Chris Kneipp reviews Silver Linings Playbook and has his opinion of Bradley Cooper changed.
One of the great joys when seeing a movie you know nothing about, is when that movie turns out to be something special. The Silver Linings Playbook was such a movie. I saw it with my wife when it was in the cinemas, knowing nothing about it other than it had Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in it.
The plot reads like a romantic drama, but this intelligent rom-com explores subjects like mental illness and dealing with grief, while maintaining a light touch. Writer and director David O. Russell straddles the line by creating likeable characters dealing with things the best way they can. It doesn’t hurt that the movie is brilliantly performed by all its cast.
Patrick “Pat” Solitano, (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental health facility where he was locked up for savagely beating his wife’s new lover. Unable to let go, he clings to the hope he will win back his wife, trying to put a silver lining on everything that happens. At a dinner with his best friend, he is introduced to Tiffany Maxwell, (Jennifer Lawrence) who has problems of her own. Widowed and unemployed after one too many “indiscretions” with co-workers, she and Pat develop an unlikely friendship. A lot of the humour comes from the fact that neither of them are able to filter the words that come out of their mouth.
The whole cast of Silver Linings Playbook bring their A game.
At the time, I’d only seen J-Law in Hunger Games and wanted to see how she went playing a very different role. My reaction was, “Wow!” Her portrayal of Tiffany is so natural. She doesn’t overplay the drama, making us feel for her deeply as we see her deal with life’s problems. But it’s her comedic timing that is the nice surprise. Without giving too much away, you’ll never forget the dance routine at the end, which had me in stitches.
Cooper’s performance changed my opinion of him for the better. I’d seen him play a few characters before, but he seemed a little one dimensional. As Pat he creates a sense of a man hanging by a thread, who finally finds peace when he looks at the people around him. He acts with subtlety and heart.
Chris Rock is Chris Rock, though a little toned down from his Rush Hour character, and his rapid fire ramblings work well for the character.
Robert De Niro gives his best performance in ages, playing Pat’s gambling, OCD father just trying to keep his head above water and connect with his son.
Special mention here for Jackie Weaver, whose portrayal of the long suffering mother was the glue in all the scenes with Pat’s family. Jackie fills the role with her best motherly ways and it’s great watching this iconic Australian actor’s interactions with De Niro and Cooper. I hope this opens the eyes of a lot more directors in the U.S. She deserved her Academy Award nomination, and it would have been nice to have another Aussie take a statue from Hollywood.
So if you haven’t seen it yet, go out, find a copy and watch it. It’ll make you laugh. It will make you feel. It’ll give your life a little silver lining.
