Delightful

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2013)

Sometimes, meeting the right person can turn your life around. That's one of the messages of Silver Linings Playbook. Of course, this is not exactly new territory for Hollywood love stories, but there's a lot of craziness in this romantic comedy that sets it apart from the usual fare. David O. Russell's story of two mentally ill people who fall in love, based on a novel by Matthew Quick, is not a natural recipe for a romantic comedy, but Silver Linings Playbook's upbeat, quirky portrayal of its main characters makes for a delightful experience.
The story is about Pat (Bradley Cooper), a substitute teacher with bi-polar disorder who was committed to a mental hospital for eight months. Later we learn that Pat brutally assaulted his wife's lover after catching them in the shower listening to his wedding song. The movie begins with Pat's mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) discharging him from the mental hospital and bringing him back home. Pat's father (also named Pat- played by Robert Deniro), has always favored his other son, but he wants to spend some quality time with Pat Jr. to make up for it. But these intentions are masked by Pat Sr.'s job. Pat Sr., a bookie with obsessive compulsive disorder and a penchant for violent outbursts (guess where Pat Jr. got his problems from?), believes that his son is a good luck charm that will help the Philadelphia Eagles win games. Pat Jr. thus interprets his father's advances as financially motivated.
Pat Jr. doesn't have much time for family, however, because he is obsessed with getting his old life back. His daily routine revolves around his plans to win over Nikki even though she has a restraining order against him. Now there's a textbook case of denial for you. Pat believes that staying positive is all it will take to turn his life around. He jogs around the neighborhood with a garbage bag over his sweatshirt to stay in shape to impress Nikki, and he reacquaints himself with friends who can contact her. Pat's world is really turned upside down though when he meets a woman who knows Nikki- Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a beautiful young widow who is severely depressed and lacks confidence in herself. Tiffany bears a tremendous sense of guilt over her husband's death, and in her depression she went on many sexual escapades which only contributed to her self-loathing. There is instant chemistry between Pat Jr. and Tiffany, but Pat suppresses his feelings and convinces her to deliver a letter to Nikki. Tiffany won't be used so easily though. She agrees to help him on one condition- that Pat will help her win a dance competition that she has attempted to enter for ages.
I bet you can guess where the movie goes from here. While the film has a formulaic side, its portrayal of mentally ill people rings true. People who have experienced or witnessed mental illness will find that this movie hits the right chords- Pat's manic highs and lows, his refusal to use medication, and the arguments that get out of hand will be very familiar to them. I also enjoyed how the film touched on Pat's family history of mental illness as these problems are often inherited. Its core message is very positive- mentally ill people can help lift each other out of their complicated problems if they work together. Alone, they will just wallow in their destructive behavior.
I wouldn't describe this film as a laugh out loud comedy, but the character's quirks and behaviors, as well as the many absurd situations they find themselves in make this a very entertaining picture. Silver Linings Playbook is also elevated by its performances and Jennifer Lawrence shines the brightest. Compared to her performances in X-Men First Class and Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook is easily her best. Lawrence's high maturity and fiery attitude overcomes her sixteen year age difference with Bradley Cooper. Cooper, to his credit, captures the highs and lows of bipolar disorder very well. It is also good to see Robert DeNiro in an intelligent role again. This won't go down in history as one of his best roles, but he makes his obsessive compulsive quirks genuinely funny and sad at the same time. Pat Jr.'s obligation to Tiffany's dance competition drives a wedge between him and his father that leads to the best scene in the movie- a three way argument between Cooper, DeNiro, and Lawrence that unexpectedly turns to the Eagles' excellent performances whenever Pat Jr. dances with Tiffany.
If you're going to see a comedy in theaters now, see this movie.