Incoherent Thoughts on Silver Linings Playbook

I'm fairly sure that Silver Linings Playbook is one of the hardest movies to write coherently about because it is so crazy and messy. Suffice to say, I've starting writing a review about it approximately 498530 times and I have literally nothing. So I thought I may as well just jot down the thoughts I have about this film in no particular order with no coherence, because that's a whole lot easier. And I'm sure the world doesn't need another review of the movie:

-It was totally predictable. That doesn't work against it, though. It is one of those rare occasions where everything turns out just fine at the end and it really does make you feel great inside, because that's what you've wanted all along. It would have been a little bit better had I not been eagerly anticipating the credits since I desperately needed to use the facilities, but still, it made me feel good.

-The acting is phenomenal. It is what makes this film a cut above other romantic comedies - if you choose to class this film as one of those.



-Bradley Cooper gives an Oscar worthy performance. No, I haven't seen Lincoln - or The Master or Flight for that matter - but all I want is for Cooper to win. I've always been a fan of Cooper, mostly because of his good looks and the fact that after seeing The Hangover a few thousand times (literally) I watched everything else he was in and saw a bit of talent behind the looks. But I was 14, so all I really cared about were the looks. Even though I've known him to give good performances, I didn't know he was capable of such range and depth as he shows here in the role of Pat, a man with Bipolar who has just left a mental hospital after just about beating his wife's lover to death. Pat is a guy who can fly off the handle at any moment, and his mind is constantly moving. While it is a little hard to sympathise with him when he pines after Nicky, who we don't generally have a great view of since all we really know is that she cheated on Pat, he's fascinating to watch.

-Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic, also. Before I begin, if she and Jessica Chastain are the front-runners to win the Oscar (but I have a sneaking feeling that they'll give Emmanuelle Riva the award), J-Chas is by far my favourite. That's not to say that the praise for J-Law's performance is unjustified. I just don't think it is as good as her work in Winter's Bone, because I didn't entirely buy her as this "crazy slut widow". Still, her performance was on fire, and I really liked the fact that she could fly off the handle at any point in time. She did crazy so well.

-Robert De Niro made me cry. Thank effing God someone gave him a role that is at least partially worthy of his talents.

-To be honest, I was most excited to see this film because of Jacki Weaver. I have been in Team Weaver since seeing Animal Kingdom and even though she doesn't have a show of winning an Oscar for this film either, I'll still be in her camp. The role doesn't give her one of those 'shining moments', but she does play the part of a mother very well - it is a little hard to explain, but she just was very good. Kinda like Kate Walsh was in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, aside from the fact that Weaver was actually given lines to say.

-It was so weird how this movie could make you laugh and cry at the same time. Like, that whole dance scene was a combination of laughing so hard it hurt and then suddenly feeling really sad only to feel happy again. I guess this could be regarded as being uneven, as most of the comic pieces had dramatic weight to go with them, but it works 85% of the time.

-David O. Russell made a film that was close to his heart and I respect that, but I wish that his spot in the Best Director category was taken by Kathryn Bigelow.

-Yeah, I liked this film. I just enjoyed the heck out of it. I wouldn't say it is a huge game changer, nor is it likely to be remembered for a long time outside of this Oscar madness, but I can't complain about the hype.

What I got: