Silver Linings Playbook

Of all the films released in Australia over the Christmas/New Year period, the one that stood out for me as the best was Silver Linings,a remarkable, wordy, well written,well directed film noir I've seen in a long time. The performances of Bradley Cooper,and Jennifer Lawrence as the two leads was a mixture of fast,snappy, dialogue, incredible sensitivity (especially by Ms Lawrence) and the emotional ups and downs that comes with being bi-polar in a world that simply doesn't understand.Lawrence was only 22 when she made this film and then won the Academy Award as Best Actress. Her youth belies an incredible talent - rarely seen in one so young. Perhaps only Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth 1st and Kate Winslet's early work when a younger actress would be the only comparisons I could make.A tour de force indeed.Bradley Cooper is another fine American actor who seems to get better with each new project he undertakes. His performance as Pat, the bi-polar patent released from hospital after his mother arrives to take him home, is fraught with anger, frustration, vulnerability, grief at his broken marriage, living back at home with his parents (brilliantly played by Jackie Weaver and Robert de Niro) in an atmosphere of being smothered and dealing with de Niro's own crazy attention seeking ways.Like all the Baby Boomers of my generation, Robert de Niro was a hugely popular actor with a string a great film roles to his credit, (his combination with Martin Scorcese brought the best out of both of them). Then he went into some kind of decline where he appeared to have lost his edge and seemed to sleep walk through some roles. Whatever caused the decline has now well and truly gone - and for some time the great de Niro has been back. Nothing verifies this more than his magnificent portrayal of a man who is obsessed with gambling - on sport, on anything - even on his son scoring around 50% of the total score needed to win a local dance competition. de Niro's character is as damaged as his son's, with extreme highs and lows - a need to communicate with a son he doesn't know any more and a desperation to find the hook that will make them close friends again.The hook turns out to be the huge bet he places with an old rival on the outcome of the dancing competition. He doesn't believe his son will win,as he is coming up against professionals. So he he enters a bet whereby Pat must score exactly exactly 50 points total from the judging panel for his dad to win big.The overjoyed reaction of the family and their friends when Pat achieves that exact amount is extremely amusing - after all, he and his partner have probably the lowest score. Judges and other competitors watch on bewildered as the family celebrates.This was a de Niro performance that could very easily have won him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar - he is outstanding in Silver Linings. It was good to see Jackie Weaver - a tour de force in Australian theatre for many decades - playing the minor role as Pat's mum. And I hope to see more of her in films that give her great talent more scope, in the near future.Jennifer Lawrence's character is the love interest for Pat (Brad Cooper), as bit by bit we see his sense of self worth and confidence returning thanks to her support, and despite her own psychiatric problems. Theirs is a stormy union that eventually finds itself in calmer waters. A must see film.

Very good movie - The whole cast are great - Cooper and Lawrence are both brilliant in this move.It's quirky - Makes me want to read the book.

Life isn't always fair, there is no fairy tale story and reality is, as pat salatano found out, has more twists and tragedy than any tv soap opera.Leaving work early one day after an argument with his high school principle, pat returns home to find his wedding song playing whilst his wife performs the ultimate betrayl.so used to white knuckling through pressures and bottling everything growing up with an over bearing angry father, and argumentive/explosive relationship with his wife. This, with a combination of depression and a paranoia, that had been forming for a while, are all to much to take and pats fragile mind finally snaps.Unhinged, enraged with a sence of heartache and betrayl, pat attacks , pushing a shocked nikki aside who was trying to separate them repeatedly, pats assault carrys on hitting out regardless over and over, beating him bloodied, senseless, and broken to such a degree, that in the aftermath pats looking at some serious jail time.Committed for medical help in a plea bargain for a minimum of eight months, in the aftermath pat loses everything, the understanding of friends at work , his job, his home, his wife, he is only getting into a routine when his family come to collect him, Forced by terms of release with no option but to move back in with his parents, while best intentioned and understanding the are unprepared for pats mental state, his behaviour, his way of thinking, the highs and lows and in between when your not yourself , and as any one who's faced mental issues knows the resistance to taking daily medication and therapy.With this combination of this heartache and no meds pat delusionially believes that if he does everything he can, to improve himself physically, and educated in nikki's class silibus for conversation topics he and his wife can somehow re-connect, and prove that life isn't all doom and gloom for them, and maybe, just maybe if he does everything right, somehow, someway there is just a chance of a silverlining .In his attempt to improve himself that doesn't involve him running around in a bin liner rocky style up the street, he forms an unuasual friendship with the little sister of his former next door neighbours wife, who unknown to pat when agreeing to a dinner one night, he was actually being setup with an equally troubled, depressed individual Tiffany, who is anything but conventional. Queue a number of inappropriate comments and trends that would trouble any sane host, yet seem fine to someone who's off meds or clued in on mental health issues, the dinner decends into chaos, ending almost a quick as it begins.Yet somehow in there topsy tervy life, pat looks beyond the obvious and refuses to take advantage of Tiffany in a way like so many other men do on the walk home when she's low, and in subsequent bizarre meetings later there friendship grows. yet on one no med social date like so many times before Tiffany saying something without thinking, yet instantly she realises she is following a pattern she repeats over and over when she sees pats responce with an inappropriate conversation and worries she is only yet again being used by a man like so many times before and storms off..Further things happen that night, that have consiquences for both of them. But Little did pat know that his actions the following day with genuine kind words with no strings attached and assistance in removing one of tiffanys many admirriers and mistakes when she was vounrable , were the actual reason she follows through with there deal, realising pat genuinely was concerned for her, to be treated as an equal, a true friend she can talk to openly, in a way few men have never been in her recent past, for once this was a chance to get something she's always dreamed of doing in return.But like most things in this world from pats point of view her assistance comes at a price that would make any grown red blooded, American football fan initially cringe at the offer, but so desperate for his silver-lining, he agrees.So begins a story of football, under counter betting, family, but above all else friendship.There are some genuine attempt to show the lighter side of individuals who are often stereotyped and stigmatized when people face mental health issues to some degree, and that whist bizarre to an outsider, and sometimes troubling, or alternatively comical, as portrayed by " the jailhouse lawyer", inside we are all the same, as the saying goes, we think, we feel, we connect, all you need to do is look deeper than first impressions would allow, and not take advantage of someone's better or troubled nature, we're still the same person underneath.The main parts played by Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper shine through a mixed performance cast, but the story is sadly predictable, and influenced by a number of other films , yet your left with the overwellming feeling that the over heavy presence of American football was added to fill the holes in the script as the story seems to drag towards the end. It won't appeal to everyone, and opinions will be divided however there is something to the story that is enchanting all the same.So check it out you may be suprised, 7 out of 10

This is a great movie. Never considered myself to be a big David O Russell fan though I respect him hugely as a director. The performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are breathtaking. Cooper finally showcasing his acting chops (which I always knew he had there hidden somewhere). Jennifer Lawrence once again proves why her star continues to rise - she's a very talented actress, completely different in every role she takes on. This gal is far removed from that of Katniss Everdeen even though both characters are equally courageous.But it's not just the two central performances the supporting cast do their share also. The music on the soundtrack is used to great effect and brings the breathtaking chemistry between the leads to the fore - bathing their character's growing affection for each other in a beautiful light. The music also provides a lovely backdrop for Pat and Tiffany's developing affection for each other.This movie also highlights the struggles that mental illness brings not least of which is the prejudice, fear and stigma it evokes in others. However it also shows how it affects those closest to the person suffering. The families particularly of the mentally ill who do have an understanding of the illness but who are the ones on the front line every day fighting along with their loved one to get a handle on their struggles.An enlightening and at times funny movie which is deeply touching and romantic without being too Hollywood schmulzy! Highly recommend it !