Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are the true revelations of this grounded testament on love and complex relationships

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2015)

Silver Linings Playbook is a magnificent testament on family and complicated relationships uprooted unpleasant circumstances. It is charming story of love between two people find each other's in odd and and unexpected points in their lives. Who is a better director than David O. Russell to tackle on his ingenious tale? That's right, the famed director of the comedy 'Three Kings' and the dramas 'I Heart Huckabees' and 'The Fighter', operates with soaring humanity on bringing together this heart-stirring tale based on the Matthew Quick's 2008 novel of the same name. It is not your average romantic tale that Hollywood has helmed thousands of times to the point where two strangers fall in love and everything from there contributes to a formulaic trajectory before leading to a "happily ever after" conclusion. Here, things are a little more complicated than that, and that is where actor Bradley Cooper and actress Jennifer Lawrence come into to play, striking at the heart with performances that are too difficult to ignore. Bradley Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a man suffering from bipolar disorder and has somewhat frequent mood swings. His life takes a turn for the worse when he comes home to find his wife Nikki cheating on him with another man. After delivering the man a vicious beating, Nikki kicks out Pat of the house and files for divorce. After spending a few months in a psychiatric hospital, Pat moves in with his parents (played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver). In the meantime, he tries to rekindle his relationship with his now ex-wife, but this proves to be impossible since she's put him under a restraining order. One night, he is invited to a dinner where he meets a troubled young woman named Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who's husband is dead and is living with her parents and sister Veronica (played by Julia Stiles). Pat and Tiffany began bonding and form a relationship, while learning that they both share the similar problems.
In a world where romantic dramas are often lie on the groundwork of run-of-the-mill formula, David O. Russell doesn't believe in pounding filmgoers on the head with overblown sentimentality or expectations. Instead, he offers more of an emotional build-up of a complex relationship rather than just going for the skill with sizzling the story of an endless cycle of hugs, kisses, and melodramatic disputes. What he does is challenge the viewers with a story between two characters that starts out as simple bond with no hints of love interest peeking in sight. In fact, as the story progresses, it digs the deep into the emotional problems two characters face in their lives that make seem almost impossible that a congruent relationship will likely brew. Bradley Cooper's Pat is emotionally disturbed by his past marriage that ended in an unhealthy note, while Jennifer Lawrence's Tiffany is a tragic character who feels lost in a world where everyone fails to make sense of her dilemmas. The truth is neither of them are more messed up than the other. As the two grow closer and closer, that is when the emotional resonance hits. And the chemistry between the two would not work as sufficiently without the genuine performances by Cooper and Lawrence, both of whom ground their roles with strong gravitas. Although their inflated age gap may their relationship a little difficult to buy into, these two Hollywood veterans know how to make things work, as does Robert De Niro who delivers a smear of charm as Bradley Cooper's father. Let's also not forget an unexpected appearance by Chris Tucker who been's off the map in several years following his departure from the 'Rush Hour' franchise, but it makes a sweet effort to return for a minor role as a dance teacher late in the film.
Silver Linings Playbook is a magnificent cinematic effort that shows Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence embraces their talent with amazing fortitude, and David O. Russell maturely tackling on a story that never feels hammy or contrived in any way. It is a film that taps at the heart while never shifting the light away from the admirable talent on and offscreen, and it all deserves your attention.