Fantastic

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2014)

I'll put my hands up and admit it, I'm an action buff, I don't typically go to see this sort of movie, especially at the weekend. However my wife dragged me along as one of her old school friends worked on the editing side. So in expectation of brownie points, I tagged along.
The first 20 minutes or so I felt it dragged a little, but slowly the cast started to reel me in and by the end of it I was begging for more. Absolutely beautifully crafted story with a fantastic cast. It's the first movie in a very long time (for me since Shawshank Redemption) which didn't have any weak players in the cast, not one.
Christian Bale and Amy Adams were stand out for me, but that doesn't in any way detract from the fantastic performances by the rest of the cast. I will be absolutely flabbergasted if this movie doesn't pick up an acting Oscar for at least one of the leading and supporting actors and a great fistful of nominations.
The story itself is carefully woven and I found myself rooting wholeheartedly for the "baddie" con artists by the end. Speaking of which the ending is perfect, I really didn't see it coming.