The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier.

Rating: 7/10 (15 February 2013)

Directed by David O Russell
Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro.
Written by David O Russell and Matthew Quick.
'After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.'
With all the hype and nominations this film was receiving, I didn't believe it would be as great as critics acclaimed it to be. Though this film isn't a masterpiece, it was a satisfying watch with plenty of personal messages.
I was very disappointed with David O Russell's last picture "The Fighter" and it was his directing that almost didn't make me want to see this one. I would have made a terrible mistake. He was great. He told the story so well with the setting it introduced. It couldn't have been a more common neighborhood and all the actor's were so natural that it made it a 'one-two combo!' The cinematography was descent in this picture. It was all normal. The only aspect I enjoyed was some repetitive camera movements that caught me eye to the great storytelling. The dialogue is great. Such a down to earth and natural flow. I noticed that the actors didn't have a problem with their jobs because the script did that for them. The nomination for Best Screenplay didn't surprise me.
The acting in this film was awesome. I'm not trying to take anything away from Bradley Cooper who did a great job but Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence caught my eye the most. At first, De Niro didn't get much screen time so I couldn't really judge but once his character started playing a bigger role, I was impressed. He hasn't lose his touch with age. His dialogue, his emotional acting and his character's mannerisms with OCD all came together to get him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I was hearing a lot of buzz about Jennifer Lawrence before I saw the film. Not only is she beautiful to look at but her acting is just as great! She makes her presence noticeable to the screen. She doesn't over act and try to let her actions speak for her. I saw her as a very natural actress and I bought everything she was saying. Great performance. The only flaw I saw in the cast was Chris Tucker. He was annoying and didn't really have a purpose in the story. Maybe he was brought to lighten up and humor the story but it didn't work for me and was not needed.
Music is often key to the story in this film â€“ from Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour," which triggers Cooper's character's rage, to the medley of songs that serves as a backdrop for a climactic dancing competition. The Score brings an element to compliment the great acting and great storytelling.
Overall, this is a clever picture. It has some of the best acting and storytelling in film this year. Deserves all the acclaim it's receiving. A must see.