Silver
Linings Playbook a warm, fun, and emotional drama comedy. Bradley Cooper plays
Patrick, a man suffering from a mental breakdown, but he’s a man with a plan, determined
to get his wife back, through exercise and self-improvement. While home from
the mental hospital he must contend with his loving mother (Jacki Weaver) and
father (Robert DeNiro), and his father’s desire for connection through their
shared love of football, all the while attempting to stick to his goal of
connecting with his wife. He meets an unbalanced young widow, Tiffany (Jennifer
Lawrence) who promises to help him, in return for his help in achieving one of
her dreams.
Director
David O. Russell creates some of the most natural scenes I’ve ever seen and
heard, while characters talk over, under and through one another. The timing of
the gags is perfect, which really adds to the genuine funniness of the film. I
laughed a lot during this movie, and the reason being is that there’s no
reserve with the characters. The rawness of the relationships and the dialogue
of each character truly made a hilarious sight to both see and hear. The script
is phenomenal and brilliantly thought out. Everything came together, one way or
another in the film and there were many aspects of the film that seemed almost
too complex to tie together at the end.
The
effects of mental illness are felt and evident throughout, rather than simply
talked about or seen once. Because Patrick and Tiffany lack inhibitions or
filters, the kind of genuine conversations or interactions that are available
to them elevate this from the dull to full excitement. Patrick and Tiffany are
in another place, and as their families struggle to be supportive, they find
that their illness has removed them from their lives. They find that their
problems are what make them so perfect for each other. With a not-so-perfect final
dance, they realize that they are meant to be, and the silver lining is found.
