Day 24 - 01/24/2019

  "Excelsior!", a fitting motto not only for Pat but for Silver Linings Playbook itself. Despite the optimistic title and expectations of a standard romance-comedy movie, David O. Russell starts a history with the cast of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro, later carrying on to the movie Joy and American Hustle, and delivering an enjoyable film for the relatively experienced, unexpected alliance of the cast.

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  Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back with his parents after a court ordered eight months of stay at the mental institution. He tries to get in contact with his ex-wife, Nikki (Brea Bree), via Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a girl that appears to suffer from similar conditions to him. His father (Robert De Niro) is not a common man either, he is an acid Eagles' fan, putting his dreams and the family's finances on the hands of his favorite team. Pat is found on a journey to conciliate the situation he is found at during this seemingly new lifestyle that turned upside down during his absence. 

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  As to be expected, the cast is convincing, each effectively transmitting their own quirks and putting us in the shoe of every protagonist at different stages. Nikki is cited from the get-go but the fact that we never really receive anything from her end is what truly makes Pat paranoia persuasive. The fact that the story is told as a drama/comedy that later builds up to some romance is also a well-crafted idea, not making the romantic setup glaringly obvious. In general, it manages to be a light movie even though the characters have their own crisis, as a balanced and rounded out experience. 

 

  It does however take a while for the audience to understand you these people are and what their scenario is, which is not a bad thing on its own, but does not give us anything to rest our mind at for a place of comfort. Furthermore, the parlay of what will makes or breaks the relationships and the structure of Pat's family is at the very minimum a wacky experience as a viewer, since one of the conditions to win the bet is completely out of reach and relying solely on luck.

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  As episode one for the collaborations between the cast and director, David O. Russell's crew deliver a pleasant movie in the form of Silver Linings Playbook, deserving 7.8 out of 10 stones.