Leave the cinema with a smile for a change?

Rating: 8/10 (22 November 2012)

Hectic rather than dramatic; charming rather than funny; and as for romance, that would be somewhat of an insult on behalf of one of this year's finer films. Silver Linings Playbook leads rather than follows an off-beat style for its genre. Scratch that, you gather the sense that it advocates its own genre due to its uniquely complex characters and relationships, yet with a simplistic and easy to follow narrative.
The most perplexing scenario when engaged in the theatrical experience is how much we, the audience, are energised by these rather peculiar characters. Each conveys some form of dysfunctional behaviour, whether it is some mental incapacity, an obsession or lying to one's self. Nevertheless, they are extraneously relatable which formulates a wonderful character-audience relationship simultaneously. One can imagine the ease in which the independent studio could have sensationalised the relationships, or added the dreaded cheese factor to this delightful November release. As it turns out, we were instead gifted with this grounded, rounded earth of a film, by which I mean complete as a whole in its entirety. Once the final shot transits to the rolling credits, we feel we require no more from the two hours of pleasurable endurance, whilst also being unable to identify a single flaw, which proves evident in the countless smiling faces (including your own) around the theatre and uplifted mood around the room. The primary cause for this 'Silver Lining Theory' (Bharat Samra trademark) is undoubtedly the combination of an evidently well-written script and truly tremendous acting. The amalgamation of seemingly authentic and convincing dialogue blended with the two phenomenal lead actors and numerous noteworthy supporting actors is what fuels the picture into a smooth journey up a straight path, with some bumps along the way to enable our protagonist to maintain and test his fortitude.
One of the aspects of the film which as a viewer you hugely appreciate is lack of condescension. You learn so much about each individual character that there is no need to be continuously reminded of what is occurring in the narrative, as you become so immersed into their lives and behaviours, you almost instantly adopt their personalities, meaning we can assume their actions, and the motion picture's integrity does not yield, yet increases with confluent storytelling. Each actor involved with this production warrants copious acclaim as their influential authority over their roles are not for a second doubted, as they own their part so reliably well. Most conspicuously, the leads in Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are foremost worth valuing due to their, excuse the following cliché, on screen chemistry. Robert De Niro and Chris Tucker are also sensationally suited for this film, for their opposing roles. Tucker not surprisingly assists in the comedic department comfortably, while De Niro vents an irrational, confused and a times angry father to Cooper's character Pat due to his OCD.
I believe this to be one of the rare contemporary cinematic releases that compels throughout. It has heart, humour, hedonism and happiness, though you may as times witness the interfamily conflict, the restoration of happiness is, inevitable. The fact that not a lot actually happens in this independent film can be disregarded because it is the characters and their dialogue which carries the picture perhaps into further future award winning territory, to add to the already achieved accolades. Silver Linings Playbook is suitable for almost any demographic, assuming you are indeed above the age of consent for this particular picture, I can almost guarantee enjoyment and pleasure for at least the two hour duration, and even long after the screening, especially the climactic, quite simply fun dance sequence, along with even learning the implication of the terrific title.