Director David O. Russell’s (The Fighter) latest film is a wonderfully charming drama with excellent performances and some quirky comedy added to the mix. Bradley Cooper shows audiences that he can create a performance around mental illness with a strong assurance of character, and Jennifer Lawrence’s ferocious performance compliments his character well. A film with an optimistic outlook on life, rooted in protagonist Pat’s motto “excelsior”, Silver Linings Playbook is essentially about taking control of your life and seizing the moments that come to you.
The film opens as Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and mood swings, following an incident 8 months earlier where he found his wife cheating on him and nearly beat the man she was with to death- to be fair, who wouldn’t at least think of doing the same? Pat’s mother (Jacki Weaver) is a kind-hearted woman who’s used to this kind of explosive behaviour, because she’s married to Pat. Sr. (Robert De Niro), a man so engrossed in the Philadelphia Eagles that he’s been banned from the stadium for fighting, and he believes that a number of rituals must be fulfilled to help the birds win. Pat’s only order of business is a devotion to repair his marriage, despite a restraining order his wife has placed against him. His father keeps reminding him that his marriage is over, she sold the house and left, probably with the history teacher she was having an affair with. But Pat remains persistent, he takes all the negativity and turns it into a positive drive forward, he’s surprisingly optimistic for a man in his position, which is something we admire about Pat, yet at the same time we want him to move on.
At this stage Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) at a dinner with his friends. Tiffany is a young and beautiful widow, once a cop’s wife. She’s been labelled as a slut, and to an extent she agrees. She’s just as damaged and crazy as Pat, and the two immediately find a unique chemistry in the lack of normal social skills and the history of psycho-pharmaceuticals. Tiffany keeps following Pat while he runs, persistently pestering him until they slowly become friends. In exchange for sneaking a letter to his wife, Pat agrees to dance with Tiffany at a dancing tournament that Christmas in an upscale Philadelphia hotel. Through their continuous interactions and dance practices, Pat and Tiffany grow close, and Pat begins to find something to commit himself to, which helps calm his disorder. His father is weary of this new friendship as he thinks that Pat should spend more time with him – both as a father and as a superstitious sports fan.
The film opens as Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and mood swings, following an incident 8 months earlier where he found his wife cheating on him and nearly beat the man she was with to death- to be fair, who wouldn’t at least think of doing the same? Pat’s mother (Jacki Weaver) is a kind-hearted woman who’s used to this kind of explosive behaviour, because she’s married to Pat. Sr. (Robert De Niro), a man so engrossed in the Philadelphia Eagles that he’s been banned from the stadium for fighting, and he believes that a number of rituals must be fulfilled to help the birds win. Pat’s only order of business is a devotion to repair his marriage, despite a restraining order his wife has placed against him. His father keeps reminding him that his marriage is over, she sold the house and left, probably with the history teacher she was having an affair with. But Pat remains persistent, he takes all the negativity and turns it into a positive drive forward, he’s surprisingly optimistic for a man in his position, which is something we admire about Pat, yet at the same time we want him to move on.
At this stage Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) at a dinner with his friends. Tiffany is a young and beautiful widow, once a cop’s wife. She’s been labelled as a slut, and to an extent she agrees. She’s just as damaged and crazy as Pat, and the two immediately find a unique chemistry in the lack of normal social skills and the history of psycho-pharmaceuticals. Tiffany keeps following Pat while he runs, persistently pestering him until they slowly become friends. In exchange for sneaking a letter to his wife, Pat agrees to dance with Tiffany at a dancing tournament that Christmas in an upscale Philadelphia hotel. Through their continuous interactions and dance practices, Pat and Tiffany grow close, and Pat begins to find something to commit himself to, which helps calm his disorder. His father is weary of this new friendship as he thinks that Pat should spend more time with him – both as a father and as a superstitious sports fan.
The mostly light-hearted tone of the film is interrupted by infrequent bipolar episodes that highlight the performances of the actors, as well as portraying the difficulty of living with a condition that brings the occasional explosive mood-swing. There is one moment where Pat is at the psychiatrist’s office for the first time, and while waiting in the lobby his wedding song starts playing. He screams out to ask if it really playing and not just in his head, and then he begins throwing magazines on the floor to find the speakers. Midway through he realizes that people have stopped to look at him, and Pat, with sorrow in his eyes, stops himself and begins to pick up the magazines and clean up. The look on Bradley Cooper’s face shows more emotion than most may have thought the actor capable of, portraying a man who doesn’t want to be like he is, who wants to change but doesn’t yet have the tools to do so.
Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as Tiffany, a brash girl with beauty and charm, but a veil of emotional distance covering her true self. Bradley Cooper is fantastic as Pat Jr., and Robert De Niro once again has a role that shows he’s still got the Oscar-magnitude talent he showcased over and over again for decades. Co-stars Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker are also a delight to have as part of this ensemble, and each brings a distinctly different character to the film. Showcasing warm-hearted talent and emotionality, David O. Russell’s latest film Silver Linings Playbook is a great little piece of filmmaking.
Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as Tiffany, a brash girl with beauty and charm, but a veil of emotional distance covering her true self. Bradley Cooper is fantastic as Pat Jr., and Robert De Niro once again has a role that shows he’s still got the Oscar-magnitude talent he showcased over and over again for decades. Co-stars Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker are also a delight to have as part of this ensemble, and each brings a distinctly different character to the film. Showcasing warm-hearted talent and emotionality, David O. Russell’s latest film Silver Linings Playbook is a great little piece of filmmaking.