So What?

Rating: 5/10 (28 January 2013)

So I just watched Silver Linings Playbook and thought "So what?" I had heard great things about this movie, namely that it had received 8 Oscar nominations. So, I thought, this has to be a great film? Great cast, great director, a recipe for perfection, right? Well, if this movie was a cake, someone forgot to add the yeast, because this sucker did not rise. We start with a very likable Bradley Cooper, who just seemed to be 'acting' too much in this movie. I know that sounds strange, but actors are supposed to draw you in to their performances, make you feel like you could know them on a personal level, like they could live next door. But this just felt like I was watching a performance; albeit a decent performance, by Bradley Cooper. Jennifer Lawrence stars as his love interest and also gives an adequate performance, but that being said, I expected so much more. Without giving too much away, Bradley stars as a man who has got some problems, tries to rectify them, and find himself and love along the way. The feel-good movie of the year? Probably! But not for me. The movie seemed clichéd and derivative. Robert DeNiro is a wonderful actor and a legend in his own right, but a Best Supporting Actor nomination? I just don't get it. What I think makes me dislike the movie even more is knowing the other films it beat out for nominations. Movie like Django Unchained and Argo for Best Director. These 2 films were wonderfully directed and the movies themselves are accomplishments in directing! Big casts, different locations, etc. I felt like I could have directed Silver Linings. For some reason, I got a whiff of Jerry Maguire from this movie: a man trying to rebuild himself, and finding love along the way in the most unlikely (yet most likely) of places. Only, Jerry Maguire was a wonderful film. It had depth and sincerity and still stands as Tom Cruise's finest performance. To say that this felt "phoned in" is an understatement. Was this a good movie? Ya, OK, I watched it and didn't turn it off. But, is that saying much?