A fantastic performance nestled inside an average movie

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2013)

After getting released from a mental institution, Pat (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and dedicates his life to patching things up with his ex-wife. Things start to get a bit more complicated when he meets the gorgeous Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has mental health problems of her own, and the two strike up an odd friendship.
The best thing about 'Silver Linings Playbook' is that you have some very good actors doing some very good acting. The film itself is alright, I wouldn't say it's great. It's based on a novel, and it's easy to see how a lot of the scenarios would play out better in prose; the writing, too, isn't always strong. Yes, it does have its moments, but I get the feeling that I'd probably have enjoyed it more as a novel.
But let's get back to the acting. It is the performances that make 'Silver Lining Playbook' better than it probably should be. Top of the heap is Jennifer Lawrence, who is just incredible. It's the film she won the Oscar for, and deservedly so. She's funny, tragic and pitiful all at the same time. Her comic delivery, her facial expressions, her ability to pull off the crazy mood swings as seamlessly as she does. This is the kind of performance you'd expect from a seasoned actor, not from someone barely in her twenties. Bradley Cooper is great too, and he probably would have gotten all the accolades had it not been for his co-star.
What stopped the film from being a great one was the portrayal of mental health. For the first half of the film, I was actually very impressed. The mental health issues are treated with sincerity, albeit with a strong tinge of humour. But as the film goes on, it starts to get a bit farcical and loses that sincerity. A shame, really. Had it been shown with greater care, I think 'Silver Linings Playbook' could have staked a claim for being one of the films of the year. Instead, the film will be remembered for allowing Jennifer Lawrence to give the best performance of her career to date, and not much else.