Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “American Hustle”
During the early 2010s, there wasn’t a hotter filmmaker around than David O. Russell thanks to movies like “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and this con-artist caper loosely based on the Abscam scandal. But while those other two films are both great, “American Hustle” might just be the best of Russell’s career — an immensely entertaining, impeccably structured dramedy that features top-notch work from the entire cast. Forty pounds heavier and rocking the most elaborate comb-over you’ve ever seen, Christian Bale gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as the straight man of the bunch; Amy Adams oozes sexiness as Bale’s cunning partner in crime; Jennifer Lawrence is an absolute riot as his unpredictable wife; and Bradley Cooper is hilarious as the short-tempered FBI agent in charge of the sting. The whole film is a lot funnier than you’d expect due to Russell and Eric Singer’s darkly comic script, and though it does run a bit long, the characters are so richly developed and crackling with personality that I would gladly spend even more time in their company.
Extras include a making-of featurette and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“Coup de Chance” — Woody Allen is one of cinema’s most prolific directors, but he hasn’t made a good film in over a decade, and his latest movie — his first in three years — does little to change that sentiment. A reprise of sorts of 2015’s “Match Point” in that it explores themes of luck and chance all wrapped up in a story about adultery and murder, “Coup de Chance” (which translates to “Stroke of Luck”) is a fairly insignificant offering from Allen that fails to bring anything new to the table apart from the fact that it’s filmed entirely in French. None of the characters are very likable, while the sporadic attempts at humor seem at odds with the general tone of the piece. Though “Coup de Chance” is hardly Allen’s worst feature, it’s yet another sobering reminder that the director’s best is well behind him. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
