Every now and then a romantic film comes along that avoids a vast amount of the clichés that plague the majority of the genre (especially from the US). It’s usually a refreshing, entertaining, well produced take on the concept. The latest film to tick these boxes and save us from the romantic tripe that the box office usually delivers is Silver Linings Playbook, the surprise Oscar nominated, Golden Globe and SAG winning film from acclaimed director David O. Russell (The Fighters, Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees).
Based on the debut novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, the film throws us into the life of Pat Solitano (played by Bradley Cooper). He’s a man with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, fresh from an eight month stint in a mental health facility, following a violent episode that saw his wife, Nikki, take out a restraining order against him. As he battles with understanding his disorder and dealing with its treatment, he returns home and is placed under the care of his parents, though his priority is winning back the love of his life, which is difficult, given the restraining order.
But then he meets Tiffany Maxwell (played by Jennifer Lawrence), who has battled issues of her own, thanks to an ongoing sex addiction following the death of her husband. The two find an immediate connection, meeting at an awkward dinner party with Tiffany’s sister Veronica (played by Julia Stiles), who’s married to Pat’s best friend, where they compare the different drugs they’ve been prescribed. The film develops from there, as Pat tries to move away from his past, something that his disorder (and lack of desire to take his prescribed medication) makes rather difficult. Pat’s journey is an enjoyable one, though not for the faint hearted.
Though the poster of the film seems to suggest audiences are in for a Notebook-esque tale of romance, there is much more at the heart of this film, and audiences should brace themselves for an often intense ride to reach the finish line. Chris Tucker gives the film some comedic breeze throughout, with the actor (who we haven’t seen since Rush Hour 3) delivering a fantastic performance. In fact, there are plenty of wonderful dark comedic moments laced throughout. As the screenwriter, Russell has heralded back to his Three Kings days here.
But the protagonist’s battle with his disorder, the pain its puts his family through, and the similar element’s of Lawrence’s character, makes Silver Linings Playbook a difficult story to see told; but it’s in this experience that we find ourselves given a story unique for the genre. It’s hard not to root for the characters and their families at the end of the film, especially when the final act’s “parlay” is put into action. Manipulative? Sure. But sometimes that’s the genius of a good script, something this film has in its possession.
Lawrence and Cooper both give incredible performances. If they hadn’t, this film would not have worked. Cooper treads carefully with his character and his disorder, as do the filmmakers, and Lawrence definitely is the film’s standout, deserving all the praise and accolades she has received. She manages to play a character with whom you’re never quite sure of, but her actions always seem totally justifiable. It’s something in her eyes, perhaps…
Jacki Weaver is wonderful as Pat’s caring Philadelphian mother, but her accolades are perhaps surprising given her limited screen time. And just when you didn’t think he had another one in him, Robert De Niro (Pat Snr.) delivers one of his best performances of the last decade. The scenes between he and Pat are some of the best moments of the film. The use of gambling by the father, and his son as a good luck charm, becomes a surprisingly lovely motif throughout the film, and it’s in De Niro that we perhaps see the most three dimensional of its characters.
Perhaps this is due to Russell’s own experiences, having a son who is bipolar and has OCD. As the screenwriter, the view of the condition is very much seen from Russell’s eyes as much as it is seen from that of the original writer and of De Niro’s character himself. So it’s only natural that a certain amount of care is given to the character to whom he can most relate.
I’m not an expert on bipolar disorder, and I’ve heard arguments both for and against the film’s portrayal of the illness. From my own close experiences, however, what I do know is there are different severities of the condition, and so this will no doubt be why different opinions result – especially from those who battle the illness themselves. But I felt it treaded the line carefully and didn’t delve too deeply into the illness, or overuse it as a means to gain sympathy for the leads (rather, you feel more towards the parents).
This results in fairly two-dimensional renderings of Cooper and Lawrence’s characters, irrespective of their terrific performances, using their experiences throughout the film as the instruments to develop their storylines, rather than an analysis of their actions, diagnoses or conditions to predicate the argument re: “why” or “how” certain things are taking place. We, as an audience, simply must accept their actions and allow Russell to tell their story. And the fact he’s able to bring humour into the delicate subject matter is something applaudable in its own right.
In my opinion, this is not just a film about love or romance, or even mental illness – in fact I would go so far as to say they do little but serve as the glue that holds the rest of the film’s topics together. This is a film about letting go and moving forward. It’s a film about dancing, Metallica (a great soundtrack here!), literature and finding the “silver lining”. But more than anything, it’s a film about families, human nature and the innate desire for all of us to exist in a world where a good football game and some comfort food with the ones you love on a Sunday afternoon, should be all that really matters. After all, isn’t that the real American dream?
Hopefully that’s a good synopsis of the film for you. But I definitely recommend you’re still going to have to see this one yourself. And these final sentences will certainly make more sense if you do.
Review Score: 8.2 out of 10.
Silver Lining Playbook was in limited advanced screenings over the long weekend and opens nationally this Thursday, January 31st .
