Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence take centre stage in Silver Linings Playbook, a feature which boasts some excellent performances and ideas but also suffers from a lack of focus, too many headache inducing confrontations and a predictable storyline. 

This isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on how one likes their romantic "dramadies", however there are only so many close ups of Bradley Cooper crying and shouting at Robert De Niro the average cinema-goer can take. 

Still, Silver Linings Playbook is an enjoyable movie which takes a look at the determination of the human spirit in times of doubt as well as how much new love can shape the future. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a bipolar sufferer fresh out of a state institution he'd been banged up in for eight and a half months after almost killing a man having an affair with his wife. Moving back into his dysfunctional home with his father, a brilliantly compassionate Robert De Niro, and his mother, Jacki Weaver, Pat finds that rebuilding life isn't so easy when the world seems to consistently push him back down again. His social filter is, as he says "clogged," so even the simplest conversation can turn inappropriate against his intentions. 

Luckily for him, he is helped by an assortment of your average "cooky" characters, such as a well-meaning Indian psychiatrist, Chris Tucker's colourful Danny and a difficult but delightful Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany, a recently widowed young woman with even poorer social skills than Pat himself. However, she gives him a way to get out of his rut and he soon finds himself attempting to overcome the obstacles associated with a new relationship.

At certain points, Silver Linings Playbook grates with its constantly audience-integrating elements; for example, the amount of times Pat says he is looking for a "silver lining", the overuse of Robert De Niro's supposedly endearing OCD and the apparent realism of everybody in the room yelling at each other at the same time. The film is a mess on occasion, losing its aim as we are confusingly juggled between Pat and Tiffany. 

Yet, Playbook has some balls and it isn't afraid to show 'em. Some scenes are shockingly played out, such as when Pat accidentally strikes his mother during one of his episodes and when his father repeatedly labels him a "good for nothing loser". Looking on the bright side though (one of the film's many life lessons), Cooper and Lawrence generate fantastic chemistry, making both of their characters surprisingly enjoyable to watch despite their many alienating problems. Their comedic moments are played with plenty of charm, but when they dip into their darker sides we see some true acting talent shine out, saving Playbook from being a witless, less emphatic affair.

Summary

Part dysfunctional family drama, part romantic comedy, Silver Linings Playbook is another point on the scoreboards of both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Their superb performances give the movie its relatable edge, whilst able support comes from Robert De Niro and Chris Tucker. At times the film fails to entertain, particularly during sequences in which we are being forced to feel sympathy for characters whose problems are self inflicted, as well as those messy migraine makers involving rooms crowded full of people shouting at each other. Despite this, though, Silver Linings Playbook remains an evenly balanced, if predictable, mix of romance and comedy which should please both genders in equal measure. 

6/10 - Pretty Good

See it if you liked: One Day (2011), Adventureland (2009), Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)