Review: Silver Linings Playbook
By Francesca Waite
There aren’t many films nowadays that refrain from gratuitous sex scenes or unnecessary violence, especially when dealing with the delicate topic of mental illness. However, the cast and crew of Silver Linings Playbook approach this topic in a sweet yet unrelenting way, whether concerning bipolar disorder or even OCD.
Adapted from a novel by Matthew Quick, David O’Russell’s BAFTA Award winning script follows the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper) who returns to live with his parents following a stint in a mental institution after discovering his wife’s infidelity.
He meets equally troubled widow Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and the two soon become close and bond as they train for an amateur dancing competition and try and overcome their demons together.
Cooper, whose character brings him back to his native Philidelphia, also has a close, humorous and somewhat unorthodox relationship with his psychiatrist who is helping him with his violent outbursts, but ultimately leads Pat into a football car park brawl with some unpleasant racists
Robert De Niro as Pat’s father, Pat Sr, shows his natural genius as a struggling bookie with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which manifests in arranging remote controls and sitting in certain armchairs to watch football games, much to his troubled son and suffering wife’s chagrin.
However, De Niro’s heart-warming portrayal as a father coming to terms with his son’s recent diagnosis comes in at a close second to Golden Globe Award winning Lawrence, with her emotional and temperamental ramblings perfectly mixed with her moments of clarity and common sense, making her worthy of any accolades that come her way.
Silver Linings Playbook is available on DVD from April 1st 2013
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