Midway through Silver Linings Playbook, I could honestly say that I had no clue where the movie was going. The romantic-comedy-drama comes from David O. Russell, whose credits include the Oscar-winning The Fighter and Three Kings. Russell is also responsible for I Heart Huckabees, so we know that he’s capable to some pretty quirky stuff.
Silver Linings Playbook focuses on Pat Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper), a young man who moves back in with his Philly-based parents (played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) after a stint in a mental institution for bipolar disorder. Still in love with his soon-to-be ex-wife Nikki, who has a restraining order on Pat after he beat up her lover, Pat has a hard time coping with close relationships with his parents and a new relationship with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence).
It’s clear that Lawrence is impressive as Tiffany, who’s reminiscent of Renee Zellweger’s character in 1996′s Jerry Maguire. In fact, the feel of this movie reminded me of Jerry Maguire, and it also made me realize that not a lot of movies like this are made. It’s nice to see Bradley Cooper in a non-comedic role, and he really gets to show off his serious acting chops as the unstable lead. Even when it seems like you shouldn’t like Pat and Tiffany, you end up cheering for them in the end. It’s good to be reminded that there are people to lean on when you need it.
