Bradley Cooper is officially an actor.

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2013)

Bradley Cooper is officially one of my favorite actors after watching this film. No, seriously. I've liked his movies, like the Hangover and the A-team and The Words. But this movie- this movie brought out the best of his talent. The story centers around Pat, who was just released from a mental institution after a major breakdown when he found his wife cheating on him. He moves back in with his parents on the thought that he was destined to get back together with his wife, who - evidently has a restraining order against him. It's a challenge for him, dealing with his newly diagnosed bipolar disorder and his OCD father who will bet everything on the Eagles winning a football game.
But then he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), the sister of one of Pat's friend's wife. Tiffany is probably just as screwed up as he is. She's a broken, lost girl who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her but knows a lot about living. The two form an unlikely friendship, and though they each have problems of their own, you know instantly that they'll be perfect for each other.
There was something about this movie that stayed with me after I finished watching it. I'm still not quite sure what it was. Perhaps it was the strong performances of Lawrence and Cooper that made me realize how good of a movie it was. Perhaps it was the storyline and the characters that were so ridiculously troubled that you couldn't help but cheer for them the entire way through. Lawrence's performance was spectacular, and I have a feeling she will become quite an actress in the years to come. But it was Cooper's performance that took me by surprise. As he's known mostly for his comedic roles, Cooper's dramatic role was superb. He stole each scene, and you could tell he loved playing this character.
The pacing of this film was excellent, not a dull moment in the entire movie. The supporting characters were wonderful, especially Robert DeNiro, who played Pat's OCD father. The script was fantastic, perfectly written and the dialogue was genius.
This is one of those rare gems, where people have heard about but don't really know what it's about. After watching this movie, Cooper and Lawrence definitely have to take home the Oscar. If not both, than definitely Cooper.
I will probably own this movie when it comes out on DVD, I loved it that much.