Rent Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Fine Weather, No Silver - Silver Linings Playbook review by griggs

Awards-season memory can play tricks, but I still think 2012 was a thin year — and Silver Linings Playbook racking up eight Oscar nominations feels like proof. Not because it’s dreadful. Because it’s mostly fine, and “fine” shouldn’t be a sweep.

The cast does the heavy lifting. Robert De Niro is warm and funny, and Jennifer Lawrence gets the best angles; she can make a line sound like a thought mid-formation. Bradley Cooper has plenty of engine too, but the frantic cutting keeps him permanently revving, which also blurs the quieter beats that might’ve made the chaos land. It’s pretty alright in bursts, with flashes of something sharper, then it sprints past its own emotions like it’s late for the next scene. A crowdpleaser with a few good moments — and a lot of noise.

“Why are they so excited about a 5?” - Silver Linings Playbook review by LJ

Novel adaptation about characters dealing with mental health issues, grief and marital breakdown. It is a watchable drama but I was disappointed that it turned into a romance.

A really good, heartfelt & idiosyncratic film which doesn't exploit the trauma of mental illness - Silver Linings Playbook review by Timmy B

Mental illness is not a subject which you would immediately think of when wanting to make a film, firstly because of the very fine line that you have to toe in order for it to not be exploitative or mocking of disability. Then there is the spectre of the few successful films that have successfully been made, the most obvious being One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, which have become titans and revered for their powerful storytelling. But after the magnificence of The Fighter, which I still adore since first watching it 16 years ago, David O'Russell has followed that with this heartwarming, poignant and often extremely funny look at recovery and starting again.

Pat Solitano (Cooper) is released early from a psychiatric hospital after being convicted & sectioned. He is being treated for bipolar disorder, which was undiagnosed, when he almost beat to death a man who was having an affair with his wife. He returns home to his loving parents (De Niro & Weaver,) who are trying their best to cope with Pat's extreme outbursts, as well as dealing with his obsession with reuniting with his estranged wife, despite a restraining order. One night he meets Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence,) a traumatised widow who is struggling with her own demons. There is an instant connection & the 2 become closer as they recover.

I just love this film. Quite simply, it is just a great story, filled with heartfelt & genuine performances and a strong script. In the early scenes, I did feel there was a slight risk of Pat's tics/symptoms overwhelming the film, like in A Beautiful Mind or Boy A. Luckily, O'Russell makes the wise decision to simply show these as a building of the character then allowing them to fade into the background. As a protagonist, we feel an immense sympathy for Pat, showing how the pressures of his job and undiagnosed mental illnesses simply broke a man who himself comes from a family with a long history of psychiatric conditions.

And on the opposite side, Tiffany is the perfect sparring partner for Pat. Whilst he is more reserved in how he conducts himself, she is the total opposite. From the first moments we meet her, over an excruciatingly awkward dinner where she casually asks Pat what different medications he is on, she makes no apology for who she is, even though she freely admits how upset she is that her generosity has been taken advantage of by so many, after her own terrible tragedy. She refuses to be a victim, her strength and determination shining through.

And I also adored the careful narrative structure of the film, to show that everyone is dealing with their own demons. Pat Snr (De Niro) clearly has OCD, Jake (Pat's brother) has anxiety and friends of Pat have different levels of mental illness which they successfully/unsuccessful deal with. No-one is mocked or belittled, no cheap laughs are generated at the expense of characters.

In terms of performances, this is an embarrassment of riches. Whilst you expect the best from De Niro and Lawrence, it is the smaller parts that for me were the most surprising. Even though he only has a few scenes, Chris Tucker was exceptional. Gone is the high energy & slapstick comedy of his previous work. Danny is someone who was close to Pat in the hospital and his repeated good-natured escapes, along with his goal to get his own life back on track after his stay, bring a real soulfulness to the world this movie creates.

This is one of those films which is just endlessly watchable. It doesn't overstay it's welcome, is the perfect length and also perfectly sticks the landing. I loved it

Tried three times to watch this - Silver Linings Playbook review by CP Customer

I tried three times to watch this and see why it got god reviews and I really could get past ten minutes. The characters are unsympathetic and seem to behave illogically. There seems to be no humour and I am lost as to why it gets positive reviews