Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was one of my most anticipated movies of 2012. Naturally, I had to wait two months after its nationwide release date for it to make it to West Virginia, but thankfully it was worth the wait. It is definitely the funniest movie of the year and possibly the sweetest. It would be easy to categorize Silver Linings Playbook as a quirky love story with a happy ending, but it's so much more than that. The film, adapted and directed by David O. Russell, is also a thought-provoking look at family, relationships, and mental illness.
The protagonist, Pat, expertly played by Bradley Cooper (proving he deserves to be known for more than the various incarnations of The Hangover), is a man striving to achieve his silver lining. Over the course of the film, the many forces he is struggling against are gradually revealed. In fact, I think this was one of the strongest elements of the film. It almost starts in the middle of the story and piece by piece the beginning is unfolded to the audience--not just Pat's, but Tiffany's as well.
Tiffany is a magnificent character and Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant in the role. She has a tough as nails exterior masking an incredibly vulnerable woman who is desperately trying to make sense of her life. In Pat, she finds a kindred, messed up, human soul and thus begins their unique story, which is an absolute pleasure to watch.
Favorite moments include Pat's rant against Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms at 4am and all of Chris Tucker's scenes (so nice to see him bounce back from Rush Hour 3 so well). Less than perfect moments: I wish Julia Stiles had gotten a bit more screen time. Her character's marriage could've been explored a little deeper, but the film is very focused on the central couple. On that note, I'm not sure Jacki Weaver deserved her nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Not that her performance wasn't lovely and heartfelt, because it certainly is, but her character doesn't have much of an arc. She and De Niro play Pat's parents and they have roughly the same amount of screen time, but Pat Sr. has so much more depth. Understanding him is crucial to understanding Pat. De Niro, by the way, is beautiful in the role (he was apparently very moved by the script).  There is also a moment of direction at the climax of the film that took me out of the realism of the film, which unfortunately lessened its effect for me. However, all in all, this is definitely a movie I look forward to owning.