Silver Linings Playbook
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jackie Weaver, Robert Deniro
Directed By: David O. Russell
Reviewed by Danielle Muir

[rating: 2.5/5]

Issues to be discussed: All the best bits are in the trailer.  How the hell did Jackie Weaver get a Best Supporting Actress nomination?  A lacklustre script.

Plus sides: Well, at least the lead actors were well chosen.

In every other respect, Silver Linings Playbook falls flat on its Oscar-nominated backside, with a screenplay that fails to enthral, and a bunch of supporting characters that, in comparison with those who missed out, didn’t deserve a nomination.

It’s actually quite a great shame when you consider it – your heart could have been warmed and broken, your eyes could have leaked with elation, you could have felt some quite serious emotion during your viewing experience.  But despite the fantastic efforts of Cooper and Lawrence as the emotionally damaged, prescription drug addled Pat and Tiffany, there’s no escaping the fact that things just run their course around halfway.  Then there’s just a series of almost-sort-of entertaining moments until the big finale, which is actually quite nice – albeit predictable – and will leave you with a smile.  Hoorah.

So if you haven’t seen the trailer (which I would recommend not doing so you haven’t already seen the funniest moments in the film), Pat’s just come out of an 8 month stint in a mental health facility for Bipolar Disorder, intent on reuniting with his wife – whose affair caused the snap that landed him in there.  Trying to adjust his condition to the real world, he eventually meets the volatile and recently widowed Tiffany, who stalks him down and convinces him to partner her in an upcoming dance competition.

As previously mentioned, Cooper and Lawrence are easily the best thing about Silver Linings Playbook, with the former pulling off a man who feels the need to consistently better himself and whose iron will is in a constant battle with his disease.  His volatility and sharp sense of humour matches well with the latter’s tendency to also unleash her emotions that she’d previously hidden through intense sexual promiscuity.  Lawrence’s willingness to just burst out and make a scene is what makes her performance great.  Where other actresses would seem to invoke restraint in order to prevent – gasp – ugliness, she just lets loose, shining especially in one diner scene when an insensitive Pat continues to probe her for information about her dead husband.  The supporting actors and actresses, as stated before, are all fine but not really deserving of their nominations.  Weaver and Deniro make a fine couple as Pats concerned parents, but Weaver’s screen time is minimal and Robert doesn’t really have a lot of meaty material.

So despite a script that runs out of steam, Silver Linings Playbook is mildly enjoyable until it becomes tedious around the time that the routine dance practices begin.  But the stellar performances of the two leads elevates it from total bore, as you really do root for these characters – not for them to fall in love, but just for them to be happy and satisfied with life once more.