Enjoyable film but not a classic

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2013)

I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect. For me the trailers didn't really seem to reveal much which can be a good and bad thing depending on the type of person you are.
I really enjoyed the movie and thought overall it was very well done. The movie starts out a little slow as it sets up the back story but that is to be expected. There is a flashback scene that talks about how Christian Bale's character came into the conman business and I found that somewhat uninteresting but it's a short scene so that can be forgiven. The story really picked up once they got the ball rolling with Carmine and wanting to bust higher profile people.
Christian Bale's performance was very well done throughout the entire film. I totally bought his character and I have no complaints with his role at all.
Amy Adams delivered another strong performance as well. Her accent was solid and I think she did a very good job in expressing her emotions as she tried to set up the entire con.
I may be the only person who wasn't completely buying Bradley Cooper's character. I thought his performance was fine but didn't necessarily think that his character would do some of the stuff that he did. That put him in awkward positions having to act and express emotion that seems beyond his character.
I thought Jeremy Renner did a really good job and complimented the entire cast very well. He really shined in this role and if he wasn't surrounded by such a strong cast, might have gotten more recognition for his role.
Jennifer Lawrence's character really grows on you after awhile. At first she isn't in the film much but they gradually increase her screen time so that you get to see more of Rosalyn and how she lives her life. If you're a fan of Lawrence, you will absolutely love the final bedroom scene between her and Bale.
The movie overall was solid and the performances are great and while I think it will be nominated for some best picture awards, I don't think it should win. I think the ladies in the film will be up for some awards but I don't see Bale or Cooper receiving any awards for the film.
I think they missed the mark on this being any type of nostalgic, classic, have to watch multiple times movie. Then again, a movie only becomes that way after a long period of time. It's definitely worth a watch in the theaters and again at home if you're a fan of the actors but if someone told me that they didn't see this film I wouldn't think that they had missed out on some masterpiece like Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas, etc.