If you're going into Silver Linings Playbook expecting a traditional romantic comedy (and who can blame you, given the way it's been marketed), think again, my movie-going friend. Yep, it ends with a romance, but it gets there in a most unconventional way.
Bradley Cooper gives probably the most interesting performance of his career. He's always shown a hint of what he can do in his previous roles (and frankly, he'll always be Will from Alias to me), but here he really shines. He holds his own against DeNiro, which is saying a lot, since this the most interesting role DeNiro's had in years. Cooper plays a guy who's been diagnosed as bipolar and does not have a filter whatsoever. Anything he thinks, he says, to the point of extreme bluntness. But, and I think this is a testament to Cooper's strength in the role, Pat has an eagerness, patheticness, and energy that is infectious and makes you want to root for him.
Really though, the movie belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. She's brittle, tough, acidic, emotional, neurotic, sympathetic, and just plain messed up, and Lawrence gives all of that onscreen and more. She's not afraid to put herself out there to show that Tiffany's deeply flawed, yet in need of love and understanding. There's one scene between her and DeNiro, and it's almost like you're watching a handoff of acting greatness from one generation to the next. She's fearless in the role, and the movie lights up when she's on.
Like I said, this is DeNiro's best role in years, and it shows in his work. He looks engaged and eager to stretch his skills in the role, and doesn't disappoint. Jacki Weaver evokes sympathy in her role. The big surprise of the secondary roles is Chris Tucker. Yep, the guy from those bad buddy cop movies with Jackie Chan. He plays a fellow mental hospital inmate and friend of Pat's, and really gives a great performance.
Ultimately, this movie's about love in all its forms, and how love, as well as life, is messy and doesn't always look good. If you're expecting a movie where the boy and the girl to have it all in their lives except that ONE person who would make it all worthwhile, like with any cookie-cutter rom-com, then Silver Linings is not for you. If you want to see real people with real problems and flaws succeed in this world, even just for a minute, then run out and see this.
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3 comments:
Bitchy alert. I loved the movie - BUT. Here's my beef. It was so well done in so many respects except for the one thing that I feel was it's ultimate goal: the love part.
Maybe I'm jaded, but I didn't see him fall in love with her at all. I saw him grow to like her a lot but it's like they left out that other component. It played like a great buddy movie - or at best, a one-sided love story. He was completely, sadly and hilariously, about his wife all the way until the final few minutes of the film when he figured out about the letter and even then the connection was vague. Was that supposed to be the moment he realized he loved Tiffany? Where was that moment? At the dance competition, he was preoccupied with seeing seeing his wife, even causing JL's character to booze it up at the bar and then run out after the dance. Guess she didn't see it, either. lol
I realize this was supposed to be more than a romance - and it was. It was almost everything BUT a romance. And that's fine except that when the climax and conclusion of the film are about the romantic coming together of the two key characters, it might be good to actually SHOW them falling in love.
Dear American film maker, I'm picky that way.
Well, maybe I focused on the romantic part of it too. I think the whole movie isn't solely about the romance, but that is the part you're left with. I read the book, and the clues are much more visible, if that helps-lol.
The parts that weren't about the romance were excellent. Like I said I really liked the movie. I just don't think they did a great job showing his heart change. Maybe I should read the book. lol
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