American Hustle (2013) in Movies

I went into this one hearing some things: bland, doesn't go anywhere, etc. That's unfounded. What you have are five people played by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner, and all of them are sensational (with Lawrence being the least because frankly, she was miscast. That character needed to be someone a little bit older, with a bit more edge... like maybe Evan Rachel Wood). Bale and Adams are the centerpiece, a couple of shysters who get forced to do so dirty work by the FBI in exchange for immunity, and since the operation is being run by a guy who really really wants to make a name for himself (played by Cooper), the more they teach him about conning people, the more he wants to use his resources to sink them deeper into a mess than they can handle. It's about handling egos, petty jealousies, and a that choking sense of desperation that both propels you forward and sinks you into despair. Also look for a couple of nice cameos. No, I'm not telling you. It's more fun to see them for yourself. Kinda feels like Argo getting ramrodded by Casino. So, no, it's not a masterpiece. But it's wellmade and it's compelling. Bale, Adams, and Cooper all deserve noms.