Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

In Silver Linings Playbook we don't really see much American football... Instead, we follow the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), a man desperately trying to regain his former life.

Recently discharged from an 8 month stint in a mental hospital, Pat is trying to come to terms with the break down of his relationship after he walked in on his wife cheating on him. Through making this discovery something inside Pat snapped and, after dishing out a beating to the man his wife was cheating with, Pat is now a shell of his former self. The attention Pat gained after his violent outburst brought out the fact the Pat is Bi-polar, something he was previously unaware of. Struggling to accept this, he refuses medication and seems to resist the help offered to him at every turn. The social awkwardness brought on by his fragile state of mind leads him to speak before he thinks, often getting him into trouble with friends and family.

Pat's sole purpose in life is now to win back his wife. We discover that whilst incarcerated he has undertaken a journey of self improvement - losing weight and changing other aspects of his life that his wife used to dislike. This obsession is the driving force behind Pat's every action, and we really begin to see how much the incident has had an effect on him. His ambition often lands him into trouble as he attempts to contact her in a number of ways but is restricted from doing so by a restraining order she has had placed on him. Along with this Pat has to deal with his dad, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro, who is focused on raising funds to start a restaurant business after losing his job. He has become a professional (and superstitious) gambler, often forcing Pat to watch American football with him as his lucky charm, adding to the stress of Pat's situation.

Through a friend Pat meets an unlikely helper, in the form of a recently widowed girl from down the street, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Tiffany is in the middle of her own crisis after going off the rails following the death of her husband. It's easy to draw parallels between their situations and they clash and come together with their similarity in a bitter-sweet relationship. It is unclear at the offset whether they will be a good or a bad influence on each other and this uncertainty remains throughout the film.

Comic relief is added to the film by the trouble Pat's social awkwardness brings and the addition of his fellow mental patient Danny, played by Chris Tucker, who is constantly breaking out of the mental home to visit him.

Pat's dedication to renewing his relationship with his wife often brings into question his commitment to other responsibilities and as the film goes on we see a change in Pat for the better. Pat and Tiffany's friendship grows stronger and they have a sobering effect on each other*.

*If I could make a science reference (and I will) it would be like watching a strong acid and a strong alkali mixed together, reacting violently at first and then becoming harmless. Science is awesome...

THE VERDICT

The acting is superb and the film thoroughly deserves the critical acclaim it has received. The pace of the film remains consistent throughout, never leading to a dull moment. The film is brilliantly directed and the comic relief sprinkled into the film doesn't take away from it's sincerity. The only criticism of the film is that it's a bit predictable in nature. If you haven't guessed the ending by the halfway point you obviously don't watch many films. That being said, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the film and it'll leave you laughing, and caring for the characters in equal measure with surprisingly little American football throughout.

LHSRAting for Silver Linings Playbook 8.5/10

- Simon