Best Leading Actor 2013: Christian Bale - American Hustle

I enjoyed American Hustle well enough. Everybody in it gives a very passionate performance and though the screenplay is a bit weak, the actors make it a very fine experience. But the truth is that every actor in a film seems to be a miscast. But I read somewhere an idea that seems very logical to me. Everyone is miscast on purpose. Because the film tells a story of people, who play various roles, the actors cast in a film were against their type, so that they also have to play the role. Every actor is obviouly playing his character.
Christian Bale plays a Jewish businessman Irving, who has to cooperate with police in order to save his own ass. He's got a wife (Jennifer Lawrence) with a son, but he's cheating on her with his co-swindler Sydney. Though he definitely was cast against his type, Bale makes you forget this fact. That's why his performance works so well. He somehow managed to disapper in his performance.
Many people compare this performance to Robert De Niro's style. The truth is that I haven't seen that much from De Niro's career (10 films), but it never seemed to me so. Bale just chose the same acting method and the character allowed him to act the way De Niro might have used to, but I don't think he played Irving with 'De Niro style' on purpose.
You may say I'm insane, how I notice the acting with the eyes about the actors, but that's just a coincidence of this year's best leading actor's lineup. The four of the nominees actually used their eyes wonderfully. There is a lot of makeup work done on this character. But it never destroys the performance. Under the makeup, weight gaining and wig there is a very complex performance. He is actually the best in show. He only was able to build a complex character, in which he stayed throughout the entire film. The other actors sometimes tended to act according to the situation, not the character. But Bale always stays in his character.
At the end of the film Irving feels sorry for Mayor Polito. I actually didn't have problems believing that he really felt sorry about the whole thing. That's a proof that it's not just a showy performance with no soul.
There's an interesting thing I've noticed. Bale sometimes seemed to me, as if he didn't want to become a part of this game everyone else is playing. As if all of the other actors were enjoying the party, but Bale not. But it somehow makes sense, according to this character. Irving was forced to became a part of this game that detective is playing. He had to become a part of it, if he didn't want to go into jail. But he didn't want to. And that's great about this performance. It actually evokes in the audience the feelings it was supposed to.
The chances of winning an Oscar: He was happy to be nominated...