It is said that art imitates life and if some of the recent English films are anything to go by, Hollywood cinema certainly believes in the adage. This year’s Oscar lineup, for one, has a fair share of films that have been inspired by true incidents/events. HitList gives the lowdown on these movies.

'American Hustle'

Director: David O. Russell
Protagonist: Melvin Weinberg
Actor: Christian Bale
Oscar nods: 10
Storyline: This period crime comedy begins with the disclaimer: ‘Some of this actually happened’. And for his convincing performance — he even put on more than 25 kilos for the role — Bale is rightfully nominated in the Best Actor category for the first time in his career.