Stars and Representation

Bradley Cooper

 American Hustle
In american Hustle, Bradley Cooper plays 1970's FBI agent Richie DiMaso who forces two con artists to set-up an operation to catch corrupt politicians such as the mayor of Camden, New Jersey. The preferred audience for this film would have been somewhere between the ages of 18-25 or even people in their 40's or above that may have remembered this as it is based on real events. His activity is a typical thing to be doing in that era but the methods in which he does them are atypical as you wouldn't expect the FBI to use criminals to their advantage all the time. He conforms exactly to the genre expectations on looking very serious to fit the drama role, the outfit ans style is typical of that period, he's dressed like a cop from the 70's would be expected to dress and his slightly stereotypical perm and silk shirt gives him that slight comedy that the genre implies. I think that the preferred reading for this character is that he is quite powerful and in control as he has managed to force two high profile con artists be on his side in order to catch the corrupt politicians; he is wanted to be seen as someone who is very serious as well and someone that you would not want to get on his bad side, but if you're on his good side he can be very comedic and fun.

 American Sniper
American Sniper is a film based on the true story of Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper) who was the most successful sniper in US Military History, its the story of his 4 tours in Iraq and how that had a huge impact on his mental state and ultimately his family and kids. It ultimately goes on to show him all the way up to his death when a form Navy Seal that he was helping shot and killed him at the shooting range that they were at. In order to get into the role of Chris Kyle Bradley spent 6 months before filming and during filming learning a southern accent and getting military training and he kept in character, his speech and personality stayed the same on and off camera so that he could really become his character so that he could represent himself exactly how Chris Kyle would have been seen by his friends and family to truly honour him. Bradley's method acting is very in depth and both visually and through his personality he is represented as a NAVY Seal and a real family man and this helps the audience almost believe that he was the character he is trying to portray, as if he doesn't even have to act. In some ways his character is a typical a army veteran but his psychological problems that are prevalent in the film and his talents as a sniper make him an atypical character that the audience really takes interest to.

 The Hangover
The Hangover is about four friends who go on a night out in Las Vegas for their friends stag do and when they wake up one of them is missing and they cant work out why because they cant remember anything and so they have to retrace their steps and uncover the wild secrets from the night before. Bradley cooper plays Phil, he is the 'cool' guy of the group and is relaxed most of the time but can be very serious when he needs to be while staying comedic to keep the genre what the director intended. His visual representation are that of the average man so he did not have to change much in order to get into his character; he is someone that is relatable so that the humour will be enhanced to the audience so they can understand it more. Bradley cooper portrays a man who cares a lot about his friends and family and is someone who knows how to have fun but is also really sensible and looks after the group; he is the alpha male and the leader and you can really get that this is what was what the director wanted the audience to get from this character.

Hit and Run
Former getaway driver Charlie Bronson jeopardizes his Witness Protection Plan identity in order to help his girlfriend get to Los Angeles. The police and Charlie's former gang, lead by Alex Dmitri (Bradley Cooper), chase them on the road as his gang tries to get the money back from the bank robbery they did after Charlie left with it and hid it. Bradley Cooper plays the leader of the gang, Alex Dmitri, a hardened criminal who spent 8 months in jail for what Charlie did. Cooper had to represent himself in a new way for this film by growing blonde dreadlocks and putting on muscle mass and weight to match the idea that the writers had for the character. He keeps his comedic and light humoured persona that is seen through a number of his other films but he adds a criminal side to that so he can be serious and tough to get how the writers would prefer for him to be presented. Alex is a very atypical character both visually, as he has the surfer dude look, and also through his personality as most people would not expect a criminal who comes back to get his money to have this comedic and at times sincere qualities.

Serena
In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when he marries Serena. Bradley Cooper plays George Pemberton, the owner of a timber empire from 1930's North Carolina. Cooper plays a very wealthy and powerful character, to show this power his hair is always neat and his face is shaven making himself look very presentable. The clothes that he wears when he is on set are obviously also very different to what he would usually wear as they are from the 1930's, these are both minor changes though that people on set could easily change for him. For the movie Cooper had to learn and perfect the accent from North Carolina; he also had to lose a lot of weight and gain a lot of muscle mass as he plays a character that is outdoors a lot and working a lot and takes part in a lot of leisure activities so he would be quite fit. Bradley Coopers character is a very typical business man from the era and there is nothing that is too special about him other than his marriage, which is what the film is based around.