Last film watched: Silver Linings Playbook - 10/10

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2013)

Pat Solitano leaves a mental institution and attempts to integrate himself back into normal society. Bradley Cooper plays the leading role and he smashes it out of the park. In any other year he should be nailed on for best actor Oscar, Day-Lewis will win it of course. Jennifer Lawrence cements her reputation as the best actress working in Hollywood right now with her crushingly beautiful performance as the damaged Tiffany. Robert De Niro gives his best performance in years and has some of the funniest lines. The script has many laugh out loud moments but is also heartbreaking and up lifting, touching on mental health, alienation, longing, love, family, how sport and dance can bring people together and people's attitude to mental illness (particularly the authorities). As someone who worked in mental health for a while I felt that the issues faced by Bradley Cooper and his reaction to them were portrayed perfectly. No film has touched me on so many levels as this one did for years. It also has the most iconic dance sequence since Pulp Fiction IMO and a great soundtrack. Director David O. Russell has come a long way since Three Kings and it is going to be nigh on impossible for him to follow the huge success of The Fighter and now this. If you only watch one the films nominated for Best Picture at this years Oscars make it this one.