Silver Linings Playbook

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Silver Linings Playbook.

Written & Directed by David O. Russell.

Based on the novel "Silver Linings Playbook". Written by Matthew Quick.

Review #196

MPAA Rating: Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

Run Time: 122 min

Cast

Bradley Cooper...Pat

Jennifer Lawrence...Tiffany

Robert De Niro...Pat Sr.

Jacki Weaver...Dolores

Chris Tucker...Danny

Anupam Kher...Dr. Cliff Patel

John Ortiz...Ronnie

Shea Whigham...Jake

Julia Stiles...Veronica

Brea Bee...Nikki

David O. Russell has a pretty impressive filmography in both writing and directing. Some of his best hits include Spanking the Monkey, Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and The Fighter. One thing Russell seems to do in all of his films is take the material as seriously as possible, whether he wrote the script or not. He also finds a way to bring some levity into a very dramatic situations. His finest example of that is this film here.

Plot

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. 

Silver Linings Playbook looked like a run of the mill football rom-com. That's what it appeared on the surface. It was also marketed that way to get butts in the seats. What this movie actually is is a deeper statement on how people handle loved ones with mental problems. While watching I became disappointed in what I was seeing. In hindsight I was thrilled that I was. This film was so much better than I expected, I just gave up on any expectations and just soaked in all of the drama and intrigue these characters provided in the two hours I was in my seat.

Bradley Cooper headlines the performances in what can easily be considered his breakout and best role of his career. He plays Pat with a wounded yet focused mindset. His goals are both realistic and a pipe dream. It was tough to watch him fall into denial about his situation. Then see him explode with rage when he feels cornered while everyone around him is trying to support him. Those scenes were not pretty but they painted Pat's picture to a tee.

Then comes the stunning and ferociously hot Jennifer Lawrence to throw a monkey wrench into Pat's ultimate plan. Tiffany is also dealing with "problems" of her own that have given her a nasty reputation. The combination of these two would seem toxic and ill advised but as the saying goes. "It takes one to know one." That boys and girls is the rub of this movie. While everyone in Pat and Tiffany's life try to help them get "better" they end up doing it themselves by being around each other.

The relationship between these two get compounded dramatically when outside influences make their presence known. Namely Pat's dad and one of Pat's friends. The intentions are good but they are also self serving which cause disruptions with Pat and Tiffany's mutual recovery. This is where the film loses me a bit. I wasn't a fan of Pat Sr's interference in Pat's life in order for his own personal benefit. To be that selfish with your son who's battling major demons was reprehensible to me. That being said it provided a nice segue to the end of the film when everyone and everything comes to a head.

The film follows the same rom-com blueprint from act two to act three but feels so different due to the main component with the lead characters. It's not everyday you see a film about the budding relationship between two people that are considered nuts. The only other objection I had with Silver Linings Playbook is it's classification. This movie is more of a dramedy than a straight up comedy. This continues to be a tactic used by the "brain"trust at the studios to stir audience interest. Sometimes it works but I think for this film it may backfire. There's always the chance that people are going into this one expecting something completely different from what they actually get. Then you have to deal with the fallout.

Always a risky gamble but then again what gamble isn't.

All in all. Silver Linings Playbook is a really good film with some kinks along the way. The best part is that those kinks don't derail the point this movie is trying to make.

And that's always a good thing.

On the 5 star scale. Silver Linings Playbook gets 4 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.

That's a wrap. Up next is Hitchcock.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"