American bullshit - the original title was perfect

Rating: 3/10 (18 January 2014)

I recently spray painted my chaplin statue gold to look like an Oscar. If this film is an Oscar winner then we mere normal painted punters are being airbrushed out. I'm not angry, I don't feel duped, let down; I only slightly care this was one of the worse films I've ever tried to get through in two sittings because there is one thing right about the Oscar category - its in as comedy bla bla. Well the real reviewers are so right about that. Whilst us film goers are totally bemused any critic is giving this film an Oscar nod or a gold plated ten out of ten review, they are right it is hilarious. Not obviously in the vein of comedic value like shaun of the dead or dumb and dumber - no its laugh out loud because its obvious, the script is so funny you can laugh along guessing the next tired idea, the music is plonked on top and how you can laugh out loud guessing the next 70's classic. In fact, I almost enjoyed this movie except its a film not a crummy 70's sitcom. A huge number of people involved spent time and money making something meant to be arty, cool and groundbreaking using great actors and music to thrill us. Result - a boring film so clichéd to amuse yourself pick out the film references as you watch along. In fact, this film has merit - it could be used in film school to study how not to copy, how to ruin a script, bore the audience, repeat oneself and how not to edit you could make an entire lesson out of it. So in fairness what was right? Well all the actors trotted along merrily overacting never reacting or interacting, however no one was the star, which could be novel except there is no character between them you can empathise with at all. I assume the audience is expected to empathise with bale but he mumbles along and looks forever stuck in a nightmarish bad fancy dress 70's party he cant wake up from. In fact, perhaps the worse fault of the movie is how aware the viewer is throughout entirely that these are actors they are dressed up and acting. Personally, I like improvisation here it is simply so poor the story gets swallowed up forgotten and ultimately all you are left with is aesthetically pleasing shots - its all fore play no climax to the bitter end which any grifter movie watcher can see coming a mile off. The wolf of wall street - heavily criticised - is the easiest valid comparison it rattles alongs has a similar story based in the real world and has a fairly simple structure but, unlike American hustle or American bullshit as it was originally called, its is really funny, is full of rounded characters you care for, flawless in terms of scenes, script, editing, acting. In fact, you are instantly absorbed and immersed in their world completely. American hustle spends the first twenty minutes and we learn about 70's fashion and not one minute on learning sharing or believing these are grifters then the next hour and a half wasting the audiences time half heartedly playing us cool music and copying camera dolly shots following characters around you don't care about till it peters out. someone somewhere find me someone who didn't guess they were going to fleece the FBI about half way through? If this film gets an Oscar sack all critics and have a long bath or start writing scripts. I read a fair few of the normal punters reviews and we speak as one; this film is as sprayed gold as a statue and as much fun to watch - superficial weak characterless boring.