Looking for a screwball comedy farce? Look no further than “American Hustle!” It appears in this film, David O. Russell out-Scorseses Scorsese. Like a well-orchestrated musical score, Russell uses whips, pans, and tacky slow-mo (but still entertaining) to tell his story. Metaphorically speaking, this film could be likened to a Vegas style slot machine that keeps winning! Although the movie states it’s based on true events, it’s loosely based on the life of Melvin Weinberg, at best. Adding to the comedy, this film features the best in 70s hair and the worst in comb-overs in cinema history, as showcased by Christian Bale’s character of Irving. It is easy to tell that Russell worships the women in his film, with plunging necklines and voluptuous fur coats. The dialog is well-written and demonstrates a strong knowledge and use character development and exposition in terms of advancing the plot. Russell’s actors showcase giving their all to the characters they portray. The cinematography is excellent and so is the editing. The only negative critique is the movie’s pace was a little too slow for the content. Over all, the film is an outlandishly entertaining screwball dark comedy.

A fantastic movie for a date. In short, it was like Woody Allen and Nicholas Sparks decided to make a movie together. You begin watching one movie, then before you know it, you’re watching another. The screenwriter did not follow a traditional structure, but the writing was solid with some funny moments. McAdams plays an all-too-familiar role and is ironically “ageless” in a movie about time. Character development (character arc) was pretty well non-existent; the characters are very static. There is quite a bit of narration by the protagonist; however, it still feels like a movie and not a book. Cinematography was adequate, but there was a little too much shaky cam. The direction was a little predictable, but still enjoyable. It was nice to see a healthy father-son relationship in an age where many fathers seem absent from the family. The movie is as much about the father-son relationship as it is the protagonist-love interest relationship. At the end of the day, it’s a movie that will make you laugh and cry. Definitely an enjoyable movie-going experience.

Who would’ve known that a film adaptation of a play that has an impressive pedigree, which includes five Tonys and a Pulitzer, would essentially be a flop on screen. Nothing about this film makes the play look appealing. The best part of the movie was of course Meryl Streep, and to a lesser extent Julia Roberts. Violet, the overbearing antagonistic, mother was played beautifully by Streep, and Roberts shines as the the equally antagonistic and vicious Barbara. That is about the extent of the accolades. It felt more like a reality TV show about a dysfunctional family than a work of cinema. But, wasn’t the dialog amazing? Yes; however, Lett’s dialog, whereas it would be captivating on stage, does not transfer well to the screen. The movie does have its hilarious moments, but they aren’t enough to balance out the darker moments. Lett’s characters on the screen certainly get worked up about the revelation of skeletons in the closet, and each character has his or her moment, but those of us trapped in the audience will wonder why we should be bothered.

Director Peter Jackson brings another big Christmas time blockbuster from Middle Earth to a theater near you. “The Desolation of Smaug” picks up nearly where “An Unexpected Journey” leaves off. Once again, this movie should be subtitled “Gandalf Runs with Short People.” Although there are a few epic battle scenes, there is a lot of extreme wide shots of the characters running. Unlike its predecessor though, this one is better and much more energetic. By all accounts, the river battle is a spectacular marriage of cinematography and CGI. Some of the sequences from the movie are not found in “The Hobbit,” but found in “The Quest of Erebor.” That’s how a–what should be a 3hr movie all together–becomes a trilogy. Whether you’re a fan of the franchise or not, you cannot escape the awesomeness of Smaug on screen. Like so many movies though, there lacks measurable character development and exposition. All-in-all, Jackson’s sequel has done a much better job at entertaining and capturing the imagination of the audience than in the first one.