Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Review

★ ★ ★ ★ 

Footballs and Ballet Shoes

By: Kameron McBride

Football players are rumored to often practice ballet dancing to help them keep light on their feet. Before seeing Silver Linings Playbook that's the best connection between pigskin and ballet shoes I can think of, though on both fronts they appear to be an unconventionally effective combination.

Silver Linings Playbook tells the story of Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) who is a substitute teacher admitted to a mental hospital due to a severe bipolar disorder.

In a exposition–heavy opening we see Pat leaving the hospital, taken home by his mom Dolores (Jacki Weaver). Pat also attempts to spring his friend Danny (Chris Tucker), but they ultimately have to leave Danny behind. On the way home Pat tells Dolores that he wants to stop by the library to read the entire book list that his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) uses for her high school courses.

Eventually Pat arrives home to see his dad, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) who we learn has just lost his job and is trying to cover by taking up bookkeeping.

This section of the film I believe is the weakest. I think it drags and feels awkward. The dialogue just never seems crisp or easy to get into and I was pretty worried right around twenty minutes into the film. Afterwords, however the film gets a little more consistent and finds a nice groove.

We learn that Pat Sr. is a Philly Phanatic, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles (or "The Birds" as they're affectionately known around the town) through thick and thin. He compulsively watches their games, moving the remotes in exactly the same fashion while obsessively massaging a handkerchief in his hand. I can personally relate, the Colts still have yet to lose a playoff game I haven't watched, always leading to an internal debate over whether to watch the game or not.

Pat Sr. has a violence issue, getting banned from the Eagles' stadium for fighting too much. 

Apparently the violence runs in the family as we learn Pat Jr. was institutionalized for nearly beating a man to death who he found in the shower with Nikki. As an added problem, Pa can no longer listen to his wedding song as it was playing when he found Nikki and the other man.

Pat's friends have a party a week after his release where he is introduced to Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who is suffering from depression following the death of her husband. Pat and Tiffany discover they are the only ones who understand how they feel and up forming something of a relationship.

 The story flows very well when Lawrence arrives and I believe it's due in part to the great chemistry between her and Cooper. Cooper has a lot of natural charisma but can also give some nice raw moments when called upon while Lawrence brings a good understated approach to her character.

Tiffany reveals that she was planning on competing in a couples dance competition with her late husband. Pat Jr. agrees to dance with her as long as she will deliver his letters to Nikki since a restraining order prevents him from doing so. The competition takes on new importance when Pat Sr. parlays the dance competition in a bet he is holding: if the Eagles win their last game and Tiffany & Pat score a 5.0 in the competition, Pat Sr. will win enough money to open a restaurant.

If there's one issue with the story it's that our main conflict comes pretty late in the game. By the time the competition rolls around it seems very sudden, as we haven't seen much of the pair practicing. Perhaps this helped with the overall run-time of the film but I felt it was a little shocking when we were watching them both dance.

One much–discussed issue is the treatment of mental illness in the film. I felt it was handled well, the characters felt real yet their disorders were always present and threatening. There was certainly an amount of tension whenever Pat Jr. was on–screen, as we felt he could lose it at any second (see: an early fight between him, his mother and father).

I think director David O. Russell's skill as a storyteller lies in the ability to take archetypal stories and keep them fresh with interesting characters and engaging camerawork. In "The Fighter" we saw Russel work with the typical underdog story and still deliver a good film. Here, he takes on a romantic comedy and delivers a very engaging and happy story. There have been a few comparisons with Russel and Frank Capra and I think they're warranted. Russell at least delivers stories of a similar tone and style to Capra.

In Silver Linings Playbook Russell's camera probes and floats in to conversations and the lives of his characters. Similar to "The Fighter" a majority of the shots are from a handheld camera, adding to the authenticity of the story. Occasionally the dramatic zooms feel a little silly but overall I think Russel works the camera well to keep the story homely and interesting.

On another note it's good to see De Niro in a good role. It feels like a long time since he's been in anything substantial. Here he's good and chews some scenery while lending a lot of funny dialogue. It's not exactly vintage De Niro but it's a good role.

Is Silver Linings Playbook a great film? No, but it's a very good one. For the middle of the film I found myself totally engrossed and that alone makes the film worth seeing. David O. Russell's storytelling chops make it even better.