A romantic comedy with the heart of a poet and the brain of a movie genius

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2012)

I love David Russel. He is quirky. He is smart. He has style. He knows how to make a movie live, and how to make a story pulse. He knows how touch different cords of the heart. Most importantly, he knows how to make fun with weird characters without making fun of them, and this skill is the key to the beauty of Silver Linings Playbook.
The movie deals with two broken characters, Pat and Tiffany, who suffer from mental illness (bipolar disorder and depression) and are recovering from traumatic events that changed their lives. They meet by chance, and they form a bizarre friendship when they agree of doing each other a favor, which results in them being tied in long-term project until Christmas. The story is told from the point of view of Pat, recently released from a mental hospital and also dealing with his troublesome return to his parents' house.
Silver Linings Playbook is an odd romantic comedy between two broken souls. Its strength comes from the genuine mixed of two opposite strategies. On the one side, it follows the template of a romantic comedy, with its predictable twists and its reassuring plot resolutions. On the other hand, it subversively refuses to follow the beaten pat, not taking comedic shortcuts and not employing shallow characters. The director follows his characters with genuine interests and love for their human faults. It refuses to divide them in good or bad. It respects their emotions and their contradictions, which are beautifully brought to life by the actors. The pain of mental illness truly comes through, and although it makes for some funny moments, is never made fun at, but instead made part of the laughter with an accepting spirit.
The entire movie follows the main characters closely with steady cams, letting a vast range of emotions come through. David Russell maintains this style even in the climatic dance scene---and his decision to film the scene this way, prioritizing the character's point of view instead of the choreography, show that he is a real auteur. His style is modest, personal, original, and functional to the story.
So, following the template of a romantic comedy,David Russell creates a wonderful movie about the lack of happiness in life, accepting one's own problems, dealing with the turns of fortune, and grabbing the rare opportunities that life offers.