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Monday, January 21, 2013

Sheep Movie Reviews: Silver Linings Playbook


Silver Linings Playbook, directed by David Russell, stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, and Chris Tucker. Nominated for eight Oscars, I was eager to get out and see this film straight away! A meaningful and beautiful story that takes a hard look at people who suffer from mental illness and the the effect it has on not only themselves, but the families and friends who love them. 

Plot:
Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything -- his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months is a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet-and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

I am not a big fan of Bradley Cooper, at all, so when I read that he was going to be leading man in this one I was not gushing with happy-happy, joy-joy. But after I watched him and felt the raw emotion that he offered up on a silver platter, I was absolutely blown away. His ability to show true and real emotion for a role that must have been harder then hell to play, had me laughing and crying at the same time. With pure believability and utter venerability this man is now on my list of actors I will watch. Forget the Hangover films dude, and stick with this, because you're darn good at it! 

With Robert De Niro playing a Dad who's just trying to do the best he can in the face of a mental illness he has no control over, you're blown away yet again by the emotion of the characters. Robert is a veteran in the acting world, but once more the amount of raw passion and stupefied fatherly love that comes through was pure gold. Married to the love of his life, the Philadelphia Eagles, you've got a family obsessed with football and a son who's trying to make the madness in his head a little more bearable. 

Jennifer Lawrence is now a two time Oscar nominated actress and rightly so. She yet again takes command of her character and absorbs it like a second skin, the ability to adapt and play a range of characters is going to give this gal a very long and fruitful career in the acting community. The humanity of a world that can be cruel to outsiders and the strength it takes to overcome the odds was the pure heart and soul of Silver Linings Playbook

Every leading actor in this film was nominated for an Oscar. That, in and of itself, says something for the story. This isn't an action film or an epic adventure, but a human movie about real life issues that millions of folks face every day. It's raw and real and will slap you across the face a few times before it's done with you. 

This is a story that's both warm and tender yet laced with comedy and emotion. A love story of life and cooping. It's one you must see and absolutely going to be a big hitter in this years Oscars! 


I do not give out full ratings lightly, I proudly pay this film homage with 5 Sheep. 
KD

2 comments:

  1. I loved this movie. I love that they took a movie with a serious subject matter (mental illness) and made such a solid story, with humor as well. The humor was my kind of humor, understated at times, and bold at others (their dance for instance :) ) Great flick, glad someone else loved this one too! oh... and Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress, love her! Book Savvy Babe

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  2. I heard so little about this film until award nominations started coming in. Was it under-marketed? I really want to see it. Thanks for the review!

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