GRADE: A +
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence,
Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles
Base on the novel by Matthew Quick
Screenplay by David O. Russell
Directed by David O. Russell
Director David O. Russell is,
historically speaking, not the easiest guy to get along with in
Hollywood. On the set of his 1999 film Three Kings he and George
Clooney got into an argument over Russel's treatment of an extra that
lead to the two men literally choking each other, and his fight with
Lily Tomlin during rehearsals for I Heart Huckabees in a
Youtube mainstay. Most recently Russell made a strong comeback with
The Fighter, in which he re teamed with Mark Wahlberg . . . who then
had a major falling out with Russell over the fact that the director
opted to cast Bradley Cooper instead of Wahlberg in the lead role in
The Silver Linings Playbook.
In all likelihood, Russell was not very
tactful in how he handled things, but he made the right choice, and
once again, this difficult but monumentally gifted artist has also
made a terrific film. In fact, it may well be my choice for the best
film of 2012. The Silver Linings Playbook is a heartfelt,
engaging, joyous, touching comedy-drama-romance that deals
sensitively yet hilariously with issues such as bipolar disorder,
depression, medication and violent mood swings, and it's also the
first time in years I've seen a romance that I actually cared about.
Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has lost
everything – his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds
himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert
De Niro) after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea
bargain after beating up the man he found committing adultery with
his wife, Nikki. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain
positive and reunite with his Nikki, despite the challenging
circumstances of their separation. All Pat's wants is for Pat to get
back on his feet. Meanwhile, Pat's father is convinced that his
recent returned prodigal son is a good luck charm that will help him
win big on the large bets he is placing on Philadelphia Eagles games.
But when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer
Lawrence) a young woman with problems of her own, things get
complicated Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but
only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their
deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and
silver linings appear in both of their lives.
The performances are more than good –
they are nothing short of perfect. Cooper, a charismatic and talented
actor who is often wasted in terrible films and has only once before
been cast in something Oscar caliber (The A-Team) is nothing
short of brilliant as Pat. This is a guy with real problems, and it's
not always easy to like him, but throughout the film, you genuinely
love him and root for him even when he's driving you crazy. He's
easily the goofiest and most interesting protagonist in a mainstream
Hollywood film in quite some time.
But the Oscar performance here is
Jennifer Lawrence, who has been nominated once before (and should
have won) for Winter's Bone. Her quirky portrayal of a tormented soul
seeking happiness while manipulating others and allowing herself to
be manipulated is a tour de force that mixes indelible strength with
raw vulnerability. If I were De Niro's character in this film, I'd
bet everything on Lawrence, because she WILL walk away with an Oscar
this year. Ans speaking of De Niro, the brilliant choice made by
Russell to actually wake the aging icon up before shooting really
pays off, as we remember why it is this guy's name is synonymous with
acting.
But still, getting a strong
performance from De Niro may not seem impressive – but Russell also
achieves the impossible by getting a restrained and likable
performance from (I can't believe I'm saying this) CHRIS TUCKER. Now,
understand, I've devoted a good portion of my life to hating Chris
Tucker, and he is the only actor that I will flat out refuse to see a
movie because of his presence, but because of the rest of the film's
pedigree I broke my rule, and was delighted to discover that not only
does he not ruin the film, he genuinely adds to it. And if that's not
the mark of brilliant actor's director, I don't know what is.
In the end, this is a perfect match of
writer-director to material, and it's hard to escape the feelings
that Russell is more at home with these characters than most (indeed,
he has publicly stated that it was important to be accurate in his
portrayal of Bipolar disorder because his own son suffers from it.).
As a writer, Russell gives us bitingly witty, he rapid fire dialogue
that is as funny as it is profound, and this is likely to be up there
with films like As Good As It Gets for quotability. And as a
director, he manages to turn a dance contest into the most
entertaining action sequence of the year.
The Silver Linings Playbook is a
triumph from beginning to end, and I could see it a hundred times
without ever getting bored, and walk away each time with a feeling of
joy and rejuvenation. This is new addition to my all time favorites
list.
To quote Pat, “Excelsior!”
The Silver Linings Playbook is
rated R for a great deal of profanity, vulgarity, sex, partial
nudity, and some violence.
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