FILM: Silver Linings Playbook

Rehabilitation. It’s one word that many people associate with ‘troubled’, ‘addicted’, ‘out of control’ and overall ‘defeated’. But for Pat (Bradley Cooper), rehabilitation is about sorting out the problems; breaking through the rut that comes with the thrill; taking control of every situation and excelsior – staying positive and finding the silver lining.

The Story

It’s about a guy who comes out of his eight-month rehabilitation plea with the courts and is attempting to find a way to mend his marriage before it’s too late. Little does he know that everyone, including his estranged wife, already believes it’s too late. Regardless of what anyone says, Pat continues his self-made routine to ‘better himself’ to get back into the good books with everyone he’s done wrong by. He’s find a silver lining in past situations by doing things in the present for the ultimate silver lining of a perfect and whole future.

Silver Linings Playbook is ideally about meeting your goals and proving to those around you that they can be achieved. It’s also about realising that no matter how far or how much you run away from the past, the things that got you to the point of losing control will always come back unless you don’t find a way to deal with it. Sure, it takes often takes the most unexpected person to see it in you to show you, but why not take hold of that insight and wake up to the reality that sometimes, it’s just a case of moving on that matters rather than trying to go backwards to go forwards.

Overall, as simple and predictable as the movie was, I enjoyed the process that got them there. In a movie about ‘getting better’ and ‘being better’ you need to appreciate the process of getting to the silver lining, rather than the problem that stumps you from seeing any hope in the first place.

The Cast

Bradley Cooper – Although Mr Cooper did not walk away with an Oscar on Sunday night, I must say his portrayal of a determined, rehabilitated overcomer was inspiring. I loved that he showed the symptoms of someone with bipolar but stayed true to his character’s goal of seeing the better things in life. There was never a point at which he was over the top in raging-out, but you always saw him attempting to really take control of the anger. His portrayal really did coincide with overall message of the film.

Jennifer Lawrence – Well deserving of her Oscar, Lawrence shows us that same feisty nature that we saw in X-Men. This time around we see her stripped and bear emotionally as her character, Tiffany, is both the rage that Cooper’s character is attempting to control and the relief that they’re both looking for. As the leading lady, she commands every scene as well as beautifully balance the leadership with Cooper in order to depict both their individual diagnosis and the cure that binds them together.

Robert De Niro – Unlike Lawrence’s character, De Niro’s character, Pat Sr., is the portrayal of simply the diagnosis or a patient that doesn’t want to be cured. Pat Sr. rages when he wants; fusses over the little things when he wants; is irrational when he wants; and ideally, is all about wants. He’s the perfect contrast between the two. If Cooper is control and Lawrence is both equilibrium and unevenness, then De Niro is rampant.

Overall, the characters in this film are a display of the collision between control, equilibrium and rampancy. It really showcases that no person is any more sane or insane than the other. Point is, there’s a silver lining, and there’s always a game plan on how to get there; it’s hard work, but in the end, it’s worth it.

Overall

It’s a simple movie about simple people living hard lives. The only negative aspect that I found was the swearing in it – I mean I saw that point in it, but they could’ve done without the excessive use of the ‘f-word’. Pre-warning (I mean the rating says it all, but anyway…), this film does have the characters talking very bluntly about sexual encounters that their characters have been involved with. Now I say this because some people walk in and either think nothing of it or freak out about it, so I wanted to give you guys a heads-up if you’re thinking of seeing it. Mind you, the film makes it as vague as possible, but it there’s enough description to create an awkward silence – legit, even in the film – if it wasn’t important for the story development then I would be bagging it out, but I can see why it’s important, and like I said, it’s as vague as it can be. Nevertheless, it was a good film. Not sure if I’d see it again, but I can see why it received it’s nominations and achievements at last Sunday’s Oscars.

sL Star Rating: 3 Stars

Next: ED SHEERAN