Genuinely witty, genuinely emotional and very compassionate with a great sense of how far to escalate a scene.

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2013)

I was quite excited for Silver Linings Playbook earlier in the year when it seemed to be the big hit comedy drama like Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine and Beginners that I find myself adoring. Then the trailers came and made it look like a messy chick flick shot by an amateur and my expectations plummeted. I had no intentions of even seeing it in the cinema but I'm really glad I did because it fulfilled the big hit comedy and more. What's so special about this simplistic film is that it comes straight from the heart. I've never been too much of a fan of David O. Russell. I Heart Huckabees seemed like a surefire winner for me but it missed the mark. The Fighter and Three Kings were good, but cold. Silver Linings is the film to prove Russell's worth. It's a very special experience that I already want to see again. It's very entertaining and easy to relate to so it cuts straight to the core. Although it is rough around the edges and the third act is a little cluttered, the second act is absolutely wonderful and is enough to make it great.
The most impressive aspect about the film is the intricate production design, with a very delicate and seemingly deliberate use of colour coding for each scene in subtle hues, it's one of its most consistent and interesting aspects as well as cinematic push ins on characters in dramatic moments. The script is what makes the film, fast paced, genuinely witty, genuinely emotional and very compassionate with a great sense of how far to escalate a scene. It's so great to see Robert De Niro great again after so long. His part is small and to the side and focused on two particular aspects, but it's classic De Niro that has been sorely missed with a few emotional scenes. Bradley Cooper is the real revelation here. I enjoyed him in The Hangover even though I didn't enjoy that film, but here he really emotes and his comedic side is put to best use. He really is deserving of all the acclaim. Jennifer Lawrence is certainly great, but if she were to win the Oscar for this it would probably draw far too much negative attention to being overrated as she was better in Winter's Bone. Easily one of my favourites of the year.
8/10