A fascinating, witty romantic comedy with multiple layers

Rating: 8/10 (3 February 2013)

I had heard so much hype about this movie that I finally caved in and went to see it. I have to say, for the most part, it lived up to my expectations, and even exceeded them in some cases. David O. Russell does a solid, and at times surprisingly inventive job at directing a story about a formally undiagnosed bipolar man trying to reconnect with his estranged wife while balancing a relationship with a younger girl who has problems of her own. He also wrote the screenplay, based off of the novel by Matthew Quick.
Although the story itself is not entirely original, the performances elevate to a much higher level, and they managed to consistently impress as the film played on. Jennifer Lawrence is captivatingly hysterical as Tiffany, the crazy girl next door who is attempting to deal with her husband's untimely death. She has many great one-liners and was able to display a fantastic range of emotions, but her performance was actually the only one that, to a certain degree, let me down. Don't get me wrong—she's amazing, but with all I had heard and with all the accolades she's been receiving, I expected her to be even better than she was.
The standout, for me, was Bradley Cooper, who was far better than I thought he could ever be as Pat Solitano, a man obsessed with impressing his wife after their relationship, somewhat traumatically, came to an end. His ability to switch quickly between numerous emotions— from anger to happiness to regret, and so on—was truly outstanding, and what I believe to be a pretty accurate portrayal of someone struggling with bipolar disorder. Additionally, his unrealistic belief that everything will work out well—in terms of his relationship with his wife, his parents, and Tiffany—provides a sort of comic irony as everything constantly spirals out of control.
That's not all, though. Robert De Niro was—finally—very good, and undeniably compelling, as the OCD, football-obsessed father who just wants his family to spend time together again. Also, Jacki Weaver does a fine job as the matriarch trying to hold her family together, and Chris Tucker provides comic relief, as if it were needed, as Pat's friend from the hospital. Rounding out the cast are Julia Stiles, John Ortiz, and Anupam Kher (who's actually pretty funny as Pat's psychiatrist).
At the end of it all, this film is a wild, comical, if not slightly predictable ride made all the more better by the fantastic chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence. While its main focus is on building and maintaining relationships, it provides glimpses into the thought processes of some completely irrational, oversensitive, and easily aggravated people, which at times can be stressful, and other times just downright hilarious. Because of this, it's definitely deeper and more complex than most romantic comedies, while at the same time remaining captivating and entertaining throughout. And really, if films are truly made to entertain us, then this more than succeeds on all accounts.