Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook
(2012)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: David O. Russell
Written By: David O. Russell, based on
Matthew Quick's book
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence,
Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker
Rating: 14A
Release Date: November 21st 2012
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| Jennifer Lawrence & Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook © 2012 - The Weinstein Company |
Silver Linings Playbook follows Pat, (Bradley Cooper), the day he's released from mandatory psychiatric care, as his mother picks him up from the hospital. After a series of ridiculous mishaps, the manic Pat makes it home. Once living on his own as a teacher, happily married to his wife Nikki, Pat is presently adjusting to life living with his mother and father, as well as dealing with his mental illnesses. With his parents own quirks and idiosyncrasies, Pat's childhood home might end up crazier than the psych ward he just left. It's not until Pat meets the delightfully subversive Tiffany, (Jennifer Lawrence), at a failed dinner party that Pat finds a little sanity in his warped world. Tiffany and Pat, both with equally shocking and heartbreaking pasts, find a reason to latch on to one another. Not for love, but for survival. It's their chemically imbalanced mental states that eventually lead to a mutual attraction.
Silver Linings Playbook may seem like it follows the standard romantic comedy formula. Yet the relationship between Pat and Tiffany begins as more platonic, more emotionally necessary than any other adult comedy drama I've ever seen. The film is a fantastic melding of drama and comedy, (much like life is*), that uses laughter to hammer its biggest points home. When Pat freaks out over the ending of a decades old Hemingway classic, it's absolutely hilarious, but also showcases the enigma of Pat; he's brilliant and passionate, but those qualities also come from a manic mindset, a need for human connection, and a desperate longing for a life now passed by. The biggest laughs in the film are infused with a suffocating poignancy, trapping the audience like Pat is, (at the outset), trapped by his past and his delusions about the future. As we follow Pat through his struggles with his mental illnesses, (he suffers from manic bipolar depression among other things), we see that those around him also struggle. It's Pat's willingness and hopefulness to find the 'Silver Linings' in himself and those around him that bring his family's troubles to a head in an attempt to fix them. While Cooper as Pat anchors the entire film, (he was completely robbed of a best actor Oscar by hack impressionist Daniel Day Lewis in 2013), this is largely an ensemble picture, and is likely the best ensemble of the decade.
Every performance in Silver Linings Playbook is on the mark. Every performance. While the story itself is exceptional, (most of the cast had personal connections to mental illness, and were thus drawn to the story), it`s truly a film carried by it's cast. As I've mentioned, Cooper is exceptional, and the chemistry between him and Lawrence is incredible. Lawrence, too, is absolutely perfect as a emotionally scarred widow, taking her angst and grief out on herself. Lawrence, who was 22 at the time of shooting, acts with a maturity beyond her years. At this rate, Lawrence is on track to break Meryl Streep's Oscar records before she breaks 35. Lawrence is truly a wonder to behold in Silver Linings Playbook, and won a well deserved Oscar for her role. Additionally, Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver are transcendent as Pat's parents. Playing a loving, but tough father, who has undiagnosed OCD, Robert DeNiro does his best work in decades and adds another role to his resume that will stand out as classic in the years to come. A scene where Pat Sr. breaks down in tears to his son, apologizing for letting him down, is the emotional pinnacle of the entire film, and DeNiro nails it. Jacki Weaver, who played the delirious, viciously evil matriarch in the Australian gangster smash Animal Kingdom, does a complete 180 degree turn here, playing a loving, quiet mother who's only goal is to make Pat feel comfortable in his own skin. As well, Chris Tucker, known as the annoying half of the Rush Hour franchise and the impossibly high-voiced radio host in the Fifth Element is exuberant. With a toned down, gentle, and funny performance, Tucker is one of the biggest highlights of the film. Here's hoping he'll explore more of this side of his talent in the future. All in all, Silver Linings Playbook features some of the best performances in years, and has set the bar very high for future adult drama ensembles.
Overall, while David O. Russell is a fantastic director, (Three Kings, The Fighter and American Hustle were all definitive cinematic achievements), and the camera-work here is delightfully transgressive, this is truly a film of performances. And they're incredible.
Grant's Rating 5/5 Stars
Silver Linings Playbook clip: "Stupid F**king Book"
*Life, am I right?!
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