The December of 2013

Out of The Furnace

Out of the Furnace is the most bleak, depressing movie I've ever seen for a December movie. Great performances all around. Although, I really getting tired of seeing Casey Affleck play these hardcore type characters. Really, I just didn't know if it was him or his selfish, cry baby character, who's a traumatized war veteran. Bale's character, who also goes through a traumatizing event in his life, creates a great compare and contrast between the two brothers. Even though Bale is a little more optimistic about his ordeals, unlike his brother, he still must deal with the dilapidation of the American Dream, relating to the diminishing steel mill industry, a former American industry juggernaut. Great movie.

AMERICAN HUSTLE

Wow, David O. Russell. You finally make something that isn't trying to come off as Oscar bait, such as The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. American Hustle solidifies Christian Bale's status as a actor with great depth and dedication, after the blockbuster Batman trilogy. In the beginning, it looked like this was going to be some over-obsession with the 70's style and completely disregard the story, but it really became a great character piece for all these great actors to perform.

Wolf Of Wall Street

It's Martin Scorsese crossing over to white collar enterprises. You should be in right there. Very long, but pacing and great dialogue makes up for everything. Best movie of December.

47 Ronin

I don't know who wishes they were Asian more. The RZA or Keanu Reeves. At least Reeves doesn't go all dress and makeup style like RZA did in GI Joe 2. Never have I seen a complete massacre of a foreign story, either fiction or non fiction, by an American movie, especially one where the majority of talent are Asian. I'm not the type of person that completely obliterates an American version of a movie, but this is an insult. Why are there pirates in this movie? Yeah, I can sense some 300 stylist approach, but at least, they stayed within the source material. This movie could have ended up in the future for all I know. 47 Ronin smothers the actual story and replaces it with a lackluster samurai movie. Terrible movie.

Grudge Match

Pretty good boxing flick. Is it me or is Kevin Hart getting more annoying with every movie he's in? Great acting, notably Jon Bernthal performing alongside Deniro, who looks like he just did one sit up to train for the climax.