From the minute I saw the trailer, I thought it would be really, really awful. This may be Bradley Cooper's attempt to 'branch out' but the films he's been in have never inspired awe or wonder in me (yes, even The Hangover to a certain extent). Judging from the trailer, it felt like a diluted down version of Requiem for a Dream meets generic Robert de Niro vehicle.
And then the reviews came in and they were... surprisingly positive. Of the ones I've read, none have been raves - most have been in the 3-4 star or about a B on the letter grade - but most seem pleasantly surprised with it. Movie of the year seems like a stretch from the reviews I've read, but I may end up seeing it after all, which I never thought possible after viewing that wretched trailer.