American Hustle *****

David O. Russell's take on the Abscam scandal of the '70s, when the FBI hired a con man to catch public officials taking bribes, including members of Congress, captures the times and the hustles in a character-driven, often hilarious, romp. This is the movie that "12 Years a Slave" has to beat for the best picture Oscar.

The cast is amazing and never strikes a wrong chord. Bradley Cooper is the preening, ambitious FBI agent who keeps pushing the boundaries and looking for bigger fish to catch in his net. The con couple are played by an overweight Christian Bale and a steamyAmy Adams, smart swindlers who get caught and have to help the FBI to get reduced charges. Jennifer Lawrence is Bale's less than smart solipsistic suburban wife, a manipulative wild card in her husband's schemes. Jeremy Renner turns in an earnest performance as a good-hearted mayor who gets caught up in the scandal.  All of these performances are award caliber, and writer/director Russell, who you know for "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Fighter," constructs the best framework and dialogue to make it all happen. "American Hustle" is a great big fun movie for adults that sheds some light on history and people.