Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook

 

By Jeremy Cooper: Layout Editor

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker

Synopsis: Pat Solitano (Cooper) has just been released from a mental hospital after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After returning home, he sets about a futile attempt to win back his wife, whose infidelity triggered his meltdown. Along the way, he meets Tiffany (Lawrence) a young widow who is just as damaged as he is. The bond that develops between Pat and Tiffany might just salvage both of them.

Review: I’m not a fan of romantic comedies. With the exception of a few, I find usually them to be too clichéd, too contrived, too safe and sometimes I think they’re just plain schlock. Actually, I don’t even think that Silver Linings Playbook can be described as a romantic comedy. It’s more of a dramedy with a look at mental illness and it pulls this off incredibly well.

Everything in this movie feels refreshing, from the way the characters are written to the conversations that they have and the pathos that they follow. It feels like David O. Russell really found himself invested with in these characters and poured a lot of heart and soul into this script and he earns that same investment from the audience.

I’m not really a fan of Bradley Cooper, but I have to say, he really impressed me with his performance. If he carries on picking great roles like this, he could become a very talented actor in the future. However, that doesn’t stop Jennifer Lawrence from owning the film. She simply steals every scene that she’s in, showing a lot of range and maturity for her age and effectively convinced me that she’s supposed to be a lot older than she actually is. The rest of the ensemble cast is also fantastic, particularly Robert De Niro who delivers his strongest work in years.

I do have one major gripe though and that would be the last half-hour of the movie. It’s around this point where the plot falls into conventional Hollywood tendencies. This was jarring because while the story isn’t groundbreaking, it was neither clichéd nor predictable up until this point. It didn’t ruin the movie for me as I was still engaged and still entertained, but whereas I loved the first ¾ of the film, I merely liked the last ¼.

Consensus: While it falls into predictable territory towards the final act, Silver Linings Playbook features great performances and a story that is funny, well-written and refreshing. 

Verdict: 8.5 out of 10