Silver Linings Playbook (2012) User Reviews

A romcom for effed up people

[rooprect · 8/10 · 17 June 2019]

I wanted to hate this movie sooo much. This is because a bunch of people told me to watch it, and not in a "hey this is a great flick" way but in a derogatory, judgmental "you NEED to watch this movie (lingering stare)" way. I get it. It's about people with some serious mental issues. Sure, I'll watch it just to say I did.

But instead of hating it, this movie won me over. Yes, it's about people with mental issues, but a subtle point of the film (which my judgmental friends didn't seem to get) is that EVERYONE is messed up, whether or not they admit to their disorders. It may take a while for this message to sink in, especially for those who tend to view the mental spectrum in black & white, but once you get it, this movie becomes a great experience in understanding the human psyche from all angles.

Ok, if you made it past my opening 2 paragraphs, here's the fun part. "Silver Linings Playbook" is a quirky, mostly lighthearted flick about 2 people who are each labeled as "crazy" and their odd relationship. The humor is similar to something you'd see in a Wes Anderson flick (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic) or maybe even Jonze/Kaufmann (Being John Malkovich, Synecdoche NY). By that, I mean it's subtle without any big punchlines or slapstick gags. The sheer randomness and bizarreness of the characters' words, actions and reactions provide the comedy. So don't expect a lot of knee slappers, but at the same time there are a lot of funny lines that are very memorable.

Also, even though I described this as a "romcom", it's really not a romance or a comedy. It's more about the unique strangeness in all of us, set against the backdrop of romantic relationships. That's all you really need to know about the plot because it defies explanation. But I'll still attempt to sum it up in 1 sentence: A guy who has just been discharged from the nut house (Bradley Cooper) who is violently obsessed with winning back his ex-wife, befriends the "town slut" (Jennifer Lawrence), and they begrudgingly team up in an attempt to get both their lives together.

It's a great flick, probably best watched alone. Terrible first-date movie because it's not exactly your typical charming Hugh Grant type ice breaker. You probably won't want to watch it with your parents or kids either because there is a heavy, awkward sub-plot about dysfunctional family relationships. Definintely not a chick flick nor a bro flick (except that there's a lot about football, in a funny way). I would say watch it with your dog and have a great time.

Enjoyed it

[brueggemankade · 9/10 · 16 October 2018]

People are saying that it's "offensive" and "too happy" to be real, and that surprises me. As someone who lives with mental illness (severe major depression with severe psychotic features), and was in psych ward for quite a while, I didn't find it offensive. I found it to be remarkably accurate in portraying some of my own struggles, with mind-dulling medications, unwanted outbursts, deep paranoia, odd tics, etc. that I have had for over ten years. As for the "overly happy" stuff? Too many movies and TV shows focus on being "dark" and "edgy", so I found it refreshing to see someone going through struggles being positive about it. I won't pretend to have had the most difficult life, but it hasn't been easy. I saw this movie a few months after I was released from psych ward (2016), and I can honestly say it gave me a bit of hope to find my own silver lining. The world needs more positivity.

Stunningly accurate look at the bipolar life.

[AdultAudienceMember · 9/10 · 29 December 2012]

I am bi-polar. I have been that way since I was a young man. I am approaching 60. I have been in treatment for many years. There have been relapses and time spent in hospitals. There have been good times. Before I received good treated, I left a trail of emotional, professional, and relational disaster behind me. It broke apart the lives of others as much as it did my own.

I did not know what to expect from this movie. It is a stunningly accurate trip into the mind of a BP sufferer. It shows the disease from the outside, too. It is amazing in its accuracy. The mood swings, the detachment from reality, the failure to learn from past errors are there. Here is a guy who has so messed up he is in the hospital. He is released into the custody of his parents. He improves himself physically yet cannot see what he has done, what he is now, and what the future portends with any sort of reality.

There are other situations in the film which mirror the BP life. There are job losses, broken relationships, unlimited optimism, anger, and a feeling that no one understands you. But he doesn't even understand himself. He thinks he is the only sane person around. He is in complete denial yet goes along with treatment just to get along with others.

The obsession with his estranged wife drives him. Everything he does is to make himself look desirable to her.

Then there is the hair trigger and the propensity toward violence which ultimately put him into the hospital. He has the belief that he sees with much more clarity than anyone else. There is also the hatred of medications and the belief that he doesn't need them.

Yet, there is hope. There is no miraculous cure. There is a negotiated peace between his illness and the way he must be to survive in the world.

The only thing I felt was missing was the crushing depression. But I understand that. Depression makes for lousy movies. The film is strictly about a manic life that wants to be better but cannot accept that he is badly off dead center normal.

If you are bi-polar and under control, see this film! If you live with or deal with a BP, see this movie. If you are untreated, you won't get it because BP clouds the mind.

My new wife and I went to see it. Up front I told her that I had this mental illness. She still married me. She is a health care worker with an understanding of illness and of treatment. After the film she asked me what I thought.

I told her that I was a bit frightened to tell her that the portrayal is spot on and that I had seen all of it before.

But like all bipolar sufferers, I wanted her to know that "I was never that bad." The truth is, I was....but we BP people don't handle reality all that well.

Entertaining & good story about bipolarity.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 8 September 2020]

I'm surprised by the negative reviews. I can't really see why people would dislike this movie. Even if it's not really my genre of movie I thought this one was very captivating. Bradley Cooper did a really good job playing his bipolar character, to me it was one of his best performances yet. The Oscar for best female actress went to Jennifer Lawrence, which surprised me a bit, even though she did a good job here. But to me Bradley Cooper is the star of Silver Linings Playbook. The rest of the cast was also excellent, all contributing to make this movie very enjoyable to watch, with some good giggles, but most of all an interesting story. I find stories about the "little bit crazy" people always fascinating to watch and in Silver Linings Playbook Cooper did a great job playing a bipolar. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the extremely negative reviews on here, those people rarely are satisfied by anything in life.

Excelsior Strategy

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 24 November 2012]

Greetings again from the darkness. The film is exactly what you would expect from a screwball romantic comedy steeped in drama based on bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, Philadelphia Eagles fanatics, a ballroom dancing contest, adultery, Hemingway, and a lead character who jogs while wearing a trash bag. Maybe not exactly what you would expect, but more likely much more.

If you were told instead that the story is based on two damaged souls who help heal each other through dancing, you would have every reason to skip this one. However, as written and directed by David O Russell (The Fighter) and based on Matthew Quick's novel, this story is a frenetic, emotional roller coaster ride that provides a glimmer of hope for the two damaged lead characters, while reminding that each of us may be a bit off-center in some way. Now add in the best young actress working today (Jennifer Lawrence just turned 22), a rare performance from Robert DeNiro where he seems fully engaged, a pulling back the curtain on Bradley Cooper as much more than a pretty face, and one of the best and most precise soundtracks in recent history ... now you have one of the best films of the year.

What you notice very early on is that what could be considered a trite story line, is instead pounding you with sharp, witty dialogue that pulls no punches in directness. The many aspects of family and emotional support are given time thanks to Pat (Bradley Cooper) being released after 8 months in a mental institution. He was sent there when he snapped after finding his wife in a compromising position with another man. Perfectly understandable if you ask me, but clearly he is the explosive one despite his claims to the contrary. An uncomfortable dinner party introduces him to Tiffany (Ms. Lawrence) whose husband has recently died and her coping skills have been shared with most of those in her workplace. This odd couple spark immediately and the wild ride begins.

Pat's wife Nikki (Brea Bee) has issued a restraining order and Pat's strategy to win her back involves a positive attitude and maintaining control of his emotions. His supporters include his mother (Jacki Weaver, who was so great in Animal Kingdom), his OCD father (DeNiro) who so wants to re-connect with his son, his friend (John Ortiz) whose own marriage (to icy Julia Stiles) is a messy mess, his buddy from the asylum (a funny and not over the top Chris Tucker), and of course, Tiffany. The only real problem is that each of these supporters are teetering in their own way just like Pat.

The brilliance of this movie is the balance struck between the near violent emotional outbursts and the sharp, exacting words spouted by each of the characters. Director Russell once again shows his flair for working class northeasterners. He understands these tough as nails people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. These people are as likely to punch you as hug you ... and both are acts of love.

The soundtrack deserves special mention. It is very unique and varied, with each song serving an exact purpose. Especially keen are Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour", Led Zeppelin's "What is and What Should Be", and "The Girl from the North Country" a Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash duet. When the music strikes a harmony with the scene, the movie is all the stronger. Rarely do we get the perfect storm of script, direction, acting, music and relevance.

It's a platinum lining, not just silver.

[JohnDeSando · 16 November 2012]

"I'm remaking myself." Pat (Bradley Cooper)

Silver Linings Playbook doesn't play by the current romantic comedy book—No scatology, nudity, f-bombing, or feminist and gay bashing. It's simply a smart playbook about the mental institution's recently-released Pat Solitano (Cooper, shedding his Hangover boy-man shtick), who may be saner than his dad, an OCD gambler (Robert De Niro), and Bradley's new friend, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence).

But that comparison is all relative because director David O. Russell (remember his funky family in Flirting with Disaster?) allows each character in this dramedy to become whole and interesting without becoming marginalized.

After some serious outbursts of anger, Pat starts training for a dance competition with Tiffany in order to make contact with and eventually impress his estranged wife, Nikki (Brea Bee).

The eventualities of the story are not half as stimulating as the plot along the way, some of the best scenes centered around the family squabbling about the Philadelphia Eagles or Pat's relationship with that "slut," Tiffany. When Pat confronts his parents at 4 AM about the deficiency of Hemingway's ending to A Farewell to Arms and when Russell places under another scene Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash singing Girl from the North Country, you know you're in a film that follows no particular playbook.

The dynamics as fostered by these superior actors are some of the best ensemble work this year. In fact, this is so far the best of the romantic comedies in recent memory. Pat and Tiffany may be bi-polar, but they can dance the stars into your eyes.

Jennifer Lawrence plays so different a character from those in Winter's Bone and Hunger Games that it may take you a scene or two to recognize her. But when she dances, you'll confirm she's one of the best young actresses in Hollywood, and this film one of the best of the year.

So confused as to what about this movie is so amazing

[f_mino12 · 6/10 · 16 January 2013]

This is my 1st review because I had to say something about this movie just to warn others about it since there are so many 10 star reviews. I sincerely do not understand what it is the academy saw in this movie to nominate it for 8... EIGHT Oscars! Are they paying them to nominate the movie?? 1. Bradley Cooper is not convincing as a bipolar patient. When I look at him all I can think of is his character from The Hangover or that he was voted Sexiest Man Alive. 2. Jennifer Lawrence is becoming one of my favorite ladies in Hollywood but she definitely was cast wrong for this part also. She is mean and unlikable and overacts the entire time. Just a lot of yelling and stomping around. 3. The entire movie they just bicker and huff and puff. They aren't cute until the very end and then the movie just ends. 4. There were so many football references and talking over one another that my ears started to hurt. The scenes would drag on with just arguing. 5. The plot was very bland so you aren't really rooting for anyone or excited about what is going to happen next. The script must have been a piece of cake to write because there really isn't anything groundbreaking here. There are hundreds of mental patient movies.

Silver Linings Playbook is a refreshing addition to the rom com genre

[cummingsjosh7 · 8/10 · 1 November 2012]

While most romantic comedies usually contain bad acting, sappiness, and a large amount of predictable moments; Silver Linings Playbook is the exact opposite. There may be a little amount sappiness in this movie but there is bound to be some in any romantic situations. In reality though, all of the sap in Silver Linings Playbook can be overlooked due to the fact that the film is completely original, extremely funny, and contains outstanding acting from the two lead roles.

Written and directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter), Silver Linings Playbook is about a man, played by Bradley Cooper (Limitless, The Hangover), who was just released from an eight month stint in a psychiatric hospital. He wants to get his life back on track but is being held back by his parents and his unstable condition. After a little while, he strikes up an interesting friendship with a female played by Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games). Both of these characters are going through somewhat of the same type of problems which makes their friendship even more quirky and thought-provoking.

Because a large amount of romantic comedies are stale and overdone, Silver Linings Playbook is a breath of fresh air. Usually movies in this genre follow a very particular road map that entails: man is at rock bottom but then finds the perfect girl. After a while, man loses girl and must win girl back in a very cliché and unrealistic fashion. What's original about Silver Linings Playbook is that it doesn't follow that mediocre story line in the slightest making it unpredictable but at the same time, more relateable. Chris Tucker is in this movie and even he isn't predictable. Chris Tucker, the loud-mouthed actor who hasn't been in a film without the words 'Rush Hour' in the title for almost 15 years, was surprisingly mellow. Even though he was mellow, he was still very comedic and played a great role in the film.

The most surprising aspect of Silver Linings Playbook, however, was the performance of Bradley Cooper. Even though this is a comedy, Cooper plays what is maybe one of the most serious roles he's ever performed. After audience members witness his work in this film, there shouldn't be any more doubt if the man can act or not. Silver Linings Playbook is without a doubt Cooper's best work thus far in his career. Jennifer Lawrence has a performance of equal caliber but that is expected from the young Academy Award nominated actress. What was surprising about Lawrence's role in the movie, was how adult it was. Fans of Lawrence's work may have been worried that she would be stuck in teenage roles after playing the character Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, but she should silence those doubts after this film with a very adult, yet professional, performance.

Silver Linings Playbook is full of creativity and minimal on romance clichés. It is hands down one of the best romantic comedies to be made within the last couple of years. This film contains many laugh out loud moments and a number of scenes that will warm your heart to the point where you can't help but leave the theater smiling. Silver Linings Playbook is the perfect date movie that both men and women can easily enjoy. A-

A Glorified Romantic Comedy

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 21 January 2013]

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

I hate to be the guy who comes along and talks bad about a film that is sitting in the IMDb Top 250 and is drowning in Oscar nominations, but I simply cannot understand the buzz around this picture. Is it funny? Yes, it is. Is it romantic? I suppose it could be. Is it enjoyable? Sure. But what does it offer for anyone who wants substance in their films? Not much.

The big problem is that the film starts off having you think it will be about mental illness, or a man coping with mental illness. And for the first third of the film, that is more or less what we get. Unfortunately, by the time we are a third of the way in, Pat is mysteriously "cured". While he still has an obsession with reuniting with his wife, he no longer has outbursts or does erratic things and if he is bi-polar there is no way we as the audience could know.

This cover story of mental illness (which would have made a good film), poorly disguises the actual plot: a romantic comedy that follows the tired, well-worn story of a man who is attracted to one woman while unknowingly falling for the woman he is with, who he foolishly thinks is only his friend. If the audience thinks, after meeting Tiffany, that Pat is going to end up with his wife rather than Tiffany, they are naive. (Heck, even that would have made a good twist, albeit a small one.)

Somehow Cooper is nominated, despite not really acting after the mental illness part. He is no Michael Shannon. For most of the film, he is simply Bradley Cooper playing Bradley Cooper. Jennifer Lawrence is more deserving (she already took the Golden Globe), as she actually tries to appear unstable. And despite being a mess and with a bad sexual history, she still manages to be somewhat likable... somewhat like Holly Golightly (but not at all like Julia Roberts) perhaps? The trend of casting a female lead 16 years the male lead's junior persists, but Lawrence can play older than she is, and while this is not on the level of her performance in "Winter's Bone", she definitely is on a winning streak.

The subplot with Pat Senior (Robert DeNiro) is pretty awful. We have an old Italian-American falling into the stereotypical role of bookmaker. And who do they cast? DeNiro, who has already been typecast as the mobster. How he was nominated is beyond me, as this is even further down his slide into irrelevancy. This was more the DeNiro of "Meet the Fockers" than "Raging Bull", and he has to be aware that any nomination is done out of respect more than from actually earning it. When Pat Senior winds in a parlay situation where he needs to win both a football game and dance contest, we know exactly how that is going to play out... this is, after all, a fantasy world where nothing bad can happen to our protagonists, no matter how tarnished their lives may be.

I know I am in the minority for opposing this film. But seriously, despite being fun and cute, what does it have going for it? It made every attempt it could to avoid any real conflict, never seriously trying to tackle family issues, mental illness, gambling addiction or anything else... an opportunity squandered.

So very much more than meets the eye

[Nuss · 10/10 · 18 November 2012]

At first glance, you would think this movie would be just another generic Katherine Heiglesque rom-com that dominates the box office and empties your soul. But classifying it as such is like saying Jaws was a nice little fishing movie. It's so very much more and what makes it all the more wonderful is that it comes as such a pleasant surprise.

I mean, seriously, who would have thought that Bradley Cooper could convey such angst and heartache? Or that De Niro still had a great performance in him after a decade of caricaturing his old self? And Jennifer Lawrence - just wow. There's so much more to say but best to just let you experience it for yourself.

Watch - this movie's rep will build through terrific word-of-mouth and it'll end up as a modern day classic. This is why you go see movies in the first place.

Life Is a Lot More Complicated/A Psychiatrist's Buffet

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 3 July 2013]

I have to agree that Jennifer Lawrence is darn good in this. Bradley Cooper overacts with the best of them. But as I watched it unfold, I just couldn't buy into it. Of course, this is ultimately a comedy, though it is a dark comedy. Cooper is completely out of control when he is off his meds. This is pretty well presented at the beginning as he rants about getting back together with his wife (after having nearly beaten her lover to death). His strained relation with his father, a bookie/Philadelphia Eagles Fan/and a raving OCDer, is in the forefront. The dad, played by Robert DiNiro is about as off his trolley as Cooper. The mom wants everything to be nice, and is constantly caught in the middle of these "crazy" people. DeNiro has been banned from the Eagles' stadium because of rowdy behavior in the past and believes his not being present is the reason for their lack of success. Anyway, Cooper hooks up with Jennifer Lawrence who is newly widowed. She is also a nut case. She becomes his mother confessor and his link to getting back together with his wife. She is learning to dance and insists on his helping her with this in exchange for her participation in getting messages to his ex (there is a restraining order that keeps him from her as well as the high school where she teaches). Lost in all this is the seriousness of bipolar disorder. All the people in the movie are in serious trouble, and when the chips are down, the writer and director back off and turn it into a bit of a silly romantic comedy. Cooper is unrecognizable in the second half. Where did all the angst and despair go? These people don't have epiphanies. They are in constant battle with their disease. While it captivated me on one level, I felt it sold out and became less that it could have been.

Most Enjoyable Film of 2012 So Far

[meggz3 · 10/10 · 23 October 2012]

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this film. First of all, I think it's about time I profess my love for David O'Russell because he keeps making movies that I simply can't get enough of. If there's one thing I've learned this year when it comes to movies, it's find a director you love and follow him or her blindly. There's styles you'll love, and styles you'll hate, find the ones you click with and never let go.

Silver Linings Playbook has generated a lot of hype since its worldwide premiere at TIFF, and frankly, as far as I'm concerned, it deserves all the praise its received. It is by far the best film I saw at the festival, and is easily one of the most memorable films of 2012. Based on the novel by Matthew Quick, Silver Linings follows the life of Pat (Bradley Cooper) as he moves back into his parents' house after spending months in a mental institution because of a violent outburst that occurred after he found his wife with another man. The movie follows Pat as he attempts to get back his life back, but he meets a new challenge as Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence, who is completely girl crush worthy) finds his way into his life.

I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a movie more from beginning to end. O'Russell brilliantly tells a heartwarming, yet complicated and hilarious tale, that leaves you on the edge of the seat. The cast is wonderful, and all deserving of nominations in the 2012 award season. If people didn't know of Jennifer Lawrence before, they will now. She's quirky, complicated, hilarious, and you really just can't get enough of her. DeNiro also delivers a strong performance as Cooper's Philadelphia Eagle's loving, somewhat OCD father.

If there is one movie worth seeing this year, it's Silver Linings Playbook. The story may follow a family in a very serious situation, but we can all identity with the truth and emotions that comes with struggling through times. It's a story that's easy to connect with, and it's a film that will make you smile from beginning to end. Catch this movie when it comes out in November, and I promise you, you won't regret it.

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Overrated

[erikamendez · 6/10 · 25 August 2021]

I've never understood why everyone loved this movie so much. It's just ok.

Life doesn't work like that!

[Erik-Dahlin · 5/10 · 12 January 2013]

First of all I want to say I really wanted to like this movie. I know it's a romantic comedy and it's not my favorite thing to watch but it has its moments. The trailer of this movie made me really want to watch it, a story about two depressed people whom meet up. As a person who has been depressed and suicidal for a large part my life this movie seemed like something that could bring up the frustration of being depressed and mentally ill. But was it? No, not at all. It made it a silly and meaningless plot point and it dumbed down feeling mentally ill to a small thing that doesn't matter and everyone can get over it in easy if they just want to.

The movie begins great, the main character is being released from the mental institution. He wants nothing else than to get back together with his wife. He isn't sick he is functioning on a good level and hasn't realised that it is over. No one tries to have a sit down with him and tell him straight out that it's over. If they had done that this whole movie would have been done. They treat him like a five year old that no one wants to correct! And then there is the female main character, she is weird in fun way so it makes people laugh, but is it? No, her character is stupid. No one talks like this in the real world! Who wrote this dialogue? It's horrible, it's written by someone that have watched too many romantic movies and seriously believe just having a small thing in common makes them the best damn couple ever!

The main character's sickness is like a funny joke. I wanted some emotions, I could just think how much I hated him. He has one small breakdown and nothing else. 5 minutes is what sets up his whole character. If they hadn't said that in the beginning of the movie I would have never noticed. I would just think he was heart broken and wanted to get back together with his wife. No emotions at all! That is suppose to be the movie, struggling with emotions and mental sickness! Not having a god damn dance contest and at the end he declares his love for the girl! It was obvious it would happen that was not the problem, it's a romantic movie what did I expect? But they are not building up to it. "Oh, I have been obsessed with my wife this whole time but when I saw her I realised I didn't care about her, I care about you that I haven't shown any emotions to before!" Give me some emotions for god's sake, who the wrote this piece of garbage!? And the stupid plot point of having a big ass bet that the whole family relied on being a big deal and they are trying to push it like it's a big risk and no one knows what is going to happen, but we all know! This movie is so obvious with everything! I understand it's obvious, it's a romantic comedy. But give me a great journey and story of how/why they end up together! Give me some emotions between the choice of choosing between the wife and the new girl. It just happens in this movie it just does, whit no explanation to why/how he made the decision. The whole movie end with that if you get a girlfriend ALL of your troubles will go away and EVERYTHING will be perfect, LIFE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT! This movie was made by people who has never had any emotional illness at all and that shows.

The movie is either average or horrible. The acting is average nothing really bad and nothing good. The dialogue is horrible, no person in real life would talk like this! The plot is interesting but the execution is horrible, they butchered the plot, no tension or struggle at all and it just flows in a bad way with a absolutely breath taking dumb ending. It had so much potential. The reason some romantic movies are good is because they the character needs to go through something emotional or make a hard decision in their lives. But nothing like that happens, the plot points just happens. I am maybe repeating myself here a lot but it really REALLY bothers me. How could this movie get Oscars nominated? When movies like Cloud Atlas or the great Joss Whedon gets left out completely.

My final thoughts are: it could have been something great, a movie to be seen as the great romantic movie of this decade but it failed so hard in the writing and directing it is just horrible to watch.

De Niro is back

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 13 August 2013]

While the big headlines might be taken by the Oscar nominated lead actors (and also Oscar winner, regarding Jennifer Lawrence), the other good news is that De Niro finally had a role he could relish in again. And a role we as viewers would actually like to see him in too. There have been a few lesser roles he played over the past couple of years. And while he is never able to completely disappoint, you won't remember him for a movie called "Freelancers" and others in that vain.

But back to the leading couple. A couple that is really so far apart, that you know what that ultimately means for them. But Bradley Coopers character has a lot more going on than that. There are relationships that went wrong and it's really tough sometimes to watch him destroying himself or at least attempting to. A very good movie, with great dialog

Good

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 31 March 2020]

I like the bit where the man goes jogging whilst wearing a garbage bag

You'd be crazy to miss this

[rogerdarlington · 29 June 2013]

Based on a novel by Matthew Quick, David O Russell has both written and directed this variation on the romantic comedy in which both main characters are deeply damaged and variably medicated.

Patrick used to be a teacher before he beat up a fellow teacher (he deserved it) and was diagnosed as bi-polar and confined to a mental institution for eight months. Tiffany used to be married to a cop who died in circumstances for which she feels blame and she has not been behaving as quietly and demurely as is expected of the newly bereaved. Both lead roles are played by attractive and talented young actors: Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover") and Jennifer Lawrence ("The Hunger Games") and, by the time I caught up with the movie on DVD, Lawrence had been awarded a deserved Academy Award for Best Actress for this quirky performance.

One of the distinctive features of this wonderful film is that most of the characters are obsessive to one extent and in one form or another, most notably Pat's father who is charmingly portrayed by veteran Robert de Niro. At turns funny and poignant, this is at heart a plea for us to be tolerant of others because - let's face it - we're all a little crazy.

Anything but funny.

[john-1198 · 7/10 · 15 August 2020]

Interesting, yes. Emotional, yes. Intriguing, absolutely. Good actors, good story. But saying it's a comedy is about the same as calling "a nightmare on elm street" a romance. Absolutely not a comedy.

Incredible, incredible, incredible!

[brighteyes53085 · 10/10 · 9 October 2012]

I saw this at the Hamptons International Film Festival as the Spotlight film and it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is so relatable, even if you don't suffer from the same afflictions as the main characters, and its implications are so far-reaching that everyone, I believe, can learn a little something from Pat and Tiffany. The story sends such wonderful messages about finding the "silver lining" and is uplifting, even in the seemingly most dire circumstances. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are phenomenal, and I found myself really attached to their characters. This is a must see for everyone! And I will be seeing it again when it hits theaters in November.

How to spell F.O.R.M.U.L.A.

[saniat · 6/10 · 18 March 2013]

How does one spell FORMULA? In Hollywood terms, this movie script, written by a committee, that has already been written and shot dozens,if not hundreds, of times. Slightly damaged boy meets girl, and both must overcome their damage, to find true love. Along the way, the slightly more psychologically damaged one must overcome the negative expectations of family and friends, with the a crucial low point two thirds of the way through. Tears must be shed before all is overcome.

Perhaps teens or twenty something's who spend most of their time gaming and have seen few movies may consider this an emotional, uplifting "feel good" movie. Anyone else will see it as a contrived, manipulative formula. The acting is passable, for a TV drama. Jennifer Lawrence is entertaining, but her trash talking, chatty character is cliché; the other characters are two dimensional. The actors do their best to keep the characters inflated.

In sum, if you want mindless or mind numbing "entertainment", by all means waste your time on this movie. If you'd like to see a creative, original screenplay in a well crafted movie with fine acting, look elsewhere

Although the ending was awfully formulaic, the overall package is just terrific.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 26 January 2013]

The Oscars are still a few weeks away, so at this point I have no idea which awards, if any, this film will receive. I also cannot really say which ones it SHOULD receive, as I still have quite a few movies to see that were also nominated for the big awards. But I can say that the two leads were just terrific and I loved how unconventional most of the film was. I seem to have heard a lot more about how great Jennifer Lawrence was in the film--and she was AMAZING. However, I can't understand why I haven't heard at least as much about Bradley Cooper--his performance as a really screwy guy was quite convincing.

The movie starts off in a mental hospital. It seems that Cooper's character was forced to go there because of SOMETHING he did--and eventually you learn that he nearly killed his wife and the man with who she was having an affair. And, based on what happened to him, you really COULD understand the man snapping like this. But, he also is mentally ill and desperately in need of professional help. His behaviors are consistent with a Bipolar Disorder with LOTS of Obsessive-Compulsive traits...LOTS. Despite it begin very clear that his marriage is over (the wife not only cheated on him but has a restraining order out on him), he lives in a delusional world where if he only gives it time, everything will work out perfectly. It obviously won't but he's too sick and stubborn to admit it.

Into this screwed up little world comes a woman almost as screwy as him. Jennifer Lawrence plays a young lady whose husband was killed tragically--and her coping skills totally suck. She uses sex to deaden her pain and she is also mentally ill. Together, these two screwed up people will somehow work through these issues. I liked this. But what made the movie lose a point was the ending. The subplot involving the bet and the magical way everything worked out at the end seemed to give way to formula--which is a shame, as up until then, the film was great because it was NOT formulaic. Still, the film is terrific from start to finish and I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the leads wins the award as well as the film taking home top honors. Well worth seeing. And, well worth seeing for Robert De Niro's exciting supporting performance--it showed some depth that you don't normally see from him.

Arbitrary behaviours

[tpolakov-2 · 6/10 · 22 March 2015]

I got hooked by the good reviews on IMDb. When the credits started rolling, my first thought was - is that it ? During the whole movie I was waiting for a clue, for some twist that would explain the nonsensical behaviours of most characters. Like - he killed his wife, or there was no wife at all... But all we got was an inaudible whisper into Nikki's ear, who shows no emotion during her whole appearance on the screen. OK, I get the mood swings from a supposedly bipolar Pat. I sort of get the obsessions of the father as well. But it seems everyone else is suffering from some kind of a disorder that in itself may be credible, but the in this limited space and time just seems completely arbitrary and forced. So my basic problem is believing in what poses as realistic portrayal.

Crazy love for Jennifer Lawrence!

[imseeg · 9/10 · 8 September 2018]

This is without a doubt THE movie that launched Jennifer into stardom. And deservedly so! For all those who love Jennifer Lawrence and for some unexplicable reason havent yet seen this gem there is only advice: stop reading this review and start watching!

But this movie is much much more than just a fun filled Jennifer flick, because David O Russel wrote and directed this crazy love classic, a movie about 2 people who are crazy and in love. The guy is played by Bradley Cooper and besides his other role in "American Hustle" I truly feel that this is his best performance ever.

All David O Russell pictures are about families in chaos. Utter chaos. BUT despite all the chaos and craziness in David O Russell's pictures there is always a true love at the heart to be found. That is what makes Russell's pictures so endearingly huggable, loveable and crazy positive. It is so touching and uplifting to see the craziest dysfunctional people fall in love and support eachother despite all their sorrows, fights and utter craziness.

Terrific supporting role by Robert de Niro! Splendid soundtrack. Great story. What more could one wish for? It is the craziest christmas feel good film I have ever seen. Gotta see this one!

Very overrated

[hanhminh1705 · 6/10 · 30 July 2014]

I don't know if it's because I expected too much, or the movie simply wasn't that good. But it really bored me. The acting is just OK, both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, let alone Academy Award standard. I watch the movie and I think it's just a standard romantic comedy, nothing so special and I can't really get the hype about it. There are a lot of more authentic and astounding movies that are worth watching way more than The Silver linings Playbook. This is not a bad movie, but it's just not excellent and I don't think it deserves all the good things people have said about. I loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter Bones and I think she's gonna make a lot of good movies, but Bradley Cooper's acting is not my favorite.

I have NO Idea why this movie is getting such hype....

[pjamok-692-397387 · 1/10 · 18 January 2013]

So, the acting in this film is excellent and that's why the one star. Other than that, this is a hot mess of a movie in terms of any sense of reality, common sense, and human behavior.

It makes is appear that bipolar is pretty much curable if a person meets the right hot girl and takes meds for a short time. And don't worry if the other crazy guy from the mental institution comes to visit as he's not really all that crazy, and the audience never figures out why he's there or what happens to him in the end.

Apparently anyone can enter a professional dance competition, regardless of ability or training, and book making is a viable job option for the unemployed. When a person gets out of the institution, he or she is apparently assigned their own personal police officer who just happens to show up day or night, kind of like a personal on-call bodyguard. Oh, and having a cra-cra dad who obviously passed his mental issues on to his son but isn't called on it at all is just part of the insanity that makes up this ridiculous movie. But, hey, if a person dances long enough their mental issues go away and all is well.

I'll be shaking my head for a long time as I cannot believe how this movie is getting the press and reviews I've seen. Excellent actors in a beyond stupid screenplay. Complete waste of time and money.