Excellent, and refreshingly so

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2013)

I knew nothing about this film when we sat down in the cinema tonight to see it, so I had no expectations. But from the opening moments I found myself completely engaged by the acting, and interested in the characters straight away.
Christian Bale has not done much for me in recent years, but he was captivating in this, and in every single scene. His physical transformation into a slightly overweight conman with a bad comb-over was enhanced by his believable character portrayal, and I have renewed respect for him now as an actor that can be damn interesting to watch.
Bradley Cooper was brilliant, as was Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, and Louis C.K.. There wasn't a single person that didn't pull their weight, and it makes the film's more-than-2-hour-length fly by.
There's not much in the way of physical action...in fact, I can't think of anything any action at all really...but the drama of the film is so well handled that action simply isn't necessary. Even the comedic moments were handled superbly.
I'd love to criticise something, cos no film is perfect, but this is a tough one to find fault with...maybe I would have left out Lawrence's dance scene when she mimed to Live and Let Die, cos it felt slightly at odds with the rest of the film in my opinion, but that's being seriously harsh.
So, to sum up, if you want a movie with top acting, big stars, brilliant dialogue, no over-the-top action and a well thought out story (with some historical truth mixed in), then this one is for you.
Trust me, you won't be sorry!