Silver Linings Playbook is the very definition of a perfect film. My readers may recall that I have claimed many films this year to be perfect. In particular-I said Killer Joe was my favorite film of the year so far if not my favorite of all time. If the latter still gets that honor by the end of the year then Silver Linings Playbook is coming in at an incredibly close second. The film is perfectly acted, directed, written and cast. I literally could not find one gripe with the film as I sat there---watching in amazement at how good this film was.
The film stars Bradley Cooper as Pat...a socially awkward and deeply troubled young man who just got released from a mental hospital. His parents (Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro) want him to get better but can't seem to help him. One night...Pat's friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) invites him to dinner at his house. This is where he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence)---the sister of Ronnie's wife (Julia Stiles.) Tiffany and Pat seem to not like each other at first but quickly become friends and eventually decide to go into a dance competition together.
The chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence is instantly palpable while both of them are extremely vulnerable, sad characters. Cooper plays Pat as one of the most touching characters to ever be seen in a movie. The audience wants Pat to get help and get over his mental illness but he never seems able to. Pat is also amazingly complex in the way the audience does not know what he is going to do next. This is all due to Cooper's brilliant, Oscar worthy performance. As well---Tiffany is both sexy and dangerous. She is unpredictable but that's what makes her so charming. Lawrence nails it. Weaver and De Niro are both excellent as the loving but ultimately fed up parents. Also---Chris Tucker has a nice role as Danny---a friend of Pat's who is sad in his own right. Tucker breaks out of his usually completely comic shell to give what is one of the more dramatic performances in the film. The dialogue is witty and the direction is sharp. This is all due to writer-director David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees.) Russell here proves what someone can do when they put their effort into something. In fact----this is my favorite film that Russell wrote and directed since 1996's incredibly funny Flirting With Disaster.
There is no other way to put it---Silver Linings Playbook is fantastic. It never peters out and becomes a typical romantic comedy and it even has many parts that will make most people cry. I can not recommend this film enough. I feel as if not many people are going to end up seeing it but I urge you to go see this brilliant film if it is playing anywhere near you.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity)
No comments:
Post a Comment