Brilliant performances for an edgy and captivating story

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2014)

The picture recalls an outrageous political scandal which rocked American history in the late seventies, and which is treated here with a very sharp and intriguing touch. Despite the plot, what is remarkable here are the brilliant performances offered by the whole cast: I think every actor had a great chance to shine and they all used this chance greatly, also thanks to a solid direction which prevents them from becoming caricatures, despite their evident and searched for exaggeration. Bradley Cooper had a difficult role as an ambitious and out of control FBI agent, and did a very good job, Christian Bale was also great in interpreting a very fragile and yet complex character, Amy Adams was also surprisingly convincing in a erotically charged character, very unusual for her, and the promising Jennifer Lawrence seems once again really fit for psychologically frail characters. The script is very strong and edgy, and yet captivating with strong scenes and dialogues full of pathos and emotion. The music is involving too, with great tracks from those times and a very captivating dance scene.