This is why we go to movies.

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2013)

This is why we go to movies. Silver Linings Playbook is that rare breed of movie where all the moving parts got put together in exactly the right way. The dialogue is sharp, witty, insightful, funny, and often brutally honest. It respects and holds true affection for its characters and the wonderful ensemble cast makes it look easy. The direction, editing and soundtrack are spot on. It is a future classic and the best movie of the year.
Pat is an underachieving substitute high school history teacher who has just been released from the Karel Psychiatric Facility after spending an eight month court-ordered stint for nearly beating the history teacher to death when he finds him in the shower with his wife. His doting, eternally optimistic mother brings him home hoping that the worst of his previously undiagnosed bipolar symptoms are under control. But his refusal to take his meds and an unfortunate incident concerning Earnest Hemingway and a window quickly dispels that optimism. Pat is in fact clueless, living inside a self-delusion bubble in which he reunites with the truly unattainable object of his obsession, his wife Nikki. Two more mismatched souls the world has never seen but he is the only one who doesn't realize it. He plods doggedly on in pursuit, oblivious to everything and everyone else around him. His illness has removed the normal barriers that prevent him from expressing the unfiltered truth as he sees it, making for some awkward, cringe-worthy, often humorous exchanges. Pat is hardly ready for the real world.
And he certainly is not ready for Tiffany. Pat's best friend invites him over for a homecoming dinner which turns out to be a blind date with his wife's recently widowed sister, Tiffany. Tiffany suffers from severe depression and her mood swings run the gamut - volatile, bitter, vulnerable, stubborn, sexy, and sweet - all thrown randomly into a mixer and blended at high speed. Everyone is a little afraid of her. Her depression results from her guilt over her husband's death which she attributes to her loss of sexual interest in him. She sleeps with everyone in her office in an attempt to anesthetize herself from her emotional pain. She is dead inside, just breathing air. And into this web steps the unsuspecting Pat.
From the moment they meet sparks and barbs fly indiscriminately between them, much to the horror of their hosts who believe they are witnessing a train wreck in the making. But these two lost and damaged souls immediately connect, kindred spirits seeking respite from the storm. Pat is overwhelmed, unable to come to grips with guilt over the intensity of his attraction to Tiffany and the incident sends him into an uncontrolled manic episode. Tiffany feels the same connection and it jolts her far enough out of her stupor for her to see the possibilities. When Pat turns down her offer to sleep with her the flame sparks higher, her curiosity is piqued, and her pursuit begins in earnest. As she starts to nurture and guide Pat, she develops such a flaming torch for him that it would blister the skin off any ordinary guy. But Pat is oblivious, content just to follow her around like the lost puppy he is. She grabs the opportunity full throttle, dragging the perplexed, not-quite-ready-for-reality Pat along for the ride.
The cast is simply brilliant. Bradley Cooper is a revelation as the bipolar misfit whose philosophy consists of working hard and staying positive to find the silver lining in everything. He and Jennifer Lawrence have such electrifying chemistry together that you find yourself rooting for them to find a way to be together from the moment they meet. Robert DeNiro comes alive in his Oscar-nominated role as Pat's Eagles-obsessed, superstitious, OCD bookie father. Chris Tucker deserves special mention as Pat's equally optimistic fellow psychiatric inmate and friend Danny ("Black it up Pat!").
But make no doubt about it - this is Jennifer Lawrence's movie. At twenty two she is the real thing. Her performance here is transcendental. Even with the marvelous supporting cast holding the bar so high the movie would not work without her. She is visceral - caustic and vulnerable in the same breath. Her facial expressions hide nothing - she is fearless, willing to expose Tiffany's raw emotional core to everyone around her, warts and all as she juggles staying one step ahead of both Pats obsession as well as her own. The transformational changes that occur are put into motion and propelled forward by her. She bets everything with no guarantee that he is capable of giving her what she so desperately needs, willing to run the risk of diving off the emotional cliff for a chance at the real thing. Her character is the lynchpin of the story. And Jennifer Lawrence is nowhere to be found here. The success of the movie rides on her shoulders and she is brilliantly up to the task. Her talent is embarrassing.
The film is unapologetically romantic but dismissing it as a simple romance is missing the point. It deals with family, friendship, truth, sacrifice, and love as imperfect ideals worth fighting for regardless of your place in the world. It is a brave film. Do yourself a favor, go see it. It is ultimately a joyous affirmation of life's possibilities. And who doesn't need a little of that?