"Silver Linings Playboy" :Unlikely Bipolar Romance

Mental illness can be easily overdone or overly unrealistic in films, some depictions of individuals suffering from these are caricatures, lacking subtlety and humanity. These complex characters have many emotional shades and peculiar nuances; therefore, it is a difficult challenge for both actors and directors to achieve a believable, compelling, and engaging performance. Dramatization of the lives of people overwhelmed with such disorders is inevitable, but to find the brighter, comedic and heartwarming moments in them is a fulfilling achievement. In David O. Russell's new film Silver Linings Playbook all these aspects of characters suffering from bipolar disorders are present, beautifully executed, and smartly entertaining. The story is as compelling as it is plagued with emotions that expand from extreme anger to the purest love. A rewarding experience courtesy of the brilliant cast selection and the talent of the director to guide them into such human and vivid performances. David O. Russell graciously develops a romantic comedy that feels original, touching and sparkled with dark humor. He employs multi-dimensional characters that never feel flat or fabricated, instead they feel improvised, spur of the moment reactions that are already a trademark in the filmmaker's previous work.

Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is coming after spending months at a mental facility because of an attack on his wife's lover. Empowered with a new attitude of unrealistic optimism, he decide, dementedly,  that the only way to save his marriage is to show his cheating-wife that he has changed. Pat has suffered from bipolar disorder his whole life but only after such incident was he diagnosed. From this premise the film might sound like a melancholic dramatic piece, but it is mile away from it; on the contrary, it packs irreverent humor in every line. Pat's father ,Pat Senior (Robert De Niro) carries his own compulsive baggage, a superstitious football fan who is perhaps the best point of reference for the origin of Patty's illness. In his quest to get a chance at getting the restraining order his wife placed on him lifted , Pat decides to get in physical shape by running around the block, and tuning up his mind by attending regular therapy, although he refuses to take his dozing medication. When Pat is invited by an old friend for dinner he meets the also unbalanced, pill-user, bipolar-darling Tiffany, with whom an instant "disconnection" is formed. Tiffany pushes herself into Pat's life, following him around and opening up to him, even if this result counterproductive because of Pal's inability to easily empathize or behave by social conventions. Nevertheless, Pat's interest in Tiffany grows as she informs him she can be the link to reach his wife through letters; however Tiffany wants something in return. In exchange for her very unlikely help, she asks for Pat to be her partner in a dancing competition, and with this the "dramedy"escalates in both of their lives.

Silver Linings is a joyous study of madness and sanity, what is really crazy? is love really a cure for such frantic way of thinking as that of Pat?, or is love itself the most insane, unstable, and dangerous emotional state of them all? With the help of a magnificent script the cast gets a chance at some of the best performances in their careers. Bradley Cooper is a rediscovery, fresh, fragile, child-like, pure emotion, his acting skills are put to the test in the role of a real person. Not a ladies man, or an action figure, but a broken, ill and hopeful man at the twilight of what he has known, trying to rebuild a past that cannot be. Yet, Cooper is obliviously funny, his fast paced speech and irrational outbursts of anger really get under your skin, where he becomes relatable. It would be a very sad surprise if he doesn't land an Academy Award at the very least. As Pat's father , De Niro reinvents his image and reminds us of the reason for his iconic status. A father who is as lost as his kid, who truthfully desires to connect and help, but doesn't know how. Indeed De Niro is hilarious, neurotic and very fatherly indeed, a great companion to the also precise performance by Jacki Weaver as Cooper's mother.

Now the performance that has generated lots of talk. Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany validates her status as a great newcomer with an Academy Award nomination already on her record. Tiffany is a tough cookie, devastated after her husband's death she seeks consolation in the sexual attention of various men. She is lonely, furious and eager to feel loved again, she finds in Pat someone as messed up as her, or even worse. Their deficiencies make them prime partners. Lawrence is sweet and demented, unpredictable and unsafely impulsive, but still carries a good heart. She falls for Pat in a passive aggressive manner, hoping for him to realize their only chance at "fairytale" happiness is with each other. Her work sets her apart from many other roles this year because she never appears over the top or forced, every emotion registers as organic and that is really a talent. She is so far the front runner for most Awards, and given the fact that smart "Rom-Coms" haven't won much praised since the days of Annie Hall and When Harry Met Sally , this might her winning role. Probably that is where her edge comes from, there is other ,perhaps, stronger dramatic performances, but the fact that her role is a blend between a well-carried comedy and a mental-illness-drams gives her a push up.

David O. Russell is back with maybe his greatest work to date. A crowd-pleaser story that is a nurturing ground for the actors in it. Smart and funny, with a a few questionable visual choices: out of place zoom-outs and strange dolly shots, but nothing too far off to take from the overall achievement. A great time at the movies, for dance lover, for football fans, for acting nerds, for all moviegoers. One of the best films of the years, and surely the best Romantic comedy in ages. Out in theaters now. Grade A+