American Hustle (2013) - ★★★½

Director: David O. Russell
Writers: Eric Singer, David O. Russell
Stars: Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K, Robert De Niro

I really liked American Hustle. It has a flare for great music, great style, and great performers. We haven't really seen a film such as this since the peak of Tarantino, yet I can't help but feel that it's not on par with his greatest films, nor is it on par with the films of Scorsese. It falls short because we never truly get to know the characters and form real attachments to them. It's over two hours long, yet it lacked the character development that should have brought heart and soul into the crazy plot. Sure, we see the surface value of these people, and then some... but I left feeling like I still didn't know anyone. There were elements of greatness in American Hustle that deserve credit, but it was lacking the key ingredient that would have made it a masterpiece. In my opinion, it is the most critically overblown movie of 2013.

Jackie Brown (1997) - ★★★★

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Elmore Leonard (Novel), Quentin Tarantino (Screenplay)
Stars: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda

Jackie Brown is one funky, sassy, entertaining film! It has such an old-school 1970s feel to it. I just adored the soundtrack, cinematography, dialogue, and performances by Pam Grier and Robert Forster. This definitely has a Tarantino-esque feel to it, but in my opinion, it's the most unique film he has ever made when compared to his body of work. One thing I respect about Tarantino's film-making is that you can tell he puts so much thought and planning into each scene. This is what makes his movies consistently entertaining the whole way through. However, with Jackie Brown, I personally felt that there were too many scenes, and that some of the scenes were too long. The storyline is simple, too simple for a 154 minute runtime. Despite this, I found it to be a very entertaining movie.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – ★★★★

Director: David O. Russell
Writers: David O. Russell (Screenplay), Matthew Quick (Novel)
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles

Silver Linings Playbook is an extremely interesting and roaringly funny dramatic comedy. It features some of the best performances of the year, some of the most entertaining characters of the year, and is overall one of the best movies made in 2012. It’s unpredictable, and hits its punchlines with perfect comic timing. This is a movie you can watch over and over without ever getting bored of it.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) - ★★★★★

Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Harry Grey (Novel), Sergio Leone (Screenplay)
Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Scott Schutzman Tiler, Jennifer Connelly, Joe Pesci, Danny Aiello

This movie is more than a masterpiece. It's perfection. It was to me a more emotionally grabbing and stunning film than The Godfather. I used to believe that The Goodfellas was by far the greatest film about organised crime ever made. Once Upon a Time in America trumps them all. It's more than a film with a perfect story, cinematography, music and acting. It involves you in the lives of these criminals and you don't ever want it to end.

We're No Angels (1989) - ★★

Director: Neil Jordan
Writer: David Mamet
Stars: Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore, Hoyt Axton, Ray McAnally, James Russo, John C. Reilly

This isn't a bad movie, but it's nothing special or memorable. It seems like a film that was made because De Niro was tired of doing serious roles and wanted something fun. If there is one thing you can take out of this film, it's seeing Sean Penn as a young man, finding his feet in the film industry.

The story follows two escaped convicts, Ned (Robert De Niro), and Jim (Sean Penn). On the run from the unflinchingly cruel, no-nonsense Warden of the prison (Ray McAnally), they find refuge with a church in a small town on the border of Canada. They are mistaken for two priests that did not show up to analyse the town phenomenon of the Weeping Virgin Mary statue. The two are keen to flee across the border to Canada, but one thing after another foils their plans to freedom. Along the way we meet Molly (Demi Moore), an agressive mother of a child who is 'deaf and dumb.' She plays a big role in their plans to avoid being captured.

The story itself is actually pretty funny. My problem is that it didn't come across as funny on the screen. This is supposed to be a comedy, yet I've seen De Niro have funnier performances in many of his serious roles. It has a recipe for a great film: a good story, legendary leading actors, nice cinematography, and a brilliant supporting cast. It just didn't mesh into a consistently entertaining film. For this reason, the movie as a 'comedy' fails.

The supporting cast were funnier than the leads. Particularly John C. Reilly as the young monk who idolizes Father Brown (aka Jim). It's always interesting to see a famous actor's humble beginnings in the film industry. I also thought that Ray McAnally was brilliant as the warden, who was filled with rage because three of his most hated convicts escaped on his watch. Demi Moore was really good as Molly, and also quite irritating. She was strong, stubborn and rude to the priests, but I suppose it was with good reason. These performances were part of the reason this film received two stars.

The other reason this film received two stars is because of one scene which blew me away. It was when Jim gave a speech from the heart about believing in God. "Is God good? I don't know. All I know is... something may give you comfort. And maybe you deserve it. If it comforts you to believe in God, then you do it. That's your business." Sean Penn knocked this monologue out of the park, providing a scene that was much too high a calibre for the movie itself. It really was the highlight of the film for me.

We're No Angels isn't satisfying as a comedy, however, it is satisfying as a film itself. I was never bored for a moment in this film, and never particularly interested (excluding Penn's monologue). If you're a big fan of De Niro and Penn, then you may like this film. I am a big fan of theirs, and I guess that is a part of the reason why I don't hate it. Like I've been saying, it's not a bad film, nor is it good.