Watch for the signs

Rating: 8/10 (29 August 2018)

Pat Solantano Jr. (played by Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper) is just getting out of the mental hospital; he was in there for beating the man that his wife was cheating on him with. He comes home to live with his parents, go to therapy and to find the silver lining in things. Eventually he meets Tiffany (played by Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence), who has her own problems. He forms a connection with her and she even offers to help him get a letter to his wife, and in exchange he helps her with a dance competition. Pat Sr. (played by Academy Award Winner Robert De Niro) and Dolores (played by Academy Award Nominee Jacki Weaver) are Pat's parents and Pat's father is somewhat OCD; he likes his remotes a certain way, he doesn't want anybody in his study and he believes that his son is the positive juju that the Eagles need to win the Super Bowl. The question is: Can Pat Jr. find the signs? Or will life get him down?
This is a great movie, plain and simple. The editing and writing of this film is top notch. David O. Russell is at the top of his game with this film and he earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for both writing and directing the film. Whether you agree with his directing style or not, it is clear that he loves these characters and, in spite of all their faults and differences, he makes them all likable in many ways. Kudos to Russell for pulling off such an amazing feat!
But let's face it: the real stars are the stars themselves in this movie. Let's start out with our main character. Cooper is a revelation in this role. This was the role that got him out of his comfort zone - the comedy zone - and into the world of versatile acting. He is now known for his supreme acting chops and he knows how to make it work in a drama. He knows how to create characters that can be crazy but in a good way. Definitely deserving of the Oscar Nomination. With Jennifer Lawrence, while I can't say that she deserved the Oscar (it should have went to Emmanuelle Riva for Amour), I can say that this is the best she's ever been. She is on the top of her game in this role and it is clearly a role that she loved to play. Her and Bradley Cooper went on to star in two more David O. Russell films - American Hustle and Joy - and it is very clear that they love working with each other; you can practically feel the chemistry that these two share. She definitely at least deserved the nomination.
But let's talk about the supporting characters. Robert De Niro is a prime example of "when you grow older, you start getting the grandpa roles in crappy movies." While the dude can act, it's no question that he is in a slump. It's this movie, however, that showed that he's still got it and that he is not going away anytime soon. This is the guy who won awards for being a younger version of Marlon Brando and for boxing other guys in a ring. It's good to see that guy again; definitely deserving of the nomination. But the person who I believe should have actually won in their category was Jacki Weaver for her performance in this movie. She is the Mom who is worried sick about her son because he was in a mental hospital and she just wants him to be a part of the family. She is amazing in this role and she also gives the best performance of her career!
Needless to say, a great movie! What more can I say?