Rating of
3/4
Silver Linings is Golden
Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/22/12
I'm not usually one to go for romantic comedy/drama films, but I heard so many good things about The Silver Linings Playbook from various film festivals, and the fact that Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have both impressed me in the past, that I was willing to give this a shot. Boy, was that a good decision.
A film about broken people trying to better their lives: Cooper plays Pat Solitano, who, at the start of the film, is picked up by his mother after eight months in a mental health facility. After catching his wife in the shower with a fellow teacher, he nearly beat the man to death. He found out he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Why is he broken? Despite all the signs against it - his only true goal in life is to get back together with his wife and he has blinders when it comes to the reality of the situation. He also seems to go ballistic when Stevie Wonder's My Cheri Amour plays.
Enter Tiffany, sister to his friend's wife who has her own issues. Following the death of her husband, she has fallen apart. Fired from her job after sleeping with a good number of people in her office, she has tried to fill the void in her life with something that might bring her pleasure, but it only causes her to sink deeper in depression. The one outlet in her life is to qualify for a dance competition - but she needs a partner.
That is what the film boils down two - two lost souls finding each other. These are not perfect specimens - these are flawed people and both have major issues. And it doesn't stop there - I would say nearly every character in the film is shown to have their own flaws. Robert De NIro plays the Solitano patriarch - he is obsessed with The Eagles football team, gambling and has anger issues of his own (he's barred from Eagle's Stadium for getting into too many fights). His brother is a major over-achiever who finds it all too easy to flaunt his supposed superiority every chance he gets. His friend seems to lead a good life, but is actually dealing with a ton of stress - works and family - and his wife is a control-freak who needs everything to be "perfect".
Yet amidst this chaos, confusion and, yes, a little madness, these characters manage to form great bonds. The chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence is fantastic. I've had my eye on both actors in various projects, but I think for both actors, this is one of their best films to date. There's no CGI, no huge budgets, just emotion and putting it all on the screen and they both knock it out of the park. I wouldn't be surprised if some names turn up come awards time - and even if they don't, they deserve that honor.
Even the chemistry between Cooper and De Niro is good. You get a good look into a father/son relationship that is strained. There are certainly some scenes that stand out - some are even hard to watch - but towards the end, this strained relationship turns to one of respect and even admiration - obviously an emotion that has not been between the two in the past.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent choice of music for this film. From the hilarious use of My Cherie Amour, to Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Always Alright by the Alabama Shakes - I respect filmmakers who can craft a great soundtrack around a great film (which is partially why Quentin Tarantino appeals to me) and this is one of the best mix of music in film I have seen in quite awhile. Even Danny Elfman's score works wonderfully in the film.
I haven't read the book this is based on, so I find myself wondering what was changed/added/left out. If there is one thing that bothered me the most, it's that everything wrapped up a little too nicely. Not that I was hoping for a darker ending or anything, just that for a movie that explored so many relationships and emotions, I was hoping for more of a kicker going out.
Getting to know these character, you realize that everyone has their flaws. But, as the title of the film says, there is always a silver lining - you just have to find yours.
