Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook (R)

"Go Deep, not the Deep End"

A man (Bradley Cooper) unhinged by the breakup with his wife is court ordered to be sent home from the psychiatric hospital to live with his elderly parents (Robert DeNiro in a refreshingly open and honest role).  He ends up meeting an also slightly unhinged woman (Jennifer Lawrence in her first stand out performance) still grieving the death of her husband.  They end up bonding as friends while obsessing over their exes, and begin to use each other as steppingstones for recovery as dance partners (and using each other worryingly).  Will their bipolar and quirky depressed selves make for a good match or a tragic ending on the dancefloor?

Director David O Russel (Three Kings, The Fighter) works best with wry subtlety and finds that mark here wonderfully.  The nuances of Brad's psyche and fall from sanity can be seen in the glimpses of his past and current homelife:  his father's obsessive compulsive behaviors and severe gambling habits, the relationship with his brother, etc.  Discovering, instead of being told, Cooper's character is a delight, and in the same way viewing the relationships with his family and friends makes for a rich and intelligent romantic comedy that never smacks of the lowbrow yet trounces the taboo subject matter, embracing human tragedy as an experience as inevitable as human love.

8.5 Trash Bag Jogging Suits out of 10 (GREAT)