Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) pursues a career in forgery and loan-sharking. Things begin to change once he falls for grifter Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). FBI agent, Richie DiMasso (Bradley Cooper), soon catches Irving and Sydney redhanded. The two of them now have to work undercover as con artists as part of DiMaso’s sting operation to catch a New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner). Irvings jealous wife (Jennifer Lawrence might be the one who ends up ruining everything. The film is based on the 1970’s Abscam case.
The film takes place in Philadelphia, but is actually filmed in Boston, Natick and Worcester, Massachusetts. Below are some of the familiar locations listed.
- Rosenfeld and Polito meet the businessman at Union Station, Washington Square, Worcester MA.
- 20 miles east between Natick and Framingham is where the branch of Rosenfeld’s dry cleanings location, Reliable Cleaners, 214 West Central Street at Wellesley Avenue.
- The home Irving and his wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawerence) share is located at 54 Doonan Street in the Fulton Heights in Medford, MA.
- Irving and Sydney celebrate their success in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, St James Avenue, Boston. Rosenfeld showed DiMasso the “fake” Rembrandt in the Worcester Art Museum.
Some interesting facts include that Carmine Polito was based on the real-life Mayor of Camden, New Jersey. Michelle Yeoh also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.