"Silver Linings" is a fantastically refreshing, Oscar-worthy screwballer

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2013)

"Silver Linings Playbook" is a rare kind of film. It's a difficult task to honestly and realistically present characters who are struggling deeply with heavy issues, without tipping over into emotional goo and sentimentality But David O. Russell is the man for the job, expertly leading four of his talented actors to Oscar nominations in a film that gives a delightfully raw edge to screwball comedy. Bradley Cooper stars as a recently released mental patient, trying to put his life back together and reunite with his estranged wife with the help of a similarly struggling Jennifer Lawrence, who is recovering from the death of her husband. Their relationship buds and grows around their practice for a dance competition that Lawrence wants to dance in, and around Philadelphia Eagles football. Co-starring Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, and Chris Tucker, "Silver Linings" is a quirky, affecting love story about the power of staying optimistic and the strength of family bonds, brimming with characters you want to cheer for. That I wouldn't be at all upset if this poignant comedy took home Best Picture, in a year of so many fine candidates, should be enough to get you to go see it today.
-Thomas Bond