Rated
R (Language and Some Sexual Content/Nudity)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 2 Minutes
Cast-
Bradley
Cooper-Pat Solitano
Jennifer
Lawrence-Tiffany Maxwell
Robert
De Niro-Pat Solitano Sr.
Jacki
Weaver-Dolores Solitano
Shea
Whigham-Jake Solitano
Chris
Tucker-Danny
Julia
Stiles-Veronica
John
Ortiz-Ronnie
Anupam
Kher-Dr. Cliff Patel
Dash
Mihok-Officer Keogh
Brea
Bee-Nikki
Directed
by David O. Russell
 |
| Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star as two damaged people struggling to pick their lives up in David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook." |
Deep
down, everyone is hiding a little 'crazy' within themselves. My quirky penchant
for blurting out inappropriate vulgarities at random moments is what makes me
so endearing to my friends. Of course, there's always a limit and too much
crazy can prove to be harmful, even dangerous. Director David O. Russell knows
a thing or two about being crazy as many of his films focus on dysfunctional
families, not to mention his various temper tantrums on the set while working
on 1999's "Three Kings" and 2004's "I ♥ Huckabees." After
taking a six-year hiatus, Russell returned in 2010 with "The
Fighter," a biographical sports drama that focuses on the life of
professional boxer Mickey Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. Although I was
impressed with the drama and the performances, I felt the story was average.
However, critics were ecstatic about the film (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and
apparently, the Motion Picture Academy did as well, with Christian Bale and
Melissa Leo winning Best Supporting Actor and Actress at the 83rd Academy
Awards. Once again wading into the pools of the dysfunctional American family,
Russell's latest work is "Silver Linings Playbook," based on the 2008
novel of the same name by Matthew Quick. The story may not hold any surprises
but "Silver Linings Playbook" benefits from a witty script that
deftly blends depth with humor and a pair of excellent performances from
Jennifer Lawrence and surprisingly, Bradley Cooper. Look for this one to be a
major awards contender this year.
Thanks to a plea bargain, former high school
history teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) returns home to live with his
parents, Pat Sr. and Dolores (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), in Philadelphia
after spending eight months at a psychiatric ward in Baltimore. The infidelity
of his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) caused him to have a mental breakdown where he
beat her lover half to death. Convinced that he no longer needs medication and deluding
himself that a positive attitude will get him what he wants, Pat sets out to
woo his wife back despite the restraining order working against him. While
having dinner with old friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife Veronica (Julia
Stiles), Pat meets Veronica's sister Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a
troubled young woman who lost her husband in a sudden car accident and copes by
sleeping with every man she comes across. The two quickly form a strange bond
and soon Tiffany is following Pat around as he makes his morning jog every day.
When he learns that Veronica still keeps in touch with Nikki, Pat asks Tiffany
to deliver a letter for him that details his regrets and hopes for the future
but she will only help if he agrees to be her partner for an upcoming freestyle
dance competition. However, his superstitious father wishes to spend more time
with his son, viewing Pat as a good luck charm for the Philadelphia Eagles
winning the Super Bowl, a game in which he has bet his entire life savings on.
Between his obligation to Tiffany, his father, and quest to reunite with his
wife, Pat soon finds himself unraveling under all the pressure.
"Silver
Linings Playbook" is a film that definitely caught me by surprise as it
wasn't even on my radar until I got my hands on a pair of screening passes last
week. Director David O. Russell (who also wrote the script) immediately dumps
us into Pat's erratic world by throwing traditional exposition out the window
and keeping the reasons behind the main character's mental breakdown a mystery
before pulling back the curtain in a hilarious scene that involves Stevie
Wonder's My Cherie Amour. While
waiting to see his therapist Dr. Cliff Patel (Anupam Kher), Pat overhears the
song and soon flies into a Hulk-like rage by tearing up the magazine rack. Once
he's settled down, he recounts the incident and admits his bipolar tendencies.
It's an example of how the film moves effortlessly between moments of dark
comedy and serious drama. The camera mimics Pat's chaotic world, swirling
around to create a sense of disorientation whenever certain triggers remind him
of his wife's infidelity. To maintain his delusion that he has a chance of
getting back together with Nikki, Pat causes a ruckus in the middle of the
night by rummaging around the house for his wedding video. When Tiffany enters
the picture, their attraction to each other is evident right from the start but
Pat is 'stuck' and unable to move on. Pat and Tiffany's interactions crackle
with energy thanks to the witty dialogue. Despite their damaged mental states
hanging over them like a dark cloud, their scenes are fun to watch as the two
play musical chairs with their feelings for each other. Even when it threatens
to become a farce, Russell keeps a tight rein on the drama, keeping it grounded
and allowing us to care about this dysfunctional family. "Silver Linings
Playbook" is ultimately about a broken man picking up the pieces of his
life and how the story proceeds is already a foregone conclusion but Russell
subverts these clichés. By the time the dance competition arrives,
coincidentally on the same day that the Philadelphia Eagles faces off against
the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl, we're already rooting for Pat and the
rest of the Solitano's to pull through. By using humor, Russell manages to
bring out emotion and depth in a way that doesn't feel schmaltzy or overly
sentimental. That's not an easy task, balancing two disparate tones, and yet
"Silver Linings Playbook" succeeds by hitting a field goal.
The
success of the film lies in the superb performances from Bradley Cooper and
Jennifer Lawrence. Cooper has dabbled in drama before (September's "The
Words" ended up being a critical and commercial flop) but he's primarily
known for comedy thanks to the success of "The Hangover" films. His
performance as Pat is a revelation and he is utterly convincing as a damaged
man just hanging by a thread. Even when he's having an angry outburst, we still
sympathize with Pat thanks to Cooper's amiable presence. This guy is no monster
but he needs help to recover and that sense of vulnerability is evident within
Cooper. Jennifer Lawrence almost steals the entire film as the emotionally
troubled, sexually promiscuous Tiffany. She offers Pat a shoulder to cry on but
isn't afraid to deliver a slap and call him out on his hypocrisy. Blockbuster
or not, Lawrence never ceases to amaze me and she's an example of the kind of
young talent that Hollywood should be
fostering. Come awards season, I expect to see Cooper and Lawrence's name among
them. Whether either of them wins does not matter because the recognition is
already enough. Robert De Niro provides support as Pat's father, who also
suffers from an angry temper in addition to OCD, revealing that he is banned
from the Eagles' stadium for picking too many fights. De Niro lends a sense of
world-weariness to Pat Sr. while Jacki Weaver exhibits a sweet, motherly charm.
One actor that I was surprised to see was Chris Tucker. This is his first non-"Rush Hour" role in fourteen years and while it's a small
one, he's pretty damn funny. Rounding out the cast is John Ortiz and Julia
Stiles, with Ortiz providing some comic relief as a husband being smothered
under the weight of responsibility.
"Silver Linings Playbook" premiered
at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September and will be
released on November 21, 2012. Reviews have so far been positive with 100% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Of course, that will change but it's guaranteed at this point
that it'll be a hit with critics. The audience also responded with applause at
the advance screening I attended last Thursday. It's hard to say what the
film's box office prospects are since it faces some tough competition during
the week it opens. Nevertheless, "Silver Linings Playbook" is
excellent and it's a film that manages to transcend its clichés to become one
of the year's best thanks to the depth of the performances. Looks like David O.
Russell has done it again!
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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