Silver Linings Playbook (R)

Mercurial-but-brilliant screenwriter and director David O. Russell is nearly as notorious for his on-set meltdowns as he is celebrated for the quality of his films.  For instance, you might know him for his 1999 Gulf War heist satire “Three Kings,” or for the string of rancorous disagreements with star George Clooney that ultimately culminated in a fistfight between the two.  Or perhaps you enjoyed the mind-twisting philosophical musings of his brilliant 2004 existential comedy “I Heart Huckabees,” even while shuddering at his vulgar and inappropriate savagery of venerable actress Lily Tomlin (caught on film, leaked to the Internet, and viewable on YouTube).

Yet, after suffering through the apparent death of a subsequent project (political comedy “Nailed,” which began shooting in 2008 and remains unfinished), Russell seems to have mellowed somewhat.  His fine 2008 biopic of boxer Micky Ward, “The Fighter,” garnered considerable critical acclaim (along with seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture), and the cast and crew seemed to have nothing but good things to say about the director and his conduct on-set.  Now, Russell’s latest effort might be the best film of his career.  Despite its hokey title, “Silver Linings Playbook” (loosely based on the novel by Matthew Quick) manages to pair a sobering look at modern mental illness with a genuinely warm and relatable romance.

Patrick (Bradley Cooper) has just returned home following an eight-month stay in a mental hospital for nearly beating his wife’s lover to death upon discovering them together.  Suffering from Bipolar disorder and disinclined to take his medication, Pat has difficulty readjusting to normal life.  As a coping mechanism, he is fixated in improving himself to win back his estranged wife.  Between his passive but loving mother (Jacki Weaver) and his well-meaning but highly-superstitious and compulsive father (Robert De Niro), Patrick sees little improvement until he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence).  She is nearly as broken as Patrick, having been institutionalized herself following the accidental death of her husband.  But while Patrick is initially only interested in Tiffany for her promise to sneak a letter to his wife (in contravention of a restraining order), the two eventually become close and manage to help each other grow and heal.

The first reason that “Silver Linings Playbook” works so well is because of its smart and sincere script (adapted from the novel by Russell himself).  We start off with a stark, uncomplimentary portrait of the un-medicated Patrick that highlights the dysfunction and constant struggle familiar to the mentally-ill and their families.  We see Pat melt down when he hears a song that played both at his wedding and in the house when he caught his wife and her lover together (Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour,” for the curious), and even become violent with his parents during his most manic and unhinged moments.

For their part, Pat’s parents are trying their best to help him, but each has their own batch of issues to contend with.  Anything that works to erode the stigmatization of mental illness in this country is a welcome measure, and Russell’s script manages to normalize and demystify it without sparing us any of the unpleasant details.  It also manages to find moments of great levity in the midst of awkwardness.

The other main reason the film is so compelling is because the entire cast turns in a remarkable set of performances.  The two leads are terrific.  Bradley Cooper has been branching out from his “Hangover” series fame in recent years, and he clearly has the chops for meatier, more challenging roles.  He brings Pat to life with a deranged single-mindedness masked by an irrepressible positivity that makes every situation he finds himself in a discovery for both Patrick and invested viewers.  Jennifer Lawrence, for her part, portrays Tiffany with an unexpected but genuine blend of toughness and fragility.  It’s heartening to witness the reemergence of her talent – which showed so much promise in her breakout role in 2010’s harrowing drama, “Winter’s Bone” – especially on the heels of such insipid fare as “The Hunger Games” earlier this year.  The rest of the cast equals the effort of the leads, with magnificently nuanced turns all around.

Anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness, or who simply appreciates powerful, well-acted drama, owes it to themselves to see “Silver Linings Playbook.”

– by Demian Morrisroe