Who Has What To Prove in "American Hustle"?
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 2:00PM Guest Discussion. The Reader Spotlight is coming back soon but here's the last of our Reader Guest Posts for the moment. This one is from Matthew Eng, who has been sending in quite awesome Smackdown ballots (share yours for 1968 soon). Here he is to talk American Hustle anxiety/anticipation. - Nathaniel
what will this film do for each of them?
I’m only slightly ashamed to say that I’d almost gladly forego seeing everything else that’s slated for release this season if it meant getting my eyes on American Hustle right. this. second. I still have only the vaguest notion of the movie’s actual plot (corrupt politicos? mob-tied wheeler-dealers? ABSCAM? Jersey?), and yet my eagerness sky-rocketed the very second those opening chords of “Good Times, Bad Times” kicked in.
Alright, fine, it was upon seeing that glorious perm in action.
Matthew EngTwo knockout trailers later, it hasn’t dissipated a bit, not even during that only somewhat-discouraging “bigger balls”-off that ends the first teaser. There’s a supremely high level of expectation behind this project to be the complete Oscar package, what with its high-profile director, dynamic cast, juicy Black-Listed script, period costuming, retro textures, and Christmas release, etc. etc. But there’s also, interestingly, a lot of pressure for both its alluring cadre of stars, each with varying levels of something to prove, and its increasingly in-demand helmer.
The following is a ranked analysis of which of American Hustle’s main players has the most on the line (from lowest to highest) and what each serve to gain and/or lose this Oscar season, with a slight emphasis on one player in particular:
06 Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence faces one of two exciting possibilities with Hustle...
...she’ll either be a riotous, sexy scene-snatcher with more screen time than anyone anticipated and reap an afterglow Supporting nomination, or she’ll be a riotous, sexy scene-snatcher with four or five really sensational scenes but little else and will go on being beloved all the same. I can’t help but imagine the latter, and, though she looks as effortlessly magnetic here as ever, is she even attempting an accent in that centerpiece “Your father’s a son of a bitch”-scene in the second trailer? For her part, Jennifer, is sitting on a beach somewhere in Hawaii, paging through the Mockingjay script, a beer in one hand (and probably a joint in the other, god bless her), asking her agent to call David and see when that 70s film is coming out again.
05 Christian Bale
Bale remains that unusual anomaly of being one of those “Greatest of His Generation,” Oscar-rewarded actors whose career choices don’t necessarily reflect that vaunted status. The fact that barely anyone seems to consider him a surefire contender in an already-overstuffed Best Actor field is rather telling, even more so when you factor in that it’s another one of his extreme shape-shifting roles, this time for a film with plenty of eyes on it. As it stands now, Bale’s apparently De Niro-tinged performance seems poised to earn praise if not necessarily plaudits, a fact that may not sit well with Columbia and Megan Ellison, although I can’t help but feel that Bale himself probably won’t mind.
04 Bradley Cooper
Last year was a different sort of breakout one for Cooper, an experienced actor who looked all but destined to remain That Hangover/“Sexiest Man Alive” Guy for all eternity, that is until Silver Linings Playbook revealed to everyone that, yeah, he actually can act. American Hustle will be a test of whether that revelation sticks, and from what we’ve seen so far, Cooper’s stylish, Aviator-sporting, Timberlake-haired FBI agent looks like another nervy, charismatic turn to match the one he pretty fabulously delivered in SLP. He’s finally peaking after a long tour of duty in the Douchebag Boyfriend Trenches, drew a Paul Newman comparison last year, and appears to be attached to roughly fifty projects in pre- or post-production. That the Hustle performance itself is being campaigned as a Supporting one, regardless of the seemingly co-lead nature of the role, surely can’t hurt either.
03 Jeremy Renner
What exactly happened between The Hurt Locker and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters? Renner’s still getting prominent, Oscar-baity gigs (including his role in James Gray’s delayed The Immigrant), but surely I’m not the only one feeling that paycheck-waving breeze coming from Renner’s direction, what with all the Bournes, Avengerses, Missions: Impossible, and (yikes) Hansel and Gretel: Wage Hunters currently in-development. Hustle could very well be a decisive moment in Renner’s career, indicative of where his artistic loyalties truly lie: will he be reliably terrific but unrewarded without even a nomination, or if he is nominated, will he thereafter continue selling his soul to sequels? The scope and size of Renner’s Hustle role as a crooked bureaucrat isn’t absolutely clear, other than being a showy supporting one, but he’ll have to contend with the much-buzzier (and probably leading) Cooper for the spotlight. And, in all honesty, if this list were ranked in terms of plain excitement, would anyone really rank Renner in their top three? Top four, even?
02 David O. Russell
Just four years ago, Russell was the dependably manic and, if you believe George Clooney, maddening mind behind Three Kings and a series of nutty, folksy comedies that a small but substantial audience generally admires. Against some stacked odds, Russell is no longer (solely) remembered for going berserk on Lily Tomlin, and is now the three-time Oscar nominee behind two films that tons of people totally love, the type of director whose inclusion in last year’s field over Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow is extremely revealing of his current standing in Hollywood. Compared with The Fighter’s muscular, character-driven take on a familiar underdog story and Silver Linings’ twitchy mix of warmth and whimsy, American Hustle feels like Russell’s first deliberate Oscar movie, a film that could have excusably sent out each casting announcement with an accompanying picture of a golden statue. One can’t help but wonder if Russell will deliver on the promise of these two trailers, while still maintaining his own eccentricities and waggish energy. Hustle looks and feels, thrillingly so, like a wild blend of scenes and characters we’ve seen before, in films ranging from Boogie Nights and People vs. Larry Flynt to Goodfellas and Casino. But one can assuredly predict from the always-unpredictable Russell that Hustle will be more than just a fashionable rehashing of time-tested plot points, performances, and motifs.
But even if it were, would Oscar necessarily mind? Russell's absence from the Best Director field seems unlikely, even if an actual win against heavier opponents like Cuarón, Greengrass, or McQueen seems less in the cards. Either way, he’s gradually racking up enough goodwill amongst Oscar voters to eventually become famously “overdue,” which leads us to...
01 Amy Adams
I don’t know what purpose the internet serves other than to produce a super-cut of everything Amy Adams does in these trailers, including, but not limited to, strutting the streets in slinky V-necked ensembles, grinding up on Bradley Cooper, finding love in a hopeless place laundromat with Christian Bale, slapping the shit out of Christian Bale, staring down a teary-eyed J. Law, plotting to get over on all those guys with Lady Macbeth levels of craftiness, intriguingly slipping in and out of a British accent, shedding that fur coat like she’s playing Ann-Margret playing a Bond Girl, etc.
We are a long, long way from those meerkats.
But besides all the fierceness and frivolity on display in the previews, there’s a lot riding on Adams this season to garner a Best Actress nomination, the first in a respected film career that’s been built in its near-entirety on a diverse array of strong, pigeonhole- rebuking supporting roles, with side forays into leading lady territory in what tended to be underwhelming commercial fare, Enchanted aside. If Hustle’s Sydney Prosser was the supporting role we all initially assumed it to be then Adams would have this nomination in the bag, and, in all likelihood, an overdue win. But because we now know that Adams’ right-hand gal is not merely the film’s female support system, but rather the actress’ first bona fide, Oscar-caliber leading role, there’s suddenly a lot more at stake here for Adams.
If she makes it onto the ballot, it could very likely be a coronation for an ever- reliable, highly-admired supporting player, whose category ascendancy will surely reap her principal roles more in the vein of American Hustle than Leap Year and The Trouble with the Curve, in movies by great, gifted filmmakers who will continue to aptly, subtly challenge her in ways that prior directors refused or failed to. If she fails to make the cut, it’ll likely be seen as an affirmative, valiant effort from one of our most well-regarded working actresses, if not, admittedly, one of our most sought-after leading ladies. There seems to be more than a little hesitancy among Oscar pundits to rank Adams in their presumed ballots, and most who place her don’t see her as holding even the slightest chance of breaking down that Blanchett-Bullock-Dench-Streep barrier for a win. Yes, this year’s Best Actresses is a progressively-competitive and arguably-rigged field, but might there be some still-lingering wariness amongst those who see Adams as little more than a talented lady with two noteworthy performances and a whole lot of luck? The bashing that occurred last season—in which Adams was slandered as pretty-but- overrated, a seat-filler, a Marsha Mason—has turned me into some sort of Ardent Amy Advocate, and indeed, while I too have my qualms about those Doubt and Master nominations, I can’t help but get defensive when someone tries to deny even her most emphatic triumphs (Junebug and The Fighter obviously, but what about her inspired and playfully chipper homage to Disney princesshood in Enchanted or her gently neurotic believability in the little-remembered Sunshine Cleaning?). Whatever one’s opinions, there’s a lot of momentum sitting on Amy’s shoulders to really show her mettle in a way that’s so rarely asked of a four–time Oscar nominee. It helps that the role looks even more deliciously out of Adams’ element than The Figher’s Charlene “Call me skank and I’ll rip that nasty hair right outta ya fuckin’ head” Fleming, and it definitely can’t hurt to once again be in the sure and confident hands of a director as actor-friendly as Russell. Plus, with the rapid accumulation of those four, Winsletish nominations under her belt, it’s exceedingly clear that the Academy respects her. Only time and tireless campaigning will tell if that’s enough, but in the meantime, let’s get to work on that still non-existent super-cut, shall we?
Your turn. Do you see the ranking differently. What's on the line for you?
Reader Comments (29)
Bale and Lawrence have the least to lose (and Lawrence, that hair and the white dress are killing it...I could see a nom just for the academy to say they were correct to award her last year). Renner and Adams the most to lose which for Adams in particular is bad because she needs to prove herself in a dramatic role. She has never had the universal acclaim in drama that she has had in comedy and often comes off a little flat and one note (I'm not hating on her, I like Adams, but have only loved her in the lighter stuff). Nominations or not, if she doesn't find a way to at least match the magic Lawrence is showing in the trailers, she probably won't get that chance again or at least not on the same level. Renner has a safe career, but could use a good perf in something other than franchise and I hope that hair is good hair and makeup and not bad hair and makeup. Russell and Cooper are safe and unless its a total dog of a picture, will sail through although I don't see Cooper getting nom'd. Not sure why I feel that way, but I could see him getting something for Pines first.
1. DOR- Can his direction not feel so sloppy, over-caffeinated and can the script not sink the movie like SLP did? It feels like the previous Oscar season caused this movie's pre-production start to be delayed and may have been cobbled together a little too quickly. Also, him getting his Scorsese on in a year where Scorsese appears to have a 'return to his roots' kind of movie may be risky. But he is having a moment with the Academy that did like his movie and this time will not have Harvey Weinstein's over-campaigning sucking the air out of it (e.g. The DeNiro campaigning).
2. Amy Adams- I think she can do it but much like Cooper my bullishness on her appears to be in the minority. Like Bale, she and DOR were on such a good frequency last time that I really have no fears about this not working.
3. Bradley Cooper- I feel like I am much more bullish on him than other people on his rise. If DOR got that performance out of him, and I personally thought he was the best thing in SLP, then surely he can make this turn. Also gets A for effort because those pink curlers and perm are all natural.
4. Christian Bale- This is where it gets tighter. I think people find his form of method acting schtick-y in ways that are distracting be it the hair or weight fluctuations. He's dedicated but people have come off with too much DeNiro vibes already from this performance. But I personally thought his last with with DOR was great.
5. Jennifer Lawrence- She's great and beloved. The only criticism I am getting is that she is taking roles that play way older than she actually is. Valid criticism but is that really her fault? Producers and directors could always get somebody else.
6. Jeremy Renner- He's solid. I don't think anybody is too concerned. This is not a leading man role of which I think is more questionable at this point as he seems to be angling for ensemble pieces.
I love this! American Hustle is fun to have as the unknown quantity right now; anyone can be nominated, but no one knows how undeniable anyone is.
I'm an Amy defender, too, but can't help marvel at the extraordinary luck involved in her oscar record: lucky that a movie as teensy as Junebug caught hold and was took off critically, then lucky to be cast in THREE movies that saw their whole casts nominated (minus one Whalberg). And yet I'm a fan of all four performances.
I'm an over zealous Amy Adams fan to a fault. I absolutely adore her in everything. Her performance in Doubt is one of my favorites which I realize is a rather unpopular opinion. I really feel like if she manages a fifth nomination against four Oscar winners (Blanchett, Bullock, Streep, Thompson, Winslet, Dench, Roberts, take your pick) she'll win for overdue carreer love regardless of how good the performance compares to the others. I'm probably just delusional. I just want her to finally win something.
I agree with everyone that Amy Adams definitely has the most on the line here. Another role that breaks down a personal barrier for her. I'm excited for her.
I actually appreciate Jennifer Lawrence going after more mature roles as opposed to playing a teenager until she's 25, which based on the success of "The Hunger Games," she easily could've done. She's not Zac Efron-ing her way through life, and I enjoy that.
As far as Jeremy Renner is concerned, I think this is the final push that sends him into character-actordom.
Dear God please let Amy get nominated for this. The category needs at least one non-winner in there. I have a feeling her and Emma Thompson will be duking it out for that fifth slot.
Interesting. On the one hand, I want to say "No! DOR has more to lose than Amy Adams!" On the other hand... this is Hollywood, where a woman approaching 40 is considered ancient, and if she doesn't get it now, like you said - she isn't the go-to leading lady, is she? This is so frustrating. I DO tend to get overdefensive over Amy Adams, even in the case of Doubt and the Master, because, you know what - as much as it's not an excuse, lesser performances have been nominated and won. She deserves it because whatever else, she's always solid, she's always good, and too often her good work is overlooked. Hell, even in a movie she's not actually required to act and is surrounded by hacks, like Man of Steel - she actually turned in good work, and her part of the movie was pretty much the only watchable bit. Men often get 'body of work' type wins, why is this less prevalent with women?
It is interesting, though, to compare her and Bale, because in a lot of ways - and especially in the current discussion and prediction - they're pretty similar. Both are very highly regarded actors, who for various reasons people are assuming won't be able to get into the race. I mean, looking for a moment at Bale - previous winner, and in addition, the kind of winner they love to reward again - the guy who goes and continues to do quality work after winning; constant accolades for years; working with a director who's managed to get 7 acting nominations in two movies; lead actor in what is supposed to be one of the biggest movies of the season. That's usually someone who would sit very high on people's prediction lists. But... that's not the case with him. Is it because it took him until the Fighter to even get nominated? One could argue that he very much avoided Oscar-type movies, so unlike Joaquin Phoenix, Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon etc, they simply never had the chance to nominate him until the Fighter.
Either way, and to go to the depressing Women In Hollywood discussion, even without the previous win he would still have had less to lose than Amy Adams, all things considered. Bale would keep on finding work he wants to do in Hollywood for a long long time (assuming he doesn't kill himself in the process, SIGH), and yet - Amy Adams needs this to be considered for such roles, which is completely ridiculous.
As for the others - I'd actually say Cooper has more to prove than Renner. Maybe because I hated Place Beyond the Pines and everything about it and the acting too, so while everyone goes 'Bradley Cooper is a real actor now!' I'm more of a 'Bradley Cooper proved he can act, in one DOR movie, still needs to prove himself' type. Renner's... making a lot of stupid career choices lately. But that's the point - they're career choices. You can't say he was pushed into pay gigs after being ignored on awards, because that's the reverse order of what had happened - first he got the recognition, then he went for the awful payday gigs. Maybe what he wants to be is an action star or a movie star rather than an esteemed actor. Much like Ben Affleck, who appears to want more to be a movie star than he does an esteemed director. Once they made that choice, I'm not sure a nominee or lack of can convince them to sway in the right direction. So I guess I would write off Renner as 'lost cause'. Cooper, on the other hand, does seem to want to be a legitimate actor. He definitely has more at stake, namely, to prove that last year's nomination wasn't a mistake. The problem is, he'll have to prove it working with someone other than David O. Russell.
Renner has nothing to lose here. He has always performed well in emsembles and he gets the chance to show off a new type of character. It is Cooper that is under pressure because he has a very flashy oscar bait role which is verging on a lead. Cooper should be a sure thing for a supporting actor.nomination and if he doesn't get one it will be noticed.
As for Renner being a lost cause, you need to look at what else he has done this year. He has developed and filmed the lead role in Kill the Messenger, he has comissioned a number of scripts and has been in the mix for several interesting dramas - no action roles. He has a commitment to those franchises, so I guess next year it will all be action for him, but ultimately I think he will be more than happy as a charactor actor in high profile films, supporting the films he develops himself.
Matt - It's ok that you didn't know Renner signed on for Hansel and Gretel right after Hurt Locker came out, before all the noms for it and The Town. Although it was filmed after after he finished shooting MI4, he didn't back out on his commitment and filmed the movie anyway. The good news for Renner is with both Legacy and H&G he proved he an garner the box office internationally, giving him the clout to produce Kill The Messenger, as well as other Independent movies. In KTM, he's playing the lead Gary Webb, the investigative journalist that broke the story of the CIA funding drug distribution in California back in the 80's (probably before your time, but you can google it). All this said, Renner has less to lose than Bale or Cooper. Let's face it Cooper plays the same character in every movie, this time with pink rollers in his hair. While his performance in SLP was better than his average, is that repeatable? Not likely based on his past. That said, as Executive Producer for the movie, he and Russell both have a lot riding on this movie being a major success - they have the most skin in the game.
Great article :) I wasn't an SLP fan but AH has me excited. Amy Adams has nothing to proove to me. I'm hoping she deserves a nom for this, and gets it.
After Silver Linings Playbook, I'm dubious of American Hustle's quality.
I consider Amy Adams to be a capable but not extraordinary actress and don't know why she has such a vocal fan base.
Jennifer Lawrence's persona is so off-putting to me that I don't enjoy watching her. And wasn't the character supposed to have a Jersey accent? It's better if she doesn't attempt one--I doubt that she would put the time in to master it.
Love this article and the ranking. I'd switch Cooper and Renner but otherwise, spot on. Thank you for mentioning Adams in Sunshine Cleaning too - I didn't care for the film as a whole, but she was so good in it.
I feel like this is the most important movie of the season in the sense that it is the only one I can imagine toppling Gravity AND 12 Years a Slave for the top prize. Blanchett's summer film and early frontrunner status could take her all the way to the end, or she could be Annette Bening to Adams' Natalie Portman (shiny new BP major player with showy actress role > impressive acting early in the year). Is she even lead though? If she's borderline, she should go Supporting, which seems like a wide open field she could destroy. The trailer seems to imply Cooper is "second lead" and I bet he'll go Supporting.
I'm really, really hoping this is the first David O. Russell film I can completely love, start to finish.
It's funny how there is so much expectations for Amy Adams in a movie where if reactions from test screening are to go by, she was quite overshadowed by Jennifer lawrence! Jlaw was even called the "best in show".
If Amy gets a best actress nom, she shud be very glad and thank her stars 'cos she isn't going to win. Period.
I just hope the movie doesn't disappoint as a whole.
I was loling through this whole article. Cannot wait for this movie, and I'm with you: I need an Amy Adams American Hustle supercut not even yesterday, I've needed that thing for months now. Couldn't be more excited for this movie. Based on those teasers it's a guaranteed slam dunk for me. It's really less if I'll love it and more a question of how much I'll love it
Amy Adams totally deserved her Oscar nomination for Doubt. Just saying...
'Best In Show' can often mean 'showiest role'. And had that part gone to somebody not Jennifer Lawrence, I tend to think it would be lucky to get featured in the billing. The role is all show and you have the recent Best Actress winner in it. Of course it would get noticed and JLaw nearly stole all of Like Crazy because she was much more interesting than that dour, whisper-y nonsense Doremus had Yelchin and Jones doing.
I'd trade every post-Junebug Oscar nomination Amy has ever had in Supporting for her to have gotten a Leading nomination for Enchanted. And really, there was no reason why she shouldn't have been nominated. That year was the pits in the category. You couldn't tell me that role was harder to pull off than Juno or Elizabeth: The Golden Age?
"I'd trade every post-Junebug Oscar nomination Amy has ever had in Supporting for her to have gotten a Leading nomination for Enchanted."
+1
This was a fresh and interesting way of previewing an upcoming movie; thanks for the great read.
Best In Show, in this case, means that Jennifer Lawrences performance in American Hustle (based on those who have seen the screening) was judged to be the best. Amy Adams just might land a BA nod (and that would be great!) but word on the street is that it's Lawrence who steals the film (and just might land her third nomination as well). Regardless, I just can't wait to see this film!!.
Syd - regarding Renner and his being or not a lost cause, I hope you're right. when he's good, he's good. It might be the dates thing, but it is a bit disheartening to see three big franchise movies come out within a year of each other with him, and none of them are good. There's nothing that says that big franchise roles can't be good (see: Bale), but his wasn't. And there were a lot of them. And he's signed on to the sequels. Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood, it could be an attempt to make him a movie/action star that he'll decide he doesn't want.
But yes. Either way, Cooper has more at stake here.
Pitry, I see your point about Renner, but when you consider the pedigree's of those involved, all the movies he signed up for would have seemed promising; remember his Avenger's role was changed sugnificantly at the last minute and I have never seen Dead Snow, but I understand that Hansel and Gretel was a huge disappointment after that first effort. Also timing is very important; H&G,MI5, Avengers, Bourne, each one would have been more interesting than the next and is it really likely that he would have accepted H&G if it had come after Bourne? So I think there is a reason why they came in quick succession. Does he want to be an action star? I think he was a guy approaching 40, physically very adept, but never having had the chance to show what he can do. He is probably over that now, but it is standard practice to lock them in for sequels and I am sure he wasn't expecting all 4 to go that far - I bet he is kicking himself for that, as was Cooper when facing the prospect of Hangover 3. Don't forget that Cooper would have been tied into A-Team sequels and I imagine the same for Bale and Terminator. You might not rate Renner's films, but they all did satisactory to excellent box office and that is why there will be sequels and it is his other choices that are signiicant now.
Back to Cooper, there is one thing I forgot to mention. It appears that his large, flashy, oscar bait role was also tailor made for him, re-written at the expense of Bale's role. With all that, plus the momentum from last year, anything less than a nomination will be a big disappointment.
Best in show comments for JLaw just remind me of Wahlberg in The Departed. Before I saw it everybody came off with the impression he was the best- he was the movie's only acting nod, mind you. He had a couple of killer line readings and one major scene but I guess I am more impressed with a performer doing a character that has to be subtle and written in a way where you are not always showcased or even somebody you cannot easily latch onto.
" You couldn't tell me that role was harder to pull off than Juno or Elizabeth: The Golden Age?"
Blerg. I meant 'You can't tell me that role was not harder to pull of than Juno or Elizabeth: The Golden Age'. Can you tell if I have insomnia?
@CMG: I understand the point you are making regarding the "best in show" comments however, but here is the difference between MW and Jennifer Lawrence, one started out as a rapper who became a decent actor the other is a critically acclaimed actress, an Oscar winner who continues to seek out quality projects. It's also worth noting that Lawrence hss been receiving critical acclaim since her career began...as a serious actress. I agree regarding appreciating the subtle performances (and we know Lawrence can do that as well...see Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games). Lawrence can do both....that shows range something Walhberg definetly does not have. So really, there's no comparison.
Anyway, again I'd love for all four actors to receive nods...who knows if it will happen but in the meantime I just want to see the damn film already(LOL!).
@Sile...I agree with your post.
Russell got 2 wins out of 3 acting noms in The Fighter.
Then he got 1 win out of 4 acting noms in Silver Linings Playbook.
Will we have 5 acting noms for all those actors with no win? This is juts my crazy thinking.
Back to the question, Adams has a lot of stake here, but she got nothing to prove for me. 4 oscar noms yo! As much as I love her, when you look at Amy Adams, you don't really see or could guess that these woman is a four time Academy Award nominee.
Anyway, doesn't Amy have Big Eyes with Weinstein next year? If this doesn't work out for her, maybe next year would be her firs leading nom bid.
I will admit that Cooper and Renner probably should've been swapped, if only in terms of role size and newfound acclaim; I think I was letting my dissatisfaction with the latter's recently dubious career choices get the best of me. However, I do think that Cooper currently has the healthier, more favorable career of the two, one that shows very few signs of dying down any time soon, especially since he's done making any more Hangovers. I think he'll be fine, Hustler nomination or not.
Critical acclaim, high profile, movie star looks and youth give you plenty of choices in Hollywood. Four of the actors above have, or have had, all 4 of those advantages. If you only have the first, a long line of respectable character parts and the occassional lead in a low budget film is the inevitable career path. You dismiss Renner for chasing paychecks, but maybe he is going for number two on the list to help him avoid the inevitable. He is a smart guy, he has made a fortune in realestate and he seems to like being in control; I think it is far too simplistic putting it down to money. It might not all have turned out like he had hoped, but it was a bold move.
I am so very tired of Amy Adams being in every film she is physically capable of doing just to be an awards contender. She is over saturating audiences with her presence.
@ CMG and Ryan T. ...+ another 1. Bless CMG for saying it - I cannot be rational when discussing this drama-myopic Academy oversight.