Love and football

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2012)

Silver Linings Playbook is kind of a Jerry Maguire for 2012. There's a lot of talk about love and a lot of talk about sports - well, football mostly. And it involves two emotionally wounded characters at the forefront. But these two have way more issues going on than Jerry Maguire ever did. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a man who just spent 8 months in a mental institution. He's technically married but problems with his marriage are part of what led him to the institution, and he doesn't know if his wife has any intent of even seeing him again. His best friend tries to hook him up with his wife's sister, Tiffany, even though Pat's main focus is to work things out in his marriage. Tiffany certainly has a dark side, which Pat fails to realize is actually fitting for him. His own wife is scared of him after all. But he's the kind of guy who obsesses on whatever he focuses on. So when he realizes that Tiffany can speak to his wife for him, he starts to pay her more attention. It's apparent that Pat gets both his temper and his obsessive ways from his father. His dad (Robert De Niro) is a hardcore sports fan who seems to care about nothing more than his hometown football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, winning. In his superstitious mind, any little thing can affect the outcome of a game. And that can include his son's well-being and even who he's dating. So Pat generally feels a lot of pressure on him, and much of the film is about his attempts to cope with his surroundings as well as making an effort to better himself as a person. Jennifer Lawrence shines as Tiffany, showing an acting range well beyond her years. It's not only her and Bradley Cooper's finest acting to date, it's also the best acting Robert De Niro has done in at least 10 years. The film even manages to bring a funny Chris Tucker out of seclusion who hasn't been in a movie not named Rush Hour in 15 years. The fact that the film was actually shot in Philadelphia is very beneficial. (Bradley Cooper is also a native.) The movie truly captures the Philly mentality and attitude better than I've ever seen on film before. And as someone who lives in Philadelphia, I know just how crazy the Eagles fans in particular can be; there's no embellishing that here. The movie's got a little something for everyone. Die-hard sports fans can appreciate it as much as those who like a good "chick-flick". But for everyone who watches, they'll see that no matter how bad things get, they can always find another path to get back on track. Silver Linings Playbook opens on November 21.