★★★☆☆
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker
❝ THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT MY CRAZY WAS BY DOING SOMETHING EVEN CRAZIER. ❞
Synopsis: When Patrizio Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution he begins the task of adjusting to normal life once again. Whilst trying to find ways of communicating with his estranged wife (who has a restraining order on him), he meets a woman called Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence) who has problems of her own. A deal they both make takes them on a journey into understanding and controlling their chaotic behaviour and their problematic lives.
I have got to start this off by saying, the film had a solid first half and I did enjoy it. The potential for a great film was there. Bradley conveyed the true turmoil and seriousness of Pat's illness, whilst Jennifer really excelled in understanding Tiffany's motivations behind her behaviour. Somewhere along the way, however, the film broke down and became a dry, dull cliché. Normally, I don't mind romantic clichés as long as it doesn't damage the experience of the film as a whole. But this one did. For some reason, the film suddenly became safe and began to walk on eggshells. This didn't feel like an honest experience. The resolution felt forced for the sake of wrapping everything up in a nice little bow and I felt like it had completely disregarded how much work it takes to deal with someone who has bipolar disorder. I understand the film is called Silver Linings Playbook for a reason, but there are other ways to demonstrate how Pat could have gotten over or at least found his disorder easier to deal with. However, despite these negativities, the film isn't terrible. Oscar worthy? No. Not for me at least. That's what the letdown here is. It's not brutally honest with itself enough about the core of each of these character's problems, but it's a nice story of two people who fall in love.
