Movie Poster

She was the Picasso of passive-aggressive karate.

# Review

Loosely based on the ABSCAM operations conducted by the FBI in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this film follows con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) as they’re pressured by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to entrap criminals, which include Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), the mayor of Camden, New Jersey.

The screenplay is the best part of the film. While the overall plot involving the FBI sting operation is interesting, the interpersonal relationships between the characters is the real story of the film. The script is not subtle; the characters are exaggerated and the dialogue is very dramatic. The cast embrace their roles. Bale is excellent as a sly Irving while Cooper plays a brash Richie. The highlights for me, however, are Adams’ posh Sydney and Jennifer Lawrence’s extremely toxic Rosalyn Rosenfeld. Lawrence’s Rosalyn in particular is unlikeable in the best way possible.

# Conclusion

Funny soap opera with exaggerated characters.

# Overall rating: 7.8

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