Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Plot:  Based on the novel by Matthew Quick of the same name, Silver Linings Playbook follows the story of Patrick Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) a former history teacher who just spent the last eight months in a mental institution for beating up his his wife Nikki's (Brea Bee's) lover.  Diagnosed as bi-polar, Pat Jr. is hell bent to get his wife and his life back without the help of drugs or the help of his obsessive compulsive bookie and Philadelphia Eagles fanatic father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro) or mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver).  He enlists the help of the emotionally damaged Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) to win Nikki back.  Tiffany agrees but on one condition: Pat Jr. has to help her with a dance competition.  But as the competition nears Pat Jr. begins to realize that the life he so desperately wants back may not nearly be as good as the life right in front of him.

Review:  Dark, funny, and surprisingly moving, Silver Linings Playbook is the latest film from Academy Award nominated director David O. Russell.  Richly acted, wonderfully written, and often funny, Silver Linings Playbook is hands down one of the more surprising films I've seen in awhile. 
     I have to admit that going into this film I wasn't expecting much .  The previews looked underwhelming and I was expecting nothing more than your typical, run of the mill romantic comedy.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  What separates Silver Linings Playbook from other romantic comedies is its authenticity.  Great films have the ability to hit a note of truth in the viewer and that holds true for this movie.  The writing, plot, and dialogue are equal parts realistic and riveting and I believe David O. Russell has a real shot at winning Best Adapted Screenplay next month at the Oscars.  Not bad for a romantic comedy.
     In fact I hesitate to call the film a romantic comedy.  It's almost insulting to SLP because of the negative connotation that the term "romantic comedy" has acquired.  "Romantic comedy" implies a schmaltzly driven drivel fest where two star crossed lovers eventually kiss in the rain as the credits roll.  SLP is anything but that.  The film addresses with a keen insight the concepts of grief, mental illness, sports, family, and love.  None of these things are straightforward.  In real life they are messy and often painful things.  But even pain is something you can laugh at.  For example, Pat Jr. in his delusional attempt to get back Nikki decides to read all of the books on her teacher's syllabus one of them being "Fairwell to Arms."  At the end of the book he screams "What the fuck?!!" throws the book out the window and proceeds to rant at 3am to his parents about the horrible ending.  Russell does a fabulous job in this scene of showing how invasive and ridiculous mental illness can be, sometimes at the same time.  Another scene of a similar nature where Tiffany and Pat Jr. discuss the drugs they've been on for mental illness really spoke to me because I've been down that road before myself.  It was poignant and funny at the same time.
     Silver Linings Playbook also demonstrates why there needs to be a Best Ensemble Cast Award for the Oscars.  Everyone in this film is at the top of their game and memorable in their own way, even Chris Tucker as Pat Jr.'s mental health facility friend.  Silver Linings Playbook is actually the first film in 30 years to have nominations in the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories.  And believe me they are all well deserved.  Jackie Weaver (who was also nominated a few years ago for Animal Kingdom) shines as Pat Jr.'s mother Delores who is often torn between her husband's issues and her son's.  She walks a tight line between being a peacemaker and having a nervous breakdown.  Robert DeNiro gives his best performance since Heat as Pat Sr., a man who can't really understand his son's emotional problems but at the same time feels that he's partially responsible. 
     I'd also like to extend a thorough and heartfelt apology to Mr. Bradley Cooper.  I'll no longer refer to him as Phil from The Hangover.  Cooper's Oscar nomination was well deserved as his performance of the mentally unbalanced Pat Jr. is one of the best since Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People.  Cooper was able to capture the totality of mental illness, what it means to be a human, and the fact that in this life there is no "normal."  He's also incredibly funny and vibrant.  Some of his scenes with DeNiro and Lawrence are just captivating.
     As for Lawrence, let me put it this way, I saw Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty, and Jennifer Lawrence's performance as the emotionally damaged Tiffany blows Chastain out of the water.  Lawrence brings an authenticity and a pathos to Tiffany rarely seen on the big screen.  She's also darkly funny and took on a major physical challenge for the dance scenes.  Lawrence should win the Oscar just for her scenes in the restaurant and just after with Bradley Cooper.  I'll definitely be rooting for her next month even though I think she'll end up losing.
     Silver Linings Playbook clearly depicts how while life is never perfect, there are always good things to take away.  Somewhere there is always a silver lining.

My rating:  9/10