Thursday, 26 December 2013

American Hustle & Anchorman 2 - the 70s seemed fun

American Hustle


A friend on facebook ("friend") was soliciting recruits for her Jewish Christmas festivities, which involved Chinese food and watching American Hustle. I told her "that movie is the tits!!!"

It sure is! Literally, boobs everywhere. I wish I could dress like Amy Adams and cut all of my outfits down to the navel. But we live in a society I guess. A consumerist society where I did some perfunctory Boxing Day shopping today. I know I'm an adult now because I've started to fantasize about winning the lottery. That's when you know your actual dreams are dying.

Anyway, this movie is non-stop movers and shakers, getting into hijinx and spitting out dialogue with crazy eyes and winsome 70s songs. A rascally pair of lovebird con-artists-- these characters are like finger-guns in a photograph. THE BEST. It's rare that I expect a movie to be perfect and then it's even better. The story is frenetic and never-ending. And funny too. You don't really expect it to make you laugh the whole time, but it does. Jennifer Lawrence is funny in the way Cameron Diaz always thinks she is. It's kinda irritating. Like my friend who called yesterday to tell me she's pregnant again, they bought a house, she got a promotion, her husband got a promotion, she lost weight and reconnected with her estranged sister. MERRY CHRISTMAS, PERFECT LIFE. Are you going to win the lottery too?! No, I'm very happy for her. But come on, Jennifer Lawrence. Stop making us all feel so unaccomplished.

Overall, the movie is lots of silly and dramatic people amusing you with absurd hairstyles and endless off-screen coke shenanigans, plus exceptional acting. Louis CK is there too! Christian Bale got fat and dances to jazz! Bradley Cooper impersonates Louis CK! Jennifer Lawrence sets things on fire! Jeremy Renner's hair makes him 8 feet tall!


Anchorman 2


Well. This just is what it is. If you eat a double-dosed pot cookie, you won't regret watching this sequel that is exactly as good as the Hangover 2. There aren't really any new jokes, but those old ones aren't bad to hear repeated. Not necessary to hear repeated, but it's better to see this movie than to spend another evening on the brown suede loveseat you begged off your mom, eating chips and pressing "refresh" on the Jezebel homepage. 

I also played poker this Christmas for the first time in my life and all these 70s themed activities are making me strongly consider buying this coat, because I make terrible decisions across the board.