Silver Linings Playbook Reviews

Very few romance movies have taken the time to explore the emotional repercussions of romance, especially how failed ones help shape people for the future. The Silver Linings Playbook is about real people coming to terms with real life situations and finding their silver lining in a world that can sometimes be too painful and unforgiving

Pat Solitano JR is released into the care of his parents after spending eight months in a mental care facility for an angry outburst against his wife’s lover .During his stay Pat is diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, but he refuses to take his medicine upon his release. With the help of his parents, Pat tries to get his life back on track and get back together with Nikki. However, a long the way he meets Tiffany Maxwell, who is still dealing with her husbands death and breakdown that took her job. The two form an unlikely friendship and must learn to overcome the hardships they have faced so that they can find their own silver linings and finally be happy.

Pat: The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday, thats guaranteed, and I can't begin to explain that, or the craziness inside myself and everybody else but guess what? Sunday is my favorite day again. I think of everything everyone did for me and I feel like a very lucky guy.

David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook is as close to perfection as a film can get. His stylistic approach to story telling not only helps the film in the early stages by setting a tone that is carried through-out, but helps make sure the audience understands these characters are broken and attempting to put their lives back together. These characters are real world people as mentioned above, facing tough and life changing situations that have driven them to react irrationally. What the film tells is with the right people around us we can find an inner peace and be happy; the hard part is being willing to accept all the things that have happened to us.

When you think about romance duos very few stick out, many people will praise Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in the Notebook or perhaps even Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, but very few are this emotionally and spiritually engaging. The reason this film excels on so many levels is because of the beautiful and heartfelt chemistry felt between leads Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. There is always something tricky about being able to fully pull off two characters that are falling for each other, while still portraying their honest faults. Perhaps it was the introduction of Lawrence’s Tiffany Maxwell that grounded this film in a sense of reality. The first bit of the film was a bit aloof, guided only by the idea of attempting to present one’s self with a second chance by fixing the mistakes others saw in you. When Lawrence’s Tiffany enters the film, it takes a whole new direction about how one person can change your whole plan and render your whole existence completed. When Pat and Tiffany brought forth their baggage it really nailed home the flaws, the intricacies of two people who were struggling to find the right path and with each others help could finally do so.

Seeing Robert Deniro play a role of substance was also pleasing. Very seldom lately has Deniro shown us the range he could once display, but this character makes up for all that. Pat Solitano Sr. has an epiphany of his own during this film, and Deniro is excellent as the volatile and over compulsive father who begins to see his son in a new light. Chris Tucker was fantastic as Danny, a friend of Pat’s from the hospital. All these characters had flaws, but by sticking together they made friends and became a family that could over come anything as long as they had each other.

Silver Linings Playbook is emotional and honest, which is really all that film can aspire to be. Very rarely do films reach the level of sincerity David O. Russell did with this screenplay, because not all films have the acting talents of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. However respect should not be taken away from the screenplay, because the magic of a film, the emotions held within a film and the candour start with an interesting vision and concept.

There is not enough praise in the world to cover how good Silver Linings Playbook turned out to be, as it developed it became such a great melding of emotions, a budding romance and reminded us to go out in search for own silver lining. Stop what you are doing, and find a way to view this movie. Even people who brush it off and say this film is probably not for me will probably have their minds wholly changed by the time the end credits role. If you don’t believe me, watch the film that is the only way you will ever know.

Wanted to say a few things about SLP while it is still fresh in my mind.
First off, Jennifer Lawrence is the real deal. I predict that she will have the big one (Oscar) within five years. As an actress, I've been very impressed with her so far. I'm more impressed with how she has been handling her new found fame. Don't change a thing - inside or out.
I'm also a big fan of Bradley Cooper's performance in this movie. While it was challenging to watch in spots, the comedy helped to balance out the more serious overtones of mental illness and loss.
Finally, this was an important movie in that it may open up a dialogue about mental health in this country and how we might be able to recognize if someone is having an issue, be that a loved one, friend, co-worker or anyone else. Gone should be the days where we poke fun of individuals with mental illness. It's a serious disease that we are still struggling with as a society.