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Bruce Hall: David O Russell brings cachet to what in lesser hands might have been a tediously long, self indulgent period piece whose lack of payoff makes its complex plot machinations feel frustrating.

Actually it's all of these things, but it also has a great script. It's got some strong performances in it. And, Russell's ability to make me care about people that nobody should care about kept me riveted even when I wanted to tune out. This is an odd, leisurely paced, emotionally hollow film that somehow makes up for lack of substance with its uncompromising attention to quality craftsmanship on all other levels, particularly character development.

American Hustle boasted superb per screen averages in limited release, and since it opened wide it has been a strong performer. It's not a masterpiece but it's a big success and it's destined to endure. The timing of its release will keep it fresh in everyone's minds at the time of year it matters the most.

Kim Hollis: Considering the subject matter and the fact that this is a movie that has a very small, indie feel to it, I think you have to consider its box office results so far pretty amazing. Audiences are flocking to a movie that probably has no business being as broad a hit as it is. I think it will absolutely be in nominees for Best Picture when the Academy announces them, and we're probably looking at Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence being included in the actress categories, too. Bale is a possibility, but Best Actor is so competitive this year that I'm not sure it's guaranteed. I do think that American Hustle is already suffering a bit of backlash, so I don't think it's going to be our winner in the end.

Kim Hollis: Saving Mr. Banks earned $8.7 million this weekend and has accrued $59 million since its debut. What do you think of this result?

Max Braden: This was the kind of movie that families could go see together as a holiday movie, and was probably easier for older, less-theater-visited audiences to absorb than spectacles like Catching Fire or The Hobbit, and less in your face than American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street. But unlike a romantic comedy that feels forced, this felt like a forced feel-good movie without the romance. It looks to me like it neither ignites any romantic spark between Hanks and Thompson, nor tells a lot about the development of Mary Poppins. This movie looks more toothless than a typical Disney movie, giving me no reason to go ("But it has Hanks and Thompson" isn't enough).

Edwin Davies: It's a decent film, but films about filmmaking - even a film as beloved and iconic as Mary Poppins - tend not to do too well with audiences. While the advertising correctly pitched it as a culture class comedy, I think they didn't do a good enough job to sell it as a family picture, rather than as something for people interested in the story behind Mary Poppins. (It also didn't help that Disney also put out Frozen, which is a much clearer family viewing option.) It probably won't get much love from the Academy, which seems to be what Disney was hoping for to bolster its long-term prospects.

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