Review of Silver Linings Playbook (2012) by Samantha P — 29 May 2015

Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a bipolar teacher recently released from the loony bin after a violent outburst. He moves back home with his parents played by the great Robert DeNiro and the sweet Jacki Weaver. While adjusting to a med-less life and trying to reconcile with his wife, Pat meets a detached and aggressive widow named Tiffany, convincingly played by Jennifer Lawrence.

Cooper is brilliant in his fast-talking delirium of making sense of life and trying to find that silver-lining amongst all the negativity. His character just goes to show you that no matter how normal we all want to be, we're all just a little f$#*ked up anyway. While Cooper is impressive with depicting a panicked and stressed man, he doesn't overact to the point where Jennifer Lawrence steals his scenes.

Lawrence does make her presence known from beginning to end. If you didn't know who she was before, you'll certainly be IMDBing her after you've seen this. As she pushes Cooper to keep moving, they help each other accept they're damaged goods and to rip off that label. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Robert DeNiro without skipping a beat deserves an applause.

DeNiro is hilarious and believable as a Philadelphia Eagles fanatic, obsessive gambler, with a little OCD and superstitious tendencies.

And what a warm welcome back greeting to Chris Tucker! It's about time he starred in a film without the words "rush" or "hour" in the title. Tucker is gleeful as Cooper's friend from the loony bin.

As for the director, David O. Russell, he forces the theme of positivity brilliantly and directed his actors with an allowance to create their characters as their own.

I especially enjoyed the fact that the director captures the real antics of any Philly sports fan: We're crazy. Beware!

If I had one flaw, it was the reference to the King Of Prussia "Mall": Here in Norristown, we call it the Plaza and/or the Court-- if you want the mall, you go to Plymouth Meeting. ;-).