Thugs in perpetuity

Rating: 10/10 (28 November 2012)

Pat is a man who has just been released from a mental institution after serving 8 months on a plea bargain. He was committed because after he came home early from work one day, heard his wedding song playing and found his wife banging the history teacher in the shower. In a momentary lapse of judgement and an obvious crime of passion, Pat nearly beat the guy to death. Upon getting out of the institution, his main goal is to rebuild his relationship with his wife, who now has a restraining order on him.
Enter in Tiffany, who is a recent widow. Her husband got hit by a car after going to Victoria's Secret to buy lingerie for his wife in hopes of spicing up their sex life, which Tiffany had turned off after 3 years of marriage.
Then you have Pat Sr. and Dolores, Pat's parents. Pat Sr. has lost his pension because of the financial crash and now runs a bookie business and his wife supports him for doing so. Pat feels that his son is a good luck charm and wants him to stay close during Eagles games as his presence helps the Eagles win.
Then you have Pat's friend who has made big money because of the financial crash by flipping houses. But with the this new found wealth he feels stressed, restricted and ready to bash things at any given moment.
There are other bit characters in the film as well and when you throw all this into the blender and you have one of the best films of the year.
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNiro give outstanding performances and I believe all three will get Oscar nominations this year. All three of them simply own these roles. But more than just the incredible acting, this is an incredibly emotionally engaging story. In here you have two very damaged people who find ways to help each other. And even though Pat might seem to be a loose cannon, if you look at the people around him, they are no different. I have always believed that humans walk a fine line between sanity and insanity. There's a Tragically Hip song called Thugs that says, "Everyone's got their breaking point, for me it's spiders, for you it's me." Profound in that I believe this to be true. We do all have our breaking points. For Pat, walking in on his wife and seeing another man performing with his mouth on her private parts in the shower, while his wedding song was playing, was enough to push him over the edge. And if that is what it takes to send you over that precipice, how do you recover? This movie explores that journey, and it's not an easy one. Pat doesn't get better over night, or after 8 months or even after spending a few months with Tiffany. It's hard work, but eventually, the human spirit will find ways to mend itself.
I have a friend who gained 150 pounds in a matter of about 18 months. He used to be model good looking. And then something or rather several things tested his mettle. And he lost. For 8 years he kept the 325 pounds on, he drank, he smoked and he was lazy. And then one day he just woke up and decided he'd had enough and he lost the 150 pounds and stopped smoking and drinking and now he's back to his old self. It's like Pat in this film. He has to work at it. The human psyche is fragile and sometimes it needs to reboot. This film is that journey to reboot.
In a way, this film reminds me of Perks of Being a Wallflower....but for a different age group. Both are in my top three of the year. One is about discovering who you are at a young age and the journey that ensues. The other is discovering who you are at an older age, and the journey that ensues to make yourself better. Both are brilliant and poignant and brought a lump to my throat.
Silver Linings also brought a tear to my eye. It's truly a remarkable film.
One final note. There is some criticism from a vocal minority who say it goes typically predictable or cliché at the end and I disagree with this completely. It is the opposite of cliché. This is a film about a journey and to have them not end up together would be a travesty. Their courtship and ultimate pairing was part of the journey to make them whole again. That is not cliché, that is just brilliant writing.
10/10