Movie Review #47 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

- Awkward love at every turn 

Silver Linings Playbook is at its core a love story.  I've said it before and I’ll say it again.  Hollywood love movies don’t need to be fluff pieces. They can be well-written, well-acted and show quite a bit of acting.  Not to get ahead of myself, but I feel as if this is exactly that.  I mean every genre has its thorns but I have always felt that romance comedies get beaten up by the branch of the ugly tree come review time, and sure, sometimes they deserve it.  The chemistry to create true love on screen isn't just about getting the two biggest stars of the time and throwing them together every year - though that is often what happens.  Silver Linings Playbook is vastly different from the rest.

This strange little love story got the Oscar nod eight times, for Best film, actor, actress, supporting actor and actress, director, screenplay based on previously published work, and finally, editing.  It will easily take home three Oscars.  Jennifer Lawrence (Tiffany) is in a bitter fight for Best actress vote from me. I’ll mention the others come review time for each appropriate film. Robert De Niro (Pat Sr.) was solid but never really stole supporting role in his scenes. He does, however, give quite an extra view into the mind of Pat (played by Bradley Cooper)’s character.  Without Argo or Django Unchained up for Best Directing, it’s a toss up for me between this and another film as of yet to be reviewed.  I’d be shocked if it got best film as it lacks the strength to be unanimously loved unlike say a political piece or a biography of a famous person.

Silver Linings Playbook has an incredibly awkward start, one that as far as an introduction to the main players of the film, you aren't really sure how they exist in this world. How do they function with these problems? How have they gotten this far in life?  Until a solid 30 minutes into the film, you very well may just hate every character due to their faults.  But it’s such a great sign of everyone’s acting ability. Everyone to me is so real and incredibly awkward.  I really enjoyed the introductory sequences. It sounds insanely lame to say, but they just felt so real. It’s like in your average movie how many times do you see a character flub a word? But how many times in real life does a friend mispronounce a word?  SLP seems closer to real to me because of that, the characters are portrayed in such a lifelike manner due to all their brutally honest, detrimental faults. And I think that it is probably the strongest part of the movie.  The love story I previously mentioned begins slowly (and boy howdy awkwardly!) and the layers of personal problems don’t actually take a back seat but they invite the romance to ride shotgun with them.

This is the best scene because he is eating breakfast at night - like I do.

Silver Linings Playbook is just a romance movie. However it is absolutely one of the best acted and written ones I have seen in a very long time. Having any kind of knowledge of the ending has no bearing on your enjoyment as I felt the portrayal of the characters was hands down the reason to stay for the show. The emotional growth of Pat and and Tiffany is amazing and shown in a way that I believe is realistic enough for me to be swept up in this ultra odd romance movie.  If you watch it, try to understand their faults and watch them grow into people who don’t get over their faults, but understand them and move forward with happiness in their hearts.

I give it 9/10

PS: I’m the first to admit that I can be sappy and Jennifer Lawrence stole my heart long ago during Winter’s Bone (2010)