Maybe I was conned?

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2014)

When you see the trailers and posters the first thing you notice about American Hustle is how many nominations it has including best picture at the Golden Globes! So it's quite hard to go in with low expectations.
The film starts with a slow almost boring pace and the only thing that holds your attention is the superb acting performances particularly from Christian Bale and ​Bradley Cooper. Yes it is funny and rather slick but it seems the set up of the story is just rather dull and for some lazy reason the scriptwriter chooses the characters to narrate for nearly half an hour. I found myself wondering if I was watching a nature programme rather than a film.
However, the writer then let's the characters come to life and the film finally gets going, the pace picks up and the acting becomes even better. As Bale's character Irving and Amy Adam's character Sydney go deeper and deeper into the world of 'conning' you begin to join them in this unpredictable, dangerous world. Cooper who plays Richie DiMaso is a cop blackmailing them into framing some very dangerous people!
Overall it's a good film but definitely not worthy of the best picture nomination. The acting however is. Bale is superb but to be honest Cooper totally steals the show, and we shouldn't forget Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence who are both exceptional.
A fun and enthralling film but maybe needs a re-cut on the first 30 minutes!