15 Average Oscar Bait Films Elevated By Amazing Performances

15. American Hustle

This period drama, which was nominated for ten Oscars but walked away with nothing, is very much an acting showcase. Christian Bale's work is fairly forgettable but it's got a group of outstanding performances from Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and especially Amy Adams.

All of these actors are at the top of their game from start to finish and the amounts of energy they all bring to the table are insane; they're so good they more than shine through all those ridiculous hairstyles.

Nevertheless, take these performances away and American Hustle is a forgettable and convoluted exercise in style-over-substance, which is why it seemed to face such a backlash after it was released. American Hustle is still a solid 7/10 movie and worth a viewing, but the acting is certainly far better than the film's other elements and it shouldn't have been nominated for as many Oscars as it was.