A Decent Film Hurt by Condescion

Rating: 5/10 (29 August 2016)

Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic "dramedy" about two mentally unstable individuals finding the ability to overcome their personal issues through the power of love. I thought the acting was very good throughout this film. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both play relatable characters whose power comes from the subtlety of their portrayal. And, for me, Robert De Niro's portrayal of a gambling- addicted father always waiting for his break was utterly brilliant. I found some of his scenes to be the most moving, despite his role as a secondary character. The flawed way many of the characters are portrayed is true to life and is the strongest point of the writing. However, I did feel that this movie falls into familiar and predictable tropes that are at best forgivable and at worst pretty condescending.
---Spoilers Below---
While I enjoyed Bradley Cooper's acting very much, I was thoroughly perplexed by his character. The entire story seems to hinge up a singular plot device. Which is, when his wife cheats on him. I couldn't help but repeatedly ask myself, "why does he still want her back?" I found that motivation, entirely unbelievable. So, since the entire plot rests upon that event, it really hurt my ability to suspend my disbelief for the rest of the film.
Jennifer Lawrence does well with what she's given. But, unlike many people, I found her character one-dimensional and thoroughly stereotypical. While Bradley Cooper is given providence over his mental illness, Jennifer Lawrence's character is an amalgamation of Hollywood stereotypes about women. When her husband dies, shes loses control over her sexuality. They work that back in, but only by expressing how before, she still couldn't control her own sexuality. Further, without Bradley Cooper, would she have been able to recover? He has a famliy for support, she is an outcast. So, she's relegated to dependence upon a male, and that's how she overcomes her mental illness.
To focus on the death of the husband, I found that totally ridiculous. Just thoroughly unbelievable. For him to die in a freak accident would have been fine, but to make the situation have to be so pseduo- poignant was stilted and painfully reaching.
Every time I started feeling invested, I was quickly deterred. For example, when Robert De Niro is confessing his shortcomings as a father, I was thoroughly moved. I'm a big fan of his, and I can say, that was some of his finest acting ever. Then, the mood immediately changes and all the weight is gone. This happens with needless conflict as well. Bradley Cooper is going to go to the game with his father. This is a really important bonding trip between them. It's meant to signify "silver linings" and positivity. And then, Jennifer Lawrence's character is angry because Bradley Cooper will have to miss dance practice. If she cares for him, shouldn't she see how important that is? Couldn't they have had dance practice early that morning, instead? It really throws a wrench for me, when needless conflict is suddenly injected. And, once again, Jennifer Lawrence is acting incredibly irrational.
I'm not sure if her being irrational is supposed to be her "mental illness", but it just feels like a total trope to me. I thought her scene in the diner was pretty great, and then her character is never given that kind of agency again. That was the only time I thought she had a genuine mental illness instead of some caricature of one. That's not her fault, either. It's the stereotypes in the writing.
The writing and direction is supposed to make us feel in the scene. And, it works pretty well. The dialogue succeeds in that area. But, the cinematography tries way too hard. The camera is constantly shaking around and bobbing like some MTV reality show. It's a pet peeve of mine to begin with, but this whole movie was bobbing up and down like a ferry ride.
Overall, I would say Silver Linings is a pretty good movie. The acting is quite good and at times it's able to transcend the stifled writing. But, the strange camera choices, the repeated stereotypes towards Jennifer Lawrence's character, and overall unbelievable motivation take away from what would otherwise be an excellent film.