It seems increasingly difficult to actually motivate myself to go and see a movie. I now have it fixed in my head that I should be able to attend a screening whenever I want and not at some pre-appointed time that conveniences the theatre. Honestly, I almost find it rude that they would ask me to do that.
The home-viewing options, although imperfect, are vast, and nothing could be easier than staying at home and watching Netflix at 8:00 or whatever other time might make my life simpler. Of course, Netflix is actually pretty lame, but in my life convenience now trumps quality, so instead of watching a movie I actually want to see like 12 Years a Slave, I end up binge-watching a TV show like New Girl. Such is the world that we, or at least, I, live in.
At any rate, Rachelle and I reached deep and mustered together enough will to go and see American Hustle at the theatre. This movie, directed by the successful but widely-despised-by-actors, David O. Russell, has been receiving all sorts of praise and is already a favourite to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
I liked the movie fine but was far from swept away. It’s a professionally crafted Hollywood film that features some big actors doing big acting in appealing wardrobe. Everybody is good, especially Amy Adams’ cleavage and Christian Bale’s hairpiece, but it’s one of those movies that actually looks better than it is.
The truth, I think, is that the movie was kind of incoherent, like a series of improvisations by talented actors that had later been stitched together by a director. It was as if Russell wasn’t thinking about how character and story fit together, but how each, individual scene would come across on it’s own. All the primary components of a film were showcased, without a film actually being composed from them, if that makes any sense.
Still, it was a pleasing enough experience, and in that regard it reminded me of Argo. Watching it, you felt like you were getting your money’s worth, that middlebrow Hollywood was functioning exactly as middlebrow Hollywood was supposed to function. The idea in Hollywood is to give the audience what they’re looking for, not to startle or elevate them, and movies like Argo and American Hustle are perfect examples of this—well made products where performance, the visible effort of performance, will always trump content. Regardless, the movie didn’t ask too much of us, and it didn’t give us too much either, but it was attractive and distracting, and on a cold, winter’s evening, well, that’s exactly what we want.
Comments
4 responses to “Going to see American Hustle”
In response to this quote “The idea in Hollywood is to give the audience what they’re looking for, not to startle or elevate them, and movies like Argo and American Hustle are perfect examples of this—well made products where performance, the visible effort of performance, will always trump content.”
I couldn’t agree more – Hollywood is a money-making machine that we are sold on thorough the various marketing conduits ~ press press press and oh yeh, posters on subways, still-existing billboards and of course PRESS!
Those millions of dollars will even work on the likes of us ~ the discretionary movie-going seeker of films of worth WATCHING!
Val Dooley
Therein lies the question: Who defines what is a film worth WATCHING? You and I may agree that, for example, 2001 A Space Odyssey is worth WATCHING but you may see its worth in philosophical explorations while I hugely admire its film craft. Likewise Un Chien Andalou can be seen as a film that broke new ground and shattered narrative barriers while someone could argue that it opened the door for slasher flicks. You may follow a certain director while I may admire an actor’s work regardless of the surrounding film.
My discretion is pretty much maxed at two trips to the cinema per year. That may be less following my last visit – excessive commercials, smart phone games and ever increasing costs do not appeal.
Wow, that review just demotivated me from going out to see it.
Val:
At this point the majority of Industry films that are being made are for international audiences ( Pacific Rim) and youth oriented franchises. I think 10 of the top 12 grossing films of last year were sequels or prequels, and so the “adult,” “literary” audience has largely migrated to TV. Right now there’s a little burst of prestige pictures on account of the Academy Awards, which as you point out is one big marketing extravaganza, but otherwise there is not much out there that compels one to the theatre. I think documentaries are the new frontier for the “serious” audience and that we’ll see more and more of them coming into the mainstream.
David:
The valuation of a movie is certainly subjective, but film making has become more of an actuary science than an art, I think, with each movie being very carefully slotted to a particular audience with a particular goal in mind. Personally, I’ve always loved going to movies, to the random, almost shocking discoveries in them, but I’m seeing less and less of that, and like you don’t get out as much as I think I would like to. But I’m old.
Glenn:
Yes, I am the demotivator.