just to warn or qualify
Now, mind you, a week ago, this place was a mess.American Hustle · 2013 — Chapter 12 of 20 · 3'49" · B2
The Ocean Room Pitch, Explained: right off the bat
A guided tour of a restored casino room turns into a lesson in who really runs the business. One line asks, “You mean the Mob?” while the presentation keeps smiling and calls them businessmen.
What happens
A host shows off a newly restored Ocean Room, praising the detail and claiming the work saved fifty million dollars right off the bat. He points to older men at the bar, calls them the biggest casino operators in the U.S., and a guest bluntly asks if they are the Mob.
Listen for
right off the batknow how it's donethe Mobnot sure that's such a good idea
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Phrase of the scene
right off the bat
from the very start
Someone turns a renovation bill into a boast, repeating the phrase to drive home an instant win.
Don't dismiss the plan right off the bat; give it one meeting.
Also in this scene
- know how it's done
to know the ropes, to be experienced enough to get it done
- the Mob
organized crime, the mafia
- not sure that's such a good idea
a soft way to say it's a bad idea
- confer
to discuss before deciding
- delicate
handle with care and tact
Everything marked in this scene
24 notes across 80 lines
be in disorder
Now, mind you, a week ago, this place was a mess.an optical illusion here, the painted sky looks real
Trompe I'oeil. "Trick of the eye."Let 'right off' blur together and land the stress on 'bat.'
Saved you $50 million. Look at me. $50 million, right off the bat, like that Right off the bat.relative clause: Two relative clauses stack after 'the law,' first identifying it and then stating what it required.
I waive the law that I helped write that said casino construction had to be built ground-up new. We don't do new.enjoy oneself
Some gaming tables, some play money for people to have a good time.operate casinos
They run the biggest casinos in the United States, and we have to work with them.to know the ropes, to be experienced enough to get it done
Someone reassures the group that the men at the bar know how things work and can get them done, before anyone names the Mob.
The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.complete a task
The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.earn money
The good news is, they know how it's done, they get it done, you don't have to worry, everyone makes their money.the mafia — Use it for organized crime, not casually for a group of friends.
You mean the Mob?as much or as little time as you choose
Now, spend as much or as little time with them as you like, but we do have to deal with them.as...as structure: The as...as frame makes the amount open: any duration is allowed.
Now, spend as much or as little time with them as you like, but we do have to deal with them.Blur 'got to' and keep the stress on 'confer.'
We got to confer before we talk to these guys.travel a long distance
Yeah, we come all this way. Irving, we came all this way, we should be here.Lift the ending each time and stress 'scared'; let 'everybody' pass quickly.
What's everybody scared of? What's everybody scared of?misjudge something completely
I think they got this room all wrong.someone who spoils the fun — Teasing among friends; avoid it with strangers or in formal settings.
Hey, oh, no, it's because he's a party pooper.allow me to introduce
May I present Sheik Abdullah, gentlemen, from Abu Dhabi. Sheik, these are professionals, and they run the best casinos in the United States.as proof of something
Mr. Sheik, as a sign of our seriousness, Mr. Tellegio came from Miami to meet you tonight.a mark of disrespect
It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.dummy subject: The dummy 'it' lets the speaker present the rule first and the offending action after.
It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.spread to others here, fun is the thing that spreads
Maybe it'll be contagious, huh?speak to me like that
Can you believe he talks to me that way'?The Ocean Room Pitch, explained
What's really going on
The politeness is the point. The room is framed as art and charity, but the real subject is the men at the bar. “You mean the Mob?” cuts through the tour language, and the reply tries to make organized crime sound routine: “Yes, but they're businessmen, okay?” The pitch keeps turning risk into reassurance, from “The good news is” to “everyone makes their money.” The tension sits between the restored plasterwork and the men sitting at the bar, between “right off the bat” and the warning that someone has to be delicate. Even “no disrespect” works as social lubricant: it lets a speaker push forward while trying to soften the insult.
Theme
CorruptionA polished casino tour normalizes mob involvement as a business necessity, with euphemism doing the work.
DeceptionThe room is sold through charm and helpful language, while the ugly partnership is introduced as good news.
Listen for
- right off the bat — Let 'right off' blur together and land the stress on 'bat.'
- got to confer — Blur 'got to' and keep the stress on 'confer.'
- What's everybody scared of? — Lift the ending each time and stress 'scared'; let 'everybody' pass quickly.
Saved you $50 million. Look at me. $50 million, right off the bat, like that Right off the bat.The speaker claims the savings came instantly, before any long negotiation — a boast about speed and easy wins.
You mean the Mob?A blunt question that names the criminal organization the polished talk has been avoiding.
Those guys over there? They don't scare me.Someone dismisses the intimidating men at the bar and turns fear into a personal challenge.
It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.A rule of etiquette is used to explain why business cannot start yet, while others treat the delay as insulting.
Questions about this scene
Why do they keep calling the men at the bar “businessmen”?
Because the answer to “You mean the Mob?” is “Yes, but they're businessmen, okay?” The scene needs the partnership to sound normal and respectable even after the criminal connection has been named.
Why is talking business at a first meeting called disrespectful?
One line says, “It's a sign of disrespect to talk, uh, business on the first meeting.” Another line immediately calls that false and says making someone wait is the disrespectful part. Etiquette becomes a way to argue about the meeting.
What does “right off the bat” mean here?
It means instantly, at the very start. The boast is that fifty million dollars was saved immediately, before any long negotiation.
Why add “no disrespect” after saying the New York friend doesn't know the customs?
The phrase tries to soften an insult while the speaker keeps pushing everyone toward the back room. “No disrespect” is a disclaimer, not an apology; the pressure to meet continues.
American Hustle · 20 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13keep the upper handCasino Pitch at a Party
Chapter 1last resortLast Resort Loan Pitch
Chapter 2the Picasso of passive-aggressive karateA Sun Lamp Starts a Fight
Chapter 3mess with your judgementFBI Reveal at the Loan Meeting
Chapter 4off the beaten pathThe Jail Cell Confession
Chapter 5on a first-name basis withEscape Plan Argument Over Danny
Chapter 6quit while you're aheadThe Fake Rembrandt Reveal
Chapter 7out of his leagueThe Deal Gets Too Big
Chapter 8grease someoneA $75,000 Bribe for the Mayor
Chapter 9can't get enough ofGuests Smell Nail Polish, Talk Business
Chapter 10back on its feetThe Atlantic City Pitch
Chapter 11the life of the partyRosalyn Cuts In on the Call
Watching · Chapter 12right off the batThe Ocean Room Pitch
Chapter 13keep the upper handCasino Pitch at a Party
Chapter 14falsified my recordsSydney Reveals Her Real Name
Chapter 15get over onI Should've Gone Away With You
Chapter 16get someone on a wireNegotiating the Sherman Suite
Chapter 17let something die to let something liveA Wife Spills Secrets Over Dinner
Chapter 18knock some sense intoIrving Pitches the Two Million Plan
Chapter 19pay somebody offThe Lawyer Takes the Wire
Chapter 20make this rightIrving's Apology Goes WrongChapter 12 of 20 · about 29 min to go