Review of Silver Linings Playbook (2012) by Caroline P — 24 Mar 2015

It may be a little formulaic and predictable at times (I mean, come on, you're not going to cast two of the most attractive people in Hollywood as the leads and not let them get together in the end.

Let's be real here.) but Silver Linings Playbook has a lot of soul and a lot of heart-wrenching performances that elevate it beyond the standard fare romantic dramedy. It took me a second viewing to really appreciate the accuracy of Bradley Cooper's portrayal of bipolar disorder and to realize the happy ending of the film doesn't mean his illness went away.

I believe that being with Jennifer Lawrence's character Tiffany helped him to be calmer because she made him commit to what he promised and gave him structure and understanding. It's a little difficult to understand why Tiffany fell for Pat, but she is a fascinating character, filled with all the darkness, confusion, and loneliness that one has after losing someone they love, especially at a young age.

She is not the manic pixie dreamgirl often seen in films like this. She is unpredictable and manipulative and clearly deeply depressed, but she is the glue that holds the film together. It's not a perfect film by any stretch but moments, like when Robert De Niro opens up to his son about how much he loves him, make this worth watching more than once.