“Did you ever have to find a way to survive and you knew your choices were bad, but you had to survive?” Christian Bale, also known as his alter-ego Irving Rosenfeld in “American Hustle,” said these words that so seamlessly sum up the Oscar-nominated film. 

The film is the ultimate dramatic romantic comedy with the director of “Silver Linings Playbook,” David O. Russell, seeking Oscar gold once again. Russell maintains his use of provocative characters while transforming Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence — A-list actor Mecca — into the ultimate group of hustlers at some level or another. 

The movie opens with the ingenious disclaimer that “Some of this actually happened.” Russell took an authentic story and factual characters and modified them exorbitantly to a point where viewers are fully immersed into the lives and actions of each distinctive character. Bale deserves an Oscar solely based on the physical transformation  he enderwent for the film. With his gut poking out and his hair combed over to the point of embarrassment, Rosenfeld is the epitome of a brilliant con man, and his mistress (Adams) is equally, if not exceedingly, just as sly. Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence add to the hilariousness of the film with one-liners that are sure to make viewers fall over with laughter. With its all-star cast (especially Bale and his comedic comb-over) and ingeniously effortless plot, “American Hustle” will be added to the laundry list of phenomenal films that were robbed if it does not snag the Oscar for Best Picture.