Pat/ Patrizio
Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) is released into the care of his parents after
having spent a while at a mental health
institution. Although under treatment for Bipolar Disorder, he detests pills and has a hard time dealing with
the fact that his wife Nikki has now moved on after an episode when Pat beat up her paramour in fit of rage and
he faces a restraining order from
her and the school where he used to work.
Ronnie, a friend of
Pat's invites him over to his place for dinner, where he meets his sister-in-law
Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence)
who recently lost her husband and has her own
share of psychological issues which manifests in the fact that the whole
town seems to know for her freewheeling
promiscuity. Oddly though, both hit of well over a conversation about the medication
they have been on and bond well
thereafter.
The best written parts in the story are the
conversations between Pat and
Tiffany, in what can be described as 'no
holds barred'. There's a time when Pat says "I don’t have a filter when I talk", which essentially describes their condition and bonding
over the fact that they don't have to
pretend with one another, unlike the
rest of the society.
And among the most hilarious instances is when Tiffany
chases Pat,
he tells her "I'm married" to which she says
"So am I",
Pat: "But, your husband is dead", Tiffany:
"where's your wife?", Pat: "You're crazy?"
Tiffany "I'm not the one who just got out of that
hospital in Baltimore"
The other characters, Pat's parents Patrizio
Sr (Robert De Niro) who is probably as 'differently wired' as his son, Pat's mother
(Jacki Weaver), his humorous friend from
the Baltimore institution Danny (Chris Tucker) and therapist Dr Patel (Anupam Kher) also manage to leave their mark as the film allows
these characters to take lives of their
own without getting into unnecessary details or sub-plots.
Strong script, Yes!
But the film also draws its strength from powerful
performances. Bradley cooper is very convincing as the man on recovery mode, taking to fitness. Tiffany as the girl who
found a socially unacceptable way to
deal with her loss, De Niro as the gambling
addict and Anupam Kher, a serious
therapist who turns out to be a crazy Eagles fan. Chris Tucker is a great
addition to the film despite the small role.
Well, what does the
title actually refer to? The silver
lining is driven by the strong belief
that Pat has in happy endings. His
feelings are evident in an animated conversation that Pat has with his parents
in the wee hours debating on why in one of Hemingway's books does the story has
to end with somebody's death. He is driven by the principle 'Excelsior', the latin word for 'ever upwards' which he keenly lives by.
Some pitfalls in the movie could be that the romance in the story is very predictable and that may not have
ended in any other way. Generally, that is true for most romances that thrive
on culminating in happy endings. Another
is question on whether or not this role of Bradley Cooper is an accurate portrayal of Bipolar Disorder
or not. And then the obsession of De Niro's character on betting all his money over superstition.
The verdict: The Oscar nominated movie
'Silver Linings Playbook' is definitely
worth a watch for the skilful
writing and humor brought out in the oddest of circumstances. While the
movie is careful enough not to poke
fun of any mental condition, those that
have reservations about its portrayal
on screen, could better stay away.
Rating 8/10: Deliciously funny script despite
being a predictable romance
Comments