Quadruple Bill Mini Musings: Big Hair, Old Boys, Frat Parties, and the Apocalypse...

American Hustle:
What's it about?
Based on (some) truths, this comic drama about a con man, his partner/mistress, and their FBI handler is a crazed caper situated at the arse-end of the coked-out 1970s. When one con too many brings the pair down they decide to join forces with the FBI to catch bigger fish and ensure their freedom - but things soon get out of hand.
Who would I recognise in it?
Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Shea Whigham.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Not quite deserving of all the hype and attention at various awards shows, it's nonetheless a thoroughly entertaining crime comedy with high-strung drama, loud clothes, and the most outrageous hairstyles this side of 70s science fiction movies. Opening with the world's most preposterously convoluted comb over, the tone is set from the get-go, and rarely slacks off when it comes to wild-eyed chaos. It's as subtle as it's time period and just as fun. Not to be taken too seriously, it boasts game performances and a whacked-out sense of grandeur. Good.

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Oldboy (US Remake):
What's it about?
Spike Lee directed English-language remake of the iconic South Korean thriller (yes, the one with the infamous live octopus eating scene). A drunkard fool and useless father finds himself imprisoned for twenty years in an unknown location for unknown crimes only to be released for unknown reasons.
Who would I recognise in it?
Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Michael Imperioli, Lance Reddick.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
English language remakes are oftentimes pointless, but there are rare exceptions. Spike Lee's Oldboy is one of the former. Watch the original, it's superior. That's not to say that Lee's version isn't an abomination or a disaster, but if you've seen the original - what's the point in this version? It looks good and is suitably violent - and it manages to keep most of the sting (albeit sidestepping one particular decision) - but the tone is unsteady and generally the film feels lacking. Alright.

Bad Neighbours:
What's it about?
A fraternity of party-loving brosephs moves in to a quiet suburban neighbourhood, right next door to new parents Mac and Kelly who don't want to look uncool, but also want them to keep the bloody noise down. Inevitably the pleasantries and flirtations with youthful exuberance give way to prank wars and booze-fuelled chaos.
Who would I recognise in it?
Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and others.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
From Nicholas Stoller, director of other raucus comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bad Neighbours (originally known as "Neighbors" in it's North American homeland), makes for a brisk and saucy good time. It's not especially deep, but the game performances and efficient characterisation help pull you in and give the gags an added jolt. The dick jokes and fraternity movie cliches come thick and fast, but the cast chemistry elevates the material into something with a bit more staying power than your average comedy. Good.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World:
What's it about?
Mankind has but three weeks left to live after their last attempt to destroy a deadly asteroid fails. Two misfits meet amidst the chaos and forge a special bond as they race to either reconnect with their high school flame or get home to their family.
Who would I recognise in it?
Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, T.J. Miller, William Petersen, Martin Sheen, and others.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
It's a curious mix of romcom sweetness and end-of-the-world bleakness that initially knocks its audience off-balance, but which becomes intriguing and then involving. There's no large scale apocalyptic antics, with the inevitable crime sprees and rioting viewed in subtle glimpses on the peripheries of the central relationship. Carell's insurance salesman (whose wife left him immediately when they found out they were all doomed), and Knightley's English pot smoker/vinyl enthusiast make for a quirky couple at first, but you soon fall into their developing groove and become quite attached to them come the - actually rather sad - inevitability that's laid out in the opening scene. Good.