Silver Linings Playbook
Bradley Cooper plays Pat Solatano, a man who has just spent eight months in a psychiatric treatment center after he came home one fateful day, saw his wife in the shower with another man, and nearly beat the man to death right there. Pat's now living with his parents, Pat, Sr. (Robert De Niro) and Dolores (Jacki Weaver), and trying to get his life back together. Although he's out of the treatment center, Pat still has a long way to go. He's prone to fits of uncontrollable violence, especially whenever he hears the song that was played the day of his wedding. Pat is trying to rebuild himself, and constantly reminds himself that there is always a silver lining. He even believes there's a way he can get back with his wife, despite the restraining order she has against him.
One night, Pat is invited to dinner by his friend, Ronnie (John Ortiz). This is where he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) for the first time. Tiffany's been having a hard time as well lately, ever since her husband died. The fact that they are both treated as outcasts in social circles because of their own individual tragic pasts is perhaps what brings them together. As they spend more time together, it's obvious they're meant to be together, but Pat is so hung up on getting back together with his wife, he just can't see it. He does, however, enter a dancing competition with Tiffany, an experience that brings them even closer together. Were it not for the intriguing personalities of Pat and Tiffany, as well as the wonderful performances by both Cooper and Lawrence, this would be a fairly standard romantic comedy, where the guy is so wrapped up in getting an unobtainable woman, that he doesn't see the happiness right in front of him that another woman is offering him. Many an Idiot Plot has been built around this idea, but fortunately, Silver Linings Playbook does not sink that low.
Instead, we get some very smart and funny people who are stuck in a very conventional plot. It is their personalities that lift this material. Pat comes across as someone very vulnerable. He wants to fix his life, but his anger and temper flair ups usually get in the way. In Tiffany, he finds someone who may not understand exactly where he is coming from, but knows how it feels to not fit in anywhere. Given her past and her sometimes confrontational nature, she can come across as being very guarded. Yet, she is just as vulnerable and as lonely as Pat. The performances by both Cooper and Lawrence are sensational, and are worthy of the acclaim and nominations they've received. In Cooper's case, I've never seen him this good in a movie before. Even the age difference between the two actors does not affect the chemistry they have on screen. For Lawrence, this is probably her most adult role yet, and hints at a very long and promising career as she grows into older characters.
These two characters (and the overall intelligence of the screenplay by writer-director David O. Russell) are great, but they can't completely hide the fact that this is essentially a conventional romantic comedy. Even though the characters and the dialogue are smarter than what we usually get, the situations, "meet cutes" misunderstandings, and plot contrivances are strictly old hat. This is what held back my enthusiasm, I think. If the plot itself was as smart as the characters inhabiting it, we'd really have something. Instead, we get a movie that runs a little too long, thanks to some unnecessary subplots concerning gambling on pro football. The climax at the dance competition also looks like it came from another movie. It's cute and all, but it's just so conventional and pat, right down to the forced misunderstanding, and the last minute chase down the street after the lover who's walking away, so the other person can confess their feelings at last. Maybe I expected better, or maybe I just wanted better for these characters than standard cliches.
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