Silver Linings Playbook Review

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Robert De Niro, Jackie Weaver

Running Time: 120 minutes

Certificate: TBC

Synopsis: After eight months in a psychiatric institution, Pat Solitano Jr. (Cooper) moves in with his parents (De Niro & Weaver) as he tries to deal with his new life and his illness. He meets the equally emotionally unstable widow, Tiffany (Lawrence), and together they try to work on their issues by learning an elaborate dance routine.

Exploring themes of mental instability, loss and troubled family life, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK could have easily been way too humourous or way too cynical, but for the most part, David O. Russell nails it with this funny and sweet film. Russell seemed to have matured both as a person and as a director when he made THE FIGHTER and he’s continued his progress in a film that not only matches THE FIGHTER in quality but adds another layer of accessibility for a mainstream audience.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is very different to THE FIGHTER, although it also deals with a family that loves and fights each other in equal measures. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK however is a much funnier experience despite dealing with some heavy issues. The tone of the film is on a knife’s edge between comedy and drama and works brilliantly for the most part. There are a few moments during which the two collide and grind a little, but it’s mostly charming and audiences will laugh along with Pat Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) and his inappropriate way of talking to people, especially in his early encounters with the young widowed police wife, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). That doesn’t mean that the film is a slapstick look at mental illness; the film really shines in its more serious moments, which reveal just how good an actor Bradley Cooper is. He might be best known for lighter fare, but based on this performance Cooper could be in line for a lot more serious work and maybe even awards in the near future. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing as the young woman dealing with the sudden death of her husband and it’s hard to believe that she’s only 21 years old, acting with such maturity. Also, the chemistry she shares with Cooper is electric. Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver offer great support as Pat’s parents, having difficulty in handling their son’s mood swings, but this film is in the end all about the two leads.

Whilst the script sometimes throws out a few lines that sound slightly forced and clichéd, those moments are forgiveable because of the film’s heart and its sweetness that luckily never gets too sappy. Overall, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK could be an outsider for the upcoming awards season, combining drama and comedy to deliver a feel-good film that ranks amongst the best of the year.

 SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK arrives in UK cinemas 21st November