“Silver Linings Playbook” (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook

Grade: B+

The breakthrough hit for director David O. Russell and actors Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook is an entertaining rom-com that — just like the emotionally damaged characters at the heart of the story — balances seriousness with tragedy. A few more notes on Silver Linings Playbook:

Directing:

Russell’s shaky camerawork and frequent zoom-ins and -outs imbue Silver Linings Playbook with a sense of visual authenticity that is often missing from conventional rom-coms. Just like he did with The Fighter, Russell’s directorial style in Silver Linings Playbook matches the nervous, unstable, loose-cannon energy of its main character. From a visual standpoint, this is a surprisingly artsy and stylish film.

Acting:

Cooper and Lawrence became Hollywood stars after this film, and rightfully so. This is an actor’s movie, with long quirky dialogues that are a little contrived and cutesy but require gravitas and screen presence — the type of film that is designed to wow you with its performances. Even though “real” people don’t talk like the characters in Silver Linings Playbook, the entire ensemble is terrific, with memorable turns by Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, Jacki Weaver and John Ortiz. But I can’t help but feel that Cooper, at least a little bit, based his entire performance off Charlie Day in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Writing:

As stated above, the film is somewhat unnatural: Russell’s screenplay hinges on coincidence (e.g., Pat’s therapist partying with his patient at a Philadelphia Eagles game) and dialogue that is too clever for its own good (e.g., the entire diner argument sequence is tonally confusing). Even though it initially seems like Silver Linings Playbook will have something more insightful to say about mental illness, the film detours into comedy while ignoring the real-world consequences of its actions. It’s an entertaining tale, but one that can only exist in Tinseltown.

Music:

Danny Elfman’s score fits right into the background of the film. But it’s the eclectic song selections that add real emotion: Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour,” the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Maria” and even Les Paul & Mary Ford’s “The Moon of Manakoora.” For all its humor and irreverence, Silver Linings Playbook is an art movie at heart.

Ending (SPOILERS):

Because the acting is so good, we’re rooting for the main characters to succeed in the end, and we’re just as jubilated as they are when they inevitably do. Even though the events leading up to the finale are somewhat forced, the climactic dance number is pure cinema that makes it all worthwhile. It’s still an ending that can only exist in Tinseltown — are we to assume that Pat and Tiffany won’t be the most manic, toxic couple in all of Pennsylvania? — but it’s nice to see that things ended happily ever after.

“When life reaches out at a moment like this, it’s a sin if you don’t reach back.” – Pat Solitano Sr.

Why Silver Linings Playbook gets a B+:

The dialogue is too clever for its own good, but the talented actors make it believable. Silver Linings Playbook is an artsy rom-com that isn’t as dark as it would have you believe, or as deep as it wants to be. Nevertheless, the winning performances transcend the storyline’s occasional phoniness.

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