SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - Review

Silver Linings Playbook

2 hours, 2 minutes

Romantic Comedy/Drama

Directed by David O. Russell

Starring
Bradley Cooper
Jennifer Lawrence
Robert DeNiro
Jacki Weaver
Chris Tucker


"Yes, I'm Tommy's crazy whore widow. Minus the whore thing, for the most part."


In a world of cookie cutter romantic comedies, David O. Russel tries something a bit different with Silver Linings Playbook. Yes, it's a sweet movie with endearing characters and a bit of a predictable story arc, but it's the performances and dialogue that really put this movie above the rest.
Silver Linings kicks off with Pat (Bradley Cooper) being picked up from a mental health hospital by his mother (Jackie Weaver). He's taken to live with his parents for a little while before he can get back on his feet. Pat immediately begins to plot to get his wife back, with whom he believes he still has a loving relationship with.
This is where Silver Linings excels at: a real portrayal of mental illness. Pat spends most of the movie going through mood swings and delusions of happiness with his wife, with whom he can't see due to a restraining order. Pat has fits, a few times the police are called, it's a pretty vivid portrayal of this kind of stuff. And then comes Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence. She isn't necessarily mentally sick, but she's her own kind of crazy. The two hit it off hilariously right away, and Cooper and Lawrence have fantastic chemistry.
David O. Russel's script is fantastic, made even better by fantastic performances by Lawrence and Cooper. Lawrence is definitely better in this than she was in The Hunger Games and easily deserves an Oscar nomination for her work. Cooper is finally given a difficult role, and he's exceptional as well. It's nice to see him in a role with a little more depth, and I was surprised that he did as well as he did. Robert DeNiro and Jackie Weaver are also great, playing Pat's football obsessed parents.
Overall, Silver Linings Playbook may be a bit predictable, but it's still an enjoyable romantic comedy with great performances and a great script. This one is definitely going to get some award nominations, and definitely deserves them.

9/10