Now showing at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
THIS IS A “CHICK-FLICK” THAT WORKS!
In a totally different approach from his most recent movies (“Three Kings”, and the Oscar winning “The Fighter”) David O. Russell has taken the Rom-Com genre for his latest film, “Silver Linings Playbook”, and revitalised it into a realistic, yet beautiful story of two messed up souls finding each other.
Obviously a wise move for Russell, as his choice has resulted in a whopping EIGHT Academy Award nominations for “Silver Linings Playbook”, including Best Director, Best Picture, Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay (from the screenplay he wrote based on Michael Quick’s 2008 novel: “Silver Linings Playbook”) to accompany the award nominations for his cast: Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), and Best Supporting Actress for Australia’s Jacki Weaver. So things are looking up for the Rom-Com, or “Chick-Flick” genre which had recently looked like it had been lost!
In probably the best performance in his career, Bradley Cooper is Pat Solatano. Now, life for Pat could be better! He battles bipolar disorder and is clearly not in control of his emotions. That fact doesn’t really help when on his arrival at home one day, he walks in on his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) and another man taking a shower and nearly beats the guy to death. However, Pat’s lifelong bipolar disorder had been undiagnosed up until this incident, so he is institutionalised for eight months. Here he gets inspirational advice, which motivates him to create a silver lining for his life by turning negatives into positives. Pat feels that if he can stay the course, he can win his wife back. However, the restraining order she has taken out on him just might be a problem.
Pat’s mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) brings her son home from the Baltimore institution without mentioning it to her husband Pat Snr. (Robert De Niro). Hooked to football and bookmaking, Pat Snr is a once-explosive father who now wants to bond with his son. De Niro has never been better, while Weaver is fantastic as the caring mother who spends much of her time with her hands up in anticipation of another out of control circumstance! Their brilliant roles are completely justified by their Oscar nominations.
Pat can’t come to grips with this broken marriage. He is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife. When he speaks to others, Pat confidently professes that he and his wife will soon get back together. To distract him from this very unlikely dream, his best friend, Ronnie (John Ortiz), invites Pat home to dinner to set him up with Tiffany (Lawrence), the sister of his domineering wife, Veronica (Julia Stiles).
Cooper, DeNiro and Weaver might be outstanding in this movie, but it is clear that Jennifer Lawrence is the absolute star of this show. Again justified by her second Oscar nomination after her first one in 2010 for her role in Winter’s Bone. (Which was followed by her role as Katniss Everdeen in the blockbuster Hunger Games). Lawrence plays Tiffany, the disturbed young widow of a local police officer. As a result of his death, she is now suffering with borderline and intimacy issues and an obsessive disorder.
“Silver Linings Playbook” never feels like a movie you’ve seen before. You cannot help but fall in love with this dynamite couple and want them to get together. Sure it’s the same desire as we’ve had in other “Chick-Flicks”, but you’re never certain it will happen!
In this great summer film, David Russell (with the help of a fantastic cast) has brought life back into the once popular, but recently disfavoured genre. So for a great date movie, or night with the girls, you won’t be disappointed!
I give this 4 1/2 stars out of 5!
You will like this if you liked “Crazy Stupid Love” or “Midnight In Paris”!
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