Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Directed by David O. Russell. Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. IMDB says: “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.”
There’s nothing greater than leaving the movie theater in a better mood than when you went in, just drenched in gleeful excitement and ready to tell the world about your viewing pleasure. I’m really happy to report that Silver Linings Playbook will be that movie of 2012. The feel-good film that proudly operates on all the highest levels of film making. While it’s not reinventing the wheel, it serves as a desperately needed reminder that romantic comedies can still work.
The movie follows former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradly Cooper.) Pat needs a strategy. He just spent eight months in a mental institution after witnessing his wife’s infidelity first hand. After ‘the incident’ he begins working through not only the trauma, but many other previously undiagnosed mental issues, including Bi-polar disorder. Pat moves back in with his parents and spends every day attempting to be the best version of himself in order to win back the affections of his wife Nikki. His mother (Jackie Weaver) and father (Robert De Niro) struggle to help Pat stay grounded in reality and connected to the family. But then Pat meets Tiffany (Jenifer Lawrence,) a beautiful, young widow with her own set of emotional problems. The two connect with one another and even though Pat is reluctant, begin to spend more and more time together while working on a dancing project. There are a bunch of other stories and characters milling about in the movie but for brevity’s sake, well, I think you get the picture. What’s so wonderful about the film’s story is that even when you know how some of it might turn out and even when it might seem familiar, there is enough, dare I say ‘quirk’, to make it feel fully new. ‘Quirky’ succeeds in Silver Linings because its characters are so cemented in reality. In fact, it’s more neurotic than quirky, and does a damn fine job showcasing some real elements of mental instability. The film doesn’t shy away from more serious aspects of its subject matter but it often works so well as a comedy because it really puts everyone on display. What does it mean to ‘be crazy’ and how is one person’s crazy any different than another’s?
Besides a solid story at the core, this review would be shit if I didn’t say a few glowing remarks about the acting displayed in the movie. Bradly Cooper plays the best role of his career, absolutely NAILING his character’s neurosis and completely selling me on his existence. He is able to make Pat both annoying and endearing, giving the movie its biggest strength. I believe the term thrown around was that he’s “really fucking good in it.” Right along side him is Jenifer Lawrence, who has so far never disappointed me in a performance. The two share a wonderful onscreen chemistry that makes their real life age difference completely unnoticeable. It’s a match that actually sounds kind of bad on paper but works flawlessly on screen. In addition to the leads, it was awesome to see Di Niro in something I enjoyed again. His roles in recent years haven’t been much to fawn over but he’s back on point in SLP and letting everyone know he’s still got it. Nice supporting nods also go to Jackie Weaver and Julie Stiles, who plays Tiffany’s annoyingly perfect sister.
I found so much to love in Silver Linings Playbook. Certainly its characters and story, as well as the direction of David O. Russell (a director I’m not familiar with at all unfortunately.) But above all, I found this film oddly relatable. I’ve never been to a mental institution or seen a therapist or competed in a dance competition, yet it was easy to find little pieces of myself in each character. I could both sympathize and empathize with them in a truly authentic way. It’s all about that human element, which is so prevalent throughout the movie, that makes Silver Linings Playbook a great film and the best romantic comedy of 2012.
Silver Linings Playbook is out in theaters November 21st.