Cinema Review – Silver Linings Playbook
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Positives
Negatives
David O Russell’s follow up to last year’s Oscar grabbing The Fighter is a moving and at times hilarious character study of how a psychiatric patients recovery impacts on the life of a young woman bereaving the death of her husband.
Bradley Cooper has become the go to guy for Hollywood in roles that usually involve either a stereotypical ladies man, big laughs or lots of action, but it is great to see his acting ability given room to breathe in Silver Linings Playbook, as he proves that he is far more than just a pretty face with his gripping performance as a recovering patient fresh from a stint in a Psychiatric Unit. The wonderful film title refers to a message Pat takes to heart during his time in care as he searches for the silver lining in every situation but he still struggles to keep his composure when exposed to a certain song that was playing at the time of his breakdown.
It is initially unclear why Pat has served time in a psychiatric unit but the signs all lead to difficulties in his marriage, and this is soon confirmed by his increasingly desperate attempts to contact his estranged wife by any means possible, despite a restraining order being in place. Whilst an encounter with a new female friend – similarly troubled by events in her past – does provide a distraction to his desire, Pat’s heart appears to be firmly set on rekindling his marriage, but this does not deter the ever resourceful Tiffany from becoming a key figure in his rehabilitation.
David O Russell proved he could bring dysfunctional families to the big screen with last year’s fantastic sports film The Fighter, and he continues to expand on his flair for human drama by coaxing riveting performances out of a very talented cast. Pat’s family is rounded out by the ever wonderful Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro as his increasingly concerned parents and Shea Whigham as his annoyingly successful brother who serves to remind Pat of his shortcomings, and all involved make every scene a joy to watch. Jennifer Lawrence shines as Tiffany, and her turbulent relationship with Pat is the key to most of the films laughs, as he remains immune to her constant advances
Films which approach a serious subject matter from a humorous point of view can be in danger of offending certain audiences, but much like last year’s 50/50 which tackled the risque subject of cancer in a comedy, O Russell’s portrayal of mental illness is treated with such care that the viewers will undoubtedly sympathise with Pat and Tiffany’s problems, whilst still finding laughs in the hilarious situations they encounter.
Heartwarming, funny and at times poignant, Silver Linings Playbook is a great adapation of a well-received novel and it is likely to touch all but the most cynical of viewers thanks to the array of incredibly entertaining characters who breathe life to this story. Perfect for those tired of the usual romantic cliches as well as being funny enough for those seeking laughs, this is an uplifting drama which will hopefully inspire others to seek out a silver lining when everything appears to be against them.
Tom Bielby
Nice review. The trailer for this really turned me off, it just made it look like your run of the mill romantic comedy. Good to see it’s a little better than though.
Its much more than a romantic comedy, there are some hilarious moments but the gripping story makes it far more enjoyable. Definitely worth catching on the big screen or renting when its out.
Having read a lot of positive things about this film I really want to see it. Thanks for the recommendation Tom.
It’s a great watch Dan, hope you enjoy it. I have read many positive reviews too and it seems to have struck a chord with film fans from all walks of life.
Great review! I really can’t wait to see this one, I reallly liked The Fighter and the story in this one seems very interesting.
It’s a top notch story Sati, and a very worthy follow up to The Fighter.
Great review Tom and I totally agree it’s heartwarming and poignant. O Russell seems to have a knack for creating a believable and interesting tales of dysfunctional families, he did so with The Fighter as well but I like this one a bit more. I already like Lawrence but she’s close to becoming my fave actress of today.
I’ve been sleeping on this movie despite all of the good things I’ve heard and read about it, just like I’ve been sleeping on Argo. It would be my first time seeing Jennifer Lawrence in a dramatic piece though. Bradley Cooper seems to be into roles about characters who have something or someone messing with their head. Looks like it’s working for him.
I loved this film. But you’d be surprised how many critics out there couldn’t relate to either Cooper or Lawrence’s characters, or thought the film exploited mental illness. I was floored. I considered this to be one of the most uplifting films of the year, and I’m glad you had a positive experience with it like I did (:
Still waiting for this to pop up in a theatre near me.
Guess you didn’t like this as much as I did. It is definitely headed for my top five films since it is one of the films I’ve seen twice this year.
Reading the book before seeing the movie, I thought Bradley Cooper did a wonderful job capturing Pat. I felt the movie had it’s faults with the adaptation of the book though, and wasn’t a big fan of Lawrence’s TIffany. I still couldn’t help walking away really liking, almost loving, it!
Glad to hear that this one is keeper. I am quite ambivalent about it when I heard that it was coming out. I like Bradley Cooper and I really like Jennifer Lawrence, but I will probably wait for this to be released for home viewing.
Nice review. Really didn’t fancy this but saw it begrudgingly out of boyfriend pressure. I liked it a lot more than I thought since reiterating above I also really didn’t like the trailer, but on the flipside didn’t think it wasn’t as good as it could have been. I’ve not read the book or anything, but for some reason found the third act less convincing that the beginning/middle. Especially from the double wager arrangements, it just felt like they bottled it, in my opinion anyway. Maybe its because the first segments so beautifully portrayed a couple making each other feel better, the often paradoxical nature of two people mirroring healing and self possession back at each other through a process of intensified reactionism, which ends up looking like mental state is getting worse when underneath it’s getting better. I don’t know what it is, but the competition and climax seemed too simplified, less brave. Like, once the story started to take shape I thought it was going to be like Secretary but with dancing instead of BDSM dynamics. Then the ending was almost quixotic in it’s simplicity, giving the impression they have gotten better ['normal'] in every way. I would have preferred it if they were shown still dealing with similar mental patterns, but in a healthier and happier way.
Nice movie though, and the leads are truly wonderful.
I will try to see this when i can. Wasn’t initially on my radar, but the hype for this has been great