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May 28, 2015DaisyCosh rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"Silver Linings Playbook" follows Pat Solatano, Jr. (played by Bradley Cooper), a bipolar man discharged from a mental institution who returns home to live with his parents. His marriage has dissolved in almost all respects, but he is still fighting to get his wife back, against the wishes of his father, Pat Sr. (played by Robert De Niro), and his mother, Dolores (played by Jacki Weaver). Pat runs into his friend, Ronnie (played by John Ortiz), who invites him over to dinner with his wife, Veronica (played by Julia Stiles). Pat agrees, only to realize that he wasn't the only one invited; Veronica invited her younger sister, the newly widowed Tiffany Maxwell (played by Jennifer Lawrence), who also suffers with mental illness. Claiming a connection to Pat's wife who has a restraining order out on her husband, Tiffany makes a tit-for-tat deal with Pat; she'll help him communicate with his wife via correspondence if he agrees to compete in a local ballroom dance competition as her partner. Other well crafted characters round out the cast, like Pat's psychiatrist, Dr. Cliff Patel (played by Anupam Kher); Pat's brother, Jake (played by Shea Whigham); and Pat Sr.'s best frenemy, Randy (played by Paul Herman). A major success, "Silver Linings Playbook" won a number of critical awards for its knocked-out-of-the-park performances. Jennifer Lawrence netted an Oscar and deservedly so. Both her and Bradley Cooper expertly depict patients struggling to cope with fluctuating episodes of depression and manic rage. They're not stable people. You never know what they might do. Besides the cast's performances, I enjoyed the dance routine performed in the film by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. It was fun, moving, and suited both of their personalities. Based on a novel by Matthew Quick, "Silver Linings Playbook" is multi-layered. It has plenty of twists and turns that make it the most entertaining film of 2012. It's hard to find a fault with the film because of its amazing cast and creative plot, but I do have a bone to pick with two of the characters: Veronica and Jake. They are flat and cold characters; you never know what they're thinking and they don't say much to reveal their motivations. Although they're necessary to propel the story forward, they could've been more developed if the writer devoted a few key scenes to them. Otherwise, they're just the bland older siblings who have their lives in order. Those characters are minor, though, so they don't detract from the film. Ultimately, "Silver Linings Playbook" lived up to its hype.