had to expect a massive hype train for American Hustle.

I don't hate American Hustle. Hell, there's a good chance I'll buy the movie on DVD somewhere down the line, but the final product doesn't justify the hype or any grandiose expectations. 

In the end, American Hustle received a whopping ten Academy Award nominations, but there's a good chance we'll forget about this one in another three or four years. Of course, if someone mentions the name American Hustle, you'll know what they're talking about right off the bat. But we're not going to remember American Hustle as one of the all-time greats, and a decorated Oscar winner that deserves unquestioned praise and recognition.

The Town (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths or major surprises**

In Boston, four Charlestown natives work together as a notorious crew of robbers. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James (or “Jem”) Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke) run into some trouble after a routine robbery one morning. Jem takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the bank’s assistant manager, as a hostage for some collateral, but the group releases Claire with no real harm.

As time passes, Jem is afraid of Claire’s potential testimony as the only witness, so Jem suggests killing Claire, but Doug decides to follow Claire for a personal evaluation instead. Unbeknownst to Claire, Doug is spying on her, and during his investigation, Doug develops feelings for Claire.

But Doug can’t bask in glory of his newfound happiness. As the mastermind and organizer behind each robbery, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) uses his flower shop as a front with protection from his trusted bodyguard, Rusty (Dennis McLaughlin), and he refuses to hire the entire crew without Doug’s participation. Doug is contemplating retirement, but Fergie refuses to accept his resignation, and Fegie promises retaliation with Claire’s death. On top of all that, Doug tries to distance himself from his ex-girlfriend and Jem’s sister, Kris (Blake Lively).

With a limited number of options in front of him, Doug reluctantly agrees to continue a life of crime, but things change after a botched robbery. The crew is pursued by a relentless FBI Special Agent named Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). Frawley promises to cripple Doug and his crew with help from his right hand man, Dino Ciampa (Titus Welliver).

Doug tries to come up with a last minute exit strategy, but Fergie’s latest target complicates the situation. A haul worth millions of dollars is too tempting to pass up, so Fergie sends Doug and his crew on their most lucrative mission ever: Together, Doug and his crew will steal money from the cash room at Fenway Park.

Ben Affleck is a capable leading man, and he’s able to showcase some believable intensity every now and then (i.e. during his arguments with Jem). Jeremy Renner received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Jem here. Renner nails the “stubborn and hardened criminal, who won’t go down without fight” character, and he easily delivers one of the best performances in this film.

Rebecca Hall is convincing as Claire, and Hall did a good job of showing some real devastation, when Claire learns the truth about Doug’s second life. Blake Lively is spot on as this trashy druggie, who’s a complete train wreck in every way imaginable. And it’s not fair to judge Chris Cooper (he portrays Stephen MacRay, Doug’s father) here. Cooper’s screen time is limited to one appearance during a visit from Doug in jail, and that’s it.

Doug MacRay is an anti-hero, and John Hamm’s Frawley is the perfect foil for his character. Hamm is a sneering bully as Frawley, and Frawley has a snobbish superiority complex (i.e. mocking Doug with a Boston accent during the interrogation scene). Yeah, Doug MacRay is a criminal, but he’s also a hard working Average Joe, who makes a living by working construction. Frawley? He’s this pompous jerk, who enjoys taunting and tormenting Doug, and everyone close to him (including Claire). You’ll be rooting for Doug and his crew to escape in the end, because Hamm’s confident and unapologetic performance as Frawley is very convincing.

The Town is a sharp, tense, and efficient crime drama, featuring a formidable cast. The Town won’t change the landscape for crime dramas, but this one deserves credit for avoiding a finale that’s loaded with tragedy and sappy melodrama, because The Town allows a few rays of sunshine to break through the dark clouds. And it’s not his best film as a director (i.e. Gone Baby Gone and Argo), but Ben Affleck’s precise and smooth work behind the camera for The Town deserves praise and recognition.

Rating: 9/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Town (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

In Boston, four Charlestown natives work together as a notorious crew of robbers. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James (or “Jem”) Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke) run into some trouble after a routine robbery one morning. Jem takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the bank’s assistant manager, as a hostage for some collateral, but the group releases Claire with no real harm.

As time passes, Jem is afraid of Claire’s potential testimony as the only witness, so Jem suggests killing Claire, but Doug decides to follow Claire for a personal evaluation instead. Unbeknownst to Claire, Doug is spying on her, and during his investigation, Doug develops feelings for Claire.

But Doug can’t bask in glory of his newfound happiness. As the mastermind and organizer behind each robbery, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) uses his flower shop as a front with protection from his trusted bodyguard, Rusty (Dennis McLaughlin), and he refuses to hire the entire crew without Doug’s participation. Doug is contemplating retirement, but Fergie refuses to accept his resignation, and Fegie promises retaliation with Claire’s death. On top of all that, Doug tries to distance himself from his ex-girlfriend and Jem’s sister, Kris (Blake Lively).

With a limited number of options in front of him, Doug reluctantly agrees to continue a life of crime, but things change after a botched robbery. The crew is pursued by a relentless FBI Special Agent named Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). Frawley promises to cripple Doug and his crew with help from his right hand man, Dino Ciampa (Titus Welliver).

Doug tries to come up with a last minute exit strategy, but Fergie’s latest target complicates the situation. A haul worth millions of dollars is too tempting to pass up, so Fergie sends Doug and his crew on their most lucrative mission ever: Together, Doug and his crew will steal money from the cash room at Fenway Park.

Ben Affleck is a capable leading man, and he’s able to showcase some believable intensity every now and then (i.e. during his arguments with Jem). Jeremy Renner received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Jem here. Renner nails the “stubborn and hardened criminal, who won’t go down without fight” character, and he easily delivers one of the best performances in this film.

Rebecca Hall is convincing as Claire, and Hall did a good job of showing some real devastation, when Claire learns the truth about Doug’s second life. Blake Lively is spot on as this trashy druggie, who’s a complete train wreck in every way imaginable. And it’s not fair to judge Chris Cooper (he portrays Stephen MacRay, Doug’s father) here. Cooper’s screen time is limited to one appearance during a visit from Doug in jail, and that’s it.

Doug MacRay is an anti-hero, and John Hamm’s Frawley is the perfect foil for his character. Hamm is a sneering bully as Frawley, and Frawley has a snobbish superiority complex (i.e. mocking Doug with a Boston accent during the interrogation scene). Yeah, Doug MacRay is a criminal, but he’s also a hard working Average Joe, who makes a living by working construction. Frawley? He’s this pompous jerk, who enjoys taunting and tormenting Doug, and everyone close to him (including Claire). You’ll be rooting for Doug and his crew to escape in the end, because Hamm’s confident and unapologetic performance as Frawley is very convincing.

Of course, Doug and his crew are caught by Frawley, and a blockade of police officers and FBI agents during the Fenway robbery. Long story short, Kris (with her daughter) begged Doug to runaway with her after the Fenway robbery, so they could be together as a happy family. But Doug is in love with Claire, so he rejects Kris and her daughter. Kris’ revenge? She reveals crucial details (as the old saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned) about the Fenway robbery to Frawley.

Anyway, Jem, Albert, and Desmond suffer brutal deaths during a series of shootouts, but Doug is still alive. Doug rushes to the flower shop to kill Rusty and Fergie, and after one last good-bye to Claire, Doug leaves a “Go f*** yourself” note on Frawley’s car. Earlier in the movie, Frawley promised Doug he would beg for his life and a deal after his capture, and Frawley wanted to be the first one to tell Doug “Go f*** yourself.” So in the end, Doug took his last shot to flip a proverbial middle finger to Frawley.

I appreciate The Town’s approach to avoid excessive melodrama for the final series of events. So many crime dramas succumb to a familiar pattern for the ending: the bad guys are caught and arrested by a large group of cops after a setup, or the bad buys are shot to death by a large group of cops during a final stand. In The Town, Doug escapes to Florida to live out his dreams of a quieter and peaceful life, and as a going away present, Doug leaves a bag full of money for Claire to help renovate a local hockey arena for children. All in the all, The Town gives the audience a nice balance of happiness and the inevitable tragic demise during the downfall for the criminals, so everything isn’t too over the top either way. Good stuff.

The Town is a sharp, tense, and efficient crime drama, featuring a formidable cast. The Town won’t change the landscape for crime dramas, but this one deserves credit for avoiding a finale that’s loaded with tragedy and sappy melodrama, because The Town allows a few rays of sunshine to break through the dark clouds. And it’s not his best film as a director (i.e. Gone Baby Gone and Argo), but Ben Affleck’s precise and smooth work behind the camera for The Town deserves praise and recognition.

Rating: 9/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

As children, Hansel and Gretel are rushed into the forest by their father one night. Hansel and Gretel are forced into an underground hiding space, and their father leaves them alone in an effort to protect his wife, but he never returns.

Eventually, Hansel and Gretel are lured into a house made of candy. But an evil witch is lurking inside, and she captures and plans to cook Hansel and Gretel alive. Gretel escapes, rescues her brother, and a magical spell prevents the witch from killing Gretel. Hansel and Gretel turn the tables on the evil witch, tossing her inside the oven for a slow and painful death. After the deaths of their mother and father, Hansel and Gretel are forced to live on their own.

Many years later, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) are popular and deadly witch hunters motivated by revenge and a hatred for witches. Hansel and Gretel’s services are needed in a small town with an alarming missing children’s problem. Witches are the prime suspects, and Hansel saves a local townswoman named Mina (Pihla Viitala) from an execution. Mina is the prime suspect at first, but things change, when Muriel (Famke Janssen) comes into the picture. Hansel and Gretel will have to fight off the local sheriff and his men, and uncover the mystery behind Muriel’s diabolical plans before it’s too late. As an obsessed fan, Ben (Thomas Mann) lends a helping hand, but Muriel’s powers and loyal minions will give Hansel and Gretel their toughest challenge yet. 

First of all, I loved, loved, LOVED Famke Janssen here. Her performance just flowed so naturally, and Janssen’s delightfully wicked portrayal of Muriel is fun to watch. Renner was okay as the typical bad ass hunter with a mean streak, and Arterton was just eye candy for the most part. She had a few moments as the “woman, who can defend herself, and not take shit from anybody“, but overall, Arterton’s good looks triumphed over her acting skills for the Gretel character. Thomas Mann is entertaining as the goofy fanboy, but Janssen is the true star of this cast.

I enjoyed Witch Hunters cheesy comedy, and this film brought a few good laughs out of me. Yeah, the jokes are corny, but Hansel & Gretel is a parody film, so you have to expect the constant barrage of over the top silliness. Also, I took a chance on the 3D, and I’m glad I did. Witch Hunters features some cool 3D effects, and you’ll see a good amount of body parts and splatters of blood flying at you here.

BUT I will admit, Witch Hunters takes an awkward turn, when Muriel transforms into a full-blown witch for the first time. As full-blown witches, Muriel and her minions are supposed to inspire fear, but the witch form of Muriel didn’t disgust me. And on the flip-side of that, the witch forms for Muriel and her followers didn’t cross the “too goofy” line for me. In fact, I thought Janssen and her minions were kind of attractive as witches, but that’s just me.

A part of me wants to give this film a ten, but I can’t, because I know it’s not that good, not by a long shot. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters puts a spin on the famous fairy tale with gruesome and bloody violence, and I love mindless fun horror comedies, so Witch Hunters was a great guilty pleasure for me. 

Final Rating: 6/10