MovieChat Forums > American Hustle (2013) Discussion > Did All 4 Really Deserve Oscar Noms?

Did All 4 Really Deserve Oscar Noms?


Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper were hamming it up so hard. Christian Bale with another ridiculous, unnecessary "incredible transformation" (wtf exactly does losing or gaining a lot of weight prove about acting ability?). Amy Adams with another competent but forgettable performance where her big eyes and big boobs do much of the heavy lifting

This was basically David O. Russell's "supermovie". His chance to live up to the hype of a "great filmmaker". And he failed. He combined the stars of his previous, acclaimed movies The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, and the result was what we should expect w/ the benefit of hindsight. An overstuffed movie. A movie that forgoes logic and coherent storytelling in favor of chewable acting scenes for its stars

Yes, they all got their turns at bat. But the results were "meh". Jennifer Lawrence playing a ditzy housewife character that would have only had like 5 lines if she weren't being played by a giant moviestar. Bradley Cooper playing a coked out, permed FBI agent. And he spoke into the camera, which was supposed to be his mom or something. And he bullied Louis CK. Ok, let us nominate him, but then we need to retroactively nominate Jim Carrey for every single piece of his acting, ever. Amy Adams, stuck in a love triangle w/ a cokehead discount Jim Carrey and a fat married criminal. Christian Bale desperately Oscar-baiting us w/ his billion-cal diet

But O. Russell proved in the process that he can't hang w/ the big boys. He is no Woody Allen or Scorsese. He's a whore for ambitious actors

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I'm not sure I would have nominated any of them but I do think that Lawrence, Cooper and Adams were quite memorable and enjoyable in their roles, all of them playing somewhat against type. Bale, not so much. The role called for a lightness of touch which he really doesn't have.

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i thought jennifer lawrence was terrible in this

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