Wonderful smart quirky heartwarming romantic tale of love, redemption, + craziness

Rating: Null/10 (18 April 2013)

This really is a great movie- a tour de force by Jennifer Lawrence, who has exploded out of the gate (meatiest woman's role since Mulholland Drive), but Cooper is brilliant too, even DeNiro and Tucker are good, whom I usually find tiring- DeNiro is the most human I've ever seen him as a neurotic superstitious compulsive bookie who has passed on his problems to his son (like Claire's dad in "Homeland"), and finally makes one forget the Good Fellas' scumbags; + Tucker doesn't do that gay scream. America's mistreatment of men is manifest- you get sent to loony bin for beating up some guy ravishing your wife in your shower??? Russell truly deserved an Oscar too for writing or directing this very smart, wordy, brilliant script. But it is crazy slutty tough tender erotic glib wounded gamin JL (her cop husband has been killed), who shines in every scene. I didn't want to see a movie about manic-depressive or OCD "nuts", my father was the latter, but Cooper and Lawrence are so funny and entertaining, and really admirable, AND Russell slickly tapers down the harrowing wildness (suspiciously so in Lawrence's case- she ain't taking meds?) till you love these people. She obviously was a real dancer (if that wasn't body doubles), and has the rubber physicality and athleticism (like say Jessica Alba) previously evident in Hunger Games, that is very sexy and allows her to morph into different characters and moods.
The ending is surprising and really wonderful, and the entire cast, from the lip-biting worried mother, to the stolid brah, to the dubiously patient parole cop, to the football-mad Indian shrink are tremendously likable and appealing. Check this out- for woman it is really romantic; for men it is has sports arcana galore and JL; for business it has the power of positive thinking; for families it displays the infinite value of true loyalty, love, and support; for film buffs it is a superbly crafted and inspirational tale.