Bradley Cooper Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted relevant accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Bradley Cooper-whose latest project "Nightmare Alley" hits theaters tonight.

Bradley Cooper's Filmography Ranked:

25.American Sniper (D-)

24.Aloha (D-)

23.Hit and Run (C+)

22.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (C+)

21.Burnt (B-)

20.The Rocker (B-)

19.The Hangover Part III (B-)

18.The Words (B)

17.The Hangover Part II (B)

16.The Place Beyond the Pines (B)

15.War Dogs (B)

14.The Mule (B)

13.Limitless (B)

12.Joy (B+)

11.Yes Man (B+)

10.The A-Team (B+)

9.Wedding Crashers (B+)

8.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

7.Guardians of the Galaxy (A)

6.Avengers: Infinity War (A)

5.American Hustle (A)

4.The Hangover (A)

3.A Star is Born (A)

2.Silver Linings Playbook (A)

1.Wet Hot American Summer (A)

Top Dog: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Time usually isn't kind to comedy as social mores or general changes to what an individual finds funny can cause the humor in something to erode. The polar opposite has happened with Wet Hot American Humor. Each rewatch unlocks some new beautiful layer of absurdity that makes the whole experience even more joyous and staggeringly funny than it was before, which is why it's recently earned a place among my 10 all-time favorite comedies.    

Lowlight: American Sniper (2014)

American Sniper is the only film that wasn't from a time well before I was born that deeply offended me. Not only is Chris Kyle a vile man who doesn't deserve to be celebrated, but this film's portrayal of PTSD and glorification of warfare is irresponsible and downright appalling.

Most Underrated: The A-Team (2010)

This fun, cheesy movie that's based on a fun, cheesy TV show is a lowkey perfect adaptation. The titular team of good guy rogue operatives/ex-Special Forces (Liam Neeson, Cooper, Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley) have a great rapport, the action sequences are big, cartoonish slices of manic joy and perhaps most importantly, it embraces its ridiculousness without being overly meta or self-congratulatory. 

Most Overrated: American Sniper (2014)

The moral issues I have with American Sniper were addressed above, so I'll use this space to get into its cinematic failures. Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Jason Dean Hall framed American Sniper as a character study, yet the film really only gives shit about Kyle's prowess with a gun. Sure there are little snippets of Kyle's relationship with his wife (played by Sienna Miller) and dealing with PTSD after a friend of his was killed in combat, but they don't really bother to expand upon it because that would take time away from the good ol' killing of terrorists and that headshot highlight reel is needed in order for people to really get misty eyed when a title card prior to the end credits reveals Kyle was murdered by a mentally ill veteran that he gave a firearm to at a shooting range. Character studies are supposed to be a window into the subject's being and American Sniper refuses to unlock that shit in order to serve its real agenda of being jingoistic propaganda for the United States military.

Most Overhated Awards Movie: American Hustle (2013)

The talky, style over substance delivery of the loosely fact-based American Hustle has earned it an increasingly large number of detractors since its release at the peak of the 2013 awards season.  Funnily enough, those critiques are a big part of why I love American Hustle so much. The breezy, often comedic atmosphere and snappy dialogue fosters an environment where the ensemble can give playful, deceptive performances (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Cooper, Jeremy Renner) that create a sense of constant distrust that every story centered around con artists should have. 

Minor Miracle of a Directorial Debut: A Star is Born (2018)

A Star is Born has been remade so many times that effectively every couple of generations has gotten their own version. This also means that the plot details (especially the ending) are so well-known that getting people to really connect with the story gets harder with each subsequent retelling. Cooper's remake-which is the 4th movie version overall-did such a great job of subtly retooling its classic story that it just may become the definitive version of the film. By delivering the melodramatic plot beats in a more grounded fashion and having the film be anchored by two actors (Lady Gaga, himself) who are able to effortlessly sell the highs and lows of a complicated relationship, Cooper was able to turn this tragic showbiz romance into something that's genuinely fresh, emotional and devastating.