Review:
Silver Linings Playbook is a
great character piece that feels more like a documentary than a fiction
feature. The film is about Pat, a man struggling with being bipolar, who is
released back into the custody of his parents (following a stay in a mental
facility for a violent episode). Pat is trying to find his center so that he
can resume his relationship with his estranged wife Nikki (who has a
restraining order against him). To get in contact with Nikki, he enlists the
help of Tiffany, the sister of a friend of Nikki’s, who is also struggling with
mental disease. For her help, Pat agrees to help her with a dance competition.
Their bond becomes a meaningful part in Pat rehabilitation.
Writer-director David O. Russell directs the
film to have a very realistic feel (much like his last The
Fighter). To accomplish this, he uses a hand-held camera and improvised
dialog, giving the conversations a more natural progression (so they do not
feel stylized for film). The performances are also very naturalistic, with each
emotion feeling organic and authentic. This in turn pulls the audience in, as
they can relate to the characters because they just feel like normal people.
And really, this is the success of the film – its characters and the extent
that they resonate with the audience.
The hand-held camera work is very
aggressive. The camera often goes out of its way to emphasize details in a
given scene. The camera also seems to invade the personal space of the actors
at times, giving the film a very intimate but also an intimidating feel
(depending on what the scene calls for). Russell does not what his characters
and particularly the audience to escape any confrontation. His camera is right
there in the thick of things, which gives many of the scenes an uncomfortable
energy (which is fantastic).
The audience should feel a little
uncomfortable watching the drama unfold, as Russell’s narrative digs into a
very personal topic for him – mental disease (specifically bipolar disorder).
He is not interested in playing it safe with his narrative, he wants to give a
realistic account of people struggling with this disorder and also to show that
they are no different than the rest of us – they have goals and dreams, good
days and bad days.
To further draw the audience in,
the narrative is also set up like a romantic comedy, which informs the
expectations of the audience. They root for Pat and Tiffany as a couple. The
undertones are there telling them that they should like these characters and
want them to be together in the end. Russell also recognizes that the drama of
the film is fairly intense and uncomfortable, thus there needs to be both a
romantic plot and comedy (this is surprisingly funny at times) to give the
audience lighter moments allowing them to breath (otherwise it might be too
much). It is an interesting twist on the romantic comedy formula, blending it
with a character drama (one that seems primed to pay dividends for its actors
come awards season – a feel good romance that also works as a biting character
drama).
However, as good a character piece
as Silver Linings Playbook is, the narrative is not quite tight enough, leaving
it feeling a bit slow at times. It is both a romance and a drama (separately
and together). Each story needs time to develop, which puts the other on the
back-burner (so to speak). Thus, the audience is being torn between the budding
romance between Tiffany and Pat (which is really the secondary story) and Pat
finding a way to cope and be okay in the world (which mostly seems to focus on
Pat’s relationship with his father, who gets under his skin). Eventually, these
two stories align and the film’s pacing seems to work a lot better. Plus, the
conclusion is fantastic.
Silver Linings Playbook is a
wonderful film that has some of 2012’s best and most developed characters (and
performances). Its realism draws its viewer in, and its unflinching look at
mental disease without being clinical or derogatory is refreshing.
Technical,
aesthetic & acting achievements: David O. Russell has now made six
feature films. With The Fighter and now Silver Linings Playbook, he has very
much established himself as an actor’s director, as he is garnering brilliant
work from his casts. His aesthetic style has also evolved to be this
hyper-realism that give his work an authentic quality (that is mostly lacking
in Hollywood features), which again attracts great actors. Great actors want to
work with great directors, and right now Russell is one of the best.
Danny Elfman’s score for the
film is almost unnoticeable, as much of it plays without music or with a found
soundtrack. However, when Efman’s work is needed, he delivers a fun bit of
music (that plays seemingly lighter than the tone of the film, but still works)
and also some dramatic tones (to accentuate moments). Masanobu Takayanagi’s
cinematography fits with Russell’s desire to have the film feel realistic. The
lighting seem mostly natural and un-stylized, though the camera work (as
touched on above) definitely contributes more actively to the overall feel of
the film (being intimate yet aggressive). Production designer Judy Becker’s job basically is
to give the actors an organic space in which to work, and she succeeds
wonderfully. The characters and their homes (which most of the film takes place
in) feel real, again feeding into the documentary shooting style.
The cast is universally excellent
in Silver Linings Playbook. John
Ortiz and Jacki Weaver
stand out in smaller supporting roles. Chris Tucker is great in his
comeback performance. He is funny, and yet feels completely believable (not
like he is merely putting on a show for the camera). Robert De Niro is an icon, but
that said he has not really delivered great work or great films lately (probably
not since the 1990s). Playing Pat Senior, De Niro is wonderful. He has such
humanity to him, that his performance evokes pity and yet he still has an
undeniable power enabling him to just command a scene. It is among his best
work. Jennifer Lawrence,
playing opposite two other phenomenal performances, almost steals the whole
film (and for many viewers, she probably does). Her Tiffany is completely
unafraid and strong, yet Lawrence also has such a vulnerability to her
performances. She gives off so much emotion just with her face and eyes. It is
probably the best female performance to date this year. Bradley Cooper announces himself
as a fine actor with his performance as Pat. It is easily the best work of his
career. Cooper brings such a destructive energy to Pat that the audience feels
like he might explode at any moment. However, he also brings a lot of
compassion to the role, making him likable when he probably should not be.
Summary
& score: Silver Linings Playbook is a flourishing character drama
that resonates with, enlightens and entertains its audience. 8/10
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