'Some of this actually happened.'

Rating: Null/10 (27 April 2014)

This movie is apparently loosely based on real people and real events in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Grifters and scam artists who were asked to help catch bigger fish. The Irving Rosenfeld character in this movie (Christian Bale, putting on 40 pounds for the role) appears to be based on Mel Weinberg, many of his scams involved desperate businessmen who had been denied loans, and his fee, up to $5000, was to arrange the loan. Of course the loan was never sought, the victim was told the loan was not approved, Weinberg kept the fee. This is portrayed in the movie and ended when a real estate guy from Pittsburgh reported him to the FBI.
Christian Bale is Irving Rosenfeld and Bradley Cooper is Richie DiMaso, the agent who was intent on using Irving to expose and prosecute. Rosenfeld's partner in scams is Amy Adams as British Sydney Prosser. Jeremy Renner is New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito who wants to do good for his people but gets caught up in the bribes. Jennifer Lawrence is Irving's wife, Rosalyn Rosenfeld. She is a bit of a loose canon and causes problems with the sting.
This movie comes from the same writer/director that brought us "Silver Linings Playbook" and of course uses many of the same actors. It is best described as an absurd comedy, obviously well-acted and great entertainment if you like this kind of movie.
Robert De Niro makes an appearance as a mob guy in a small but significant role.