Excellent Character Study

Rating: 8/10 (25 December 2012)

This film was excellently written and had solid performances by the cast. Bradley Cooper did a fantastic job in this role and is one of his best performances in my opinion. Equally matched by the stellar young Jennifer Lawrence this showcased her exceptional acting skills. I found myself drawn to the characters and emotionally invested in their outcomes. It is not a film for everyone with the heaviness of the content however for those who appreciate fine cinematic experiences then I would highly recommend you see the film. Chris Tucker added a lightheartedness to the film that showcased his great comedic timing and depth that I have not seen from him before. Robert De Niro just seems to keep getting better with age and this film showed sides of him that we don't get to see too often. David Russell did a phenomenal job of directing such strong players and from the man who last brought us The Fighter I would expect no less. He seems to have a talent in allowing the actors to stretch the bounds of their normal comfort ranges and elicit amazing and heartfelt performances that we just don't see elsewhere. Overall this exceeded my expectations and I wouldn't be surprised to see some nods come awards season.