American Hustle (2013)

A career con man (Christian Bale) and his mistress (Amy Adams) are busted in a sting. But an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) offers them a deal. If they help him ensnare a bunch of politicians in a money scam, they'll go free. What sounds simple enough turns into a complicated and dangerous operation where you wonder who's scamming who? Pure bliss and absolutely irresistible! The screenplay by director David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer is improbable and its characters far fetched. But hey, this is a comedy, not a true life drama (though it's "suggested" by real life events) and who cares when you're having such a great time? Russell whizzes his actors (all at the top of their game) through their stride and though the film goes past the two hour mark, you're never aware of the time because you're on a rollercoaster. The period detail (it's set in 1978) is perfect and the actors, all with hideous 70s wigs and hairpieces, dig into their roles like a dog with a bone. Best of all is Jennifer Lawrence who bats it out the ball park as Bale's dizzy wife. Forget THE STING, this is the real deal. A genuine treat and one of the best films of the year. With Robert De Niro, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Alessandro Nivola, Colleen Camp, Jack Jones and Elizabeth Rohm.