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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
What is a silver lining? I actually had to look it up after the main character Tiffany stated to find the silver lining in things. What I found was, a silver lining is seeing the hopeful side of a situation that might seem gloomy on the surface. The common expression is “every cloud has a silver lining,” which means that some of the shittiest events or situations have some positive aspect to it. Let me tell you that is some meditation material right there.
The film begins with Pat Solatano Jr. (Cooper) being released from a mental health institution after his eight-month court ordered stint. Pat Jr. is bipolar and whipped on his ex-wife lover, who was cheating on him behind his back. His extremely caring mother, Dolores Solatano (Weaver), goes against medical advice and the knowledge of her husband Pat Solatano Sr. (De Niro) to bring her son home. They are granted guardianship as the stipulation of his release is for him to move back to Philly with his family. Since his stay, Pat Jr.’s ex-wife, Nikki, has left him along with him losing his job and everything he has. He is ordered to attend mandatory therapy sessions along with taking medicine, which he skips out on. Pat believes that he can manage on his own by looking for the “silver linings” in his life. His goal/obsession is to get his old life back by reuniting with Nikki and getting his job as a substitute teacher. To no one surprise, things are really challenging for Pat Jr. During a dinner with his best friend Ronnie and his wife Veronica, he meets Veronica’s widowed sister, Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence), a girl with own issues. Tiffany and Pat Jr. hit it off as they discuss their own mental state and being on an extraordinary friendship. Through this friendship, they soon find that they are made for each other as they try to reach their own personal goals.
I have heard many things about this film. One is that Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for it. I never saw it in theaters, and it didn’t seem like my type of movie. Damn, was I wrong. This film was actually hilarious at times and touching at other times. The direction and style that director David O. Russell was outstanding. I was pleasantly surprised by this story and just the feel of it. I mean, who can take a story about a person who has a mental breakdown and also bipolar, who is OBSESSED with his cheating ex-wife to have him find love in an equally somewhat unstable person. Through it, they do an out of this world dance routine.
The film doesn’t or is even any good without the two stars, Cooper and Lawrence, driving each other. Actually, the whole cast does an outstanding job. You watch two people who have significant flaws in their life and through each other fall in love. Yet, the biggest thing that is stated is seeing the good and positive in a situation rather than the bad. Pat Jr. is all over the place and snaps at every little thing. Hell, his own wedding song drives him crazy. When he meets Tiffany, she calls him out on his shit and tells him it’s not a big deal even though she has issues also. While preparing for a dance, they become genuinely close as she tells him and his family to look for the signs in life.
Speaking on that, Tiffany goes ballistic on Pat Sr. when he blames Pat Jr. for the Eagles losing to the Giants. I want to say that was the best scene in the WHOLE movie because she gave out reasons and stats like the best ESPN analyst could. I actually clapped because it was so good. She went in on Pat Sr. so very hard.
The ending is a nice touch with the whole dancing routine and the bet. It was an ending that was suitable for this type of movie. The dance routine is so funny because it is all over the place, and yet it works. It works so well that it makes you want to dance a little bit.
Bradley Cooper as Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Jr. was different in this role but also very good. Watching him perform, you could see and feel that Pat Jr. was a very messed up individual. Even though he was bipolar and had major outbursts, I am going to defend him for beating his wife lover’s ass. Maybe not all the way to half death, but sometimes you got to put your paws on people. Now for the outbursts, Cooper showed the extent he went to make Pat Jr. flawed but yet charming as he tried his best to change. In the beginning, he literally throws a book out of the window that he breaks and then goes on some rant to his parents at 4 am. He would lightly slap his head as he tried not to get in trouble or if he was highly stressed. The dude just had a major obsession for his ex-wife. Leave that woman alone!
Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Maxwell was just cute, charming, and also messed up. Lawrence was just spectacular as this character and oh so FINE! Lawrence just controlled the screen and her character so well. When she appeared, it was all eyes on her. Not just because of her beauty, it is the way she portrayed her character. She flipped out in a diner, told it how it was, and saw the good in everything even though her husband died, and I think she was also a cheater, but I don’t know. Yet, she helped Pat Jr. grow and move on.
Robert De Niro as Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Sr. is always a pleasure to watch. In almost a role like Meet the Parents, De Niro can do what he wants and seems cool at it. You almost forget that De Niro has played more mob roles than anything else in his life. Yet he was so good in this role as a caring parent who is a life-long Eagles fan that is beyond superstitious. He bets on so many games that you think he has a gambling problem. Maybe he does?
How about Chris Tucker? Compared to Smokey in Friday or even James Carter in Rush Hour, Tucker was actually calm and a pleasure to watch. Tucker played Danny McDaniels, who is a good friend of Pat’s from the psychiatric hospital. What makes this role so funny is that McDaniels seems to “escape” from the mental hospital. He always seems to show up when things seem off with characters, and he puts a little touch on things to make them right. He helped out with the dancing. Yet, a police officer always comes and gets him.
Silver Lining Playbook is a film that is a pleasure to watch. Cooper and Lawrence do an outstanding job in their respective roles. Hell, Lawrence won the Academy Award for it, so she has to be good in it. This film is fun to watch, and everyone should give it a chance.
