So I’ve finally gotten the chance to see this much talked about film, and boy am I glad I saved it for one of the last of my Oscar series of viewings. David O. Russell’s deeply emotional, warm, funny film is brilliant! Because his two main characters are a bipolar and a manic depressive, there were instances where I wasn’t sure I was allowed to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. The whole film is filled with moments like this, as well as cringe worthy but watchable scenes along with the moments where it seems like everything’s going to go wrong and it’s heartbreaking to watch.
Bradley Cooper pulls off the extremities of Pat’s condition with ease, giving the sense that I feel Russell wants us to have throughout the whole film: that sense of ‘can I laugh? Is it okay?’ Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant as Tiffany, going from zero to infinity in an instant seems no trouble for her in this role. She does seem a little young for it, but she fits the bill simply based on her performance. The dynamic between them is what makes the film tick, because with out us wanting them to get together, Silver Linings Playbook could just another film about mental illness and a family trying to figure out how to make things work. Yes, it is about that, but it’s also about finding out what keeps us on an even keel and makes us happy, finding our silver lining. For Pat and Tiffany, it’s dancing (which also keeps the Philadelphia Eagles winning – must take place in another year), but along with the dancing they both realize that they don’t need to be ruled by or slaves to their pasts any more, and moving on isn’t such a scary thing.
Full review coming soon…
(photo copyright of The Weinstein Company)
