Silver Linings Playbook

Compatible Dysfunction
by Mark Dispenza

"Meeting cute" has been a staple of romantic comedies for decades...until now. Meet Pat (Bradley Cooper), a bipolar train wreck who was just released prematurely on his mother's recognizance after eight months in an institution, and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who deals with severe depression following the untimely death of her husband by sleeping with everyone she comes into contact with. Surely this is a match made in hell...except that it isn't.

They meet for the first time at a dinner given for them by Tiffany's sister (Julia Stiles), who is involved in a clandestine plot to set the two up and make Pat forget about his ex-wife, with whom he is obsessed. He had been arrested and institutionalized when he discovered his co-worker in the shower with her, and then beat the hapless man to within an inch of his life. His ex now has a restraining order against him, a fact to which he pays too little heed.

Pat and Tiffany's first conversation of mutual interest is about the meds they've been prescribed and how they reacted to the side effects. From then on things get rocky. As Pat becomes ever more obsessed with reuniting with his ex,Tiffany hatches a plan to get his attention by volunteering to carry a letter to her. In return Pat must become her partner in an unlikely attempt to win an upcoming ballroom dance competition. Just when you think this whole plot can't get any crazier, it does.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

Cooper has proved his worth as a leading man and as a comic actor in films such as The Hangover, but in Silver Linings Playbook, he achieves a depth of character that shows once and for all that he's not just another pretty face. Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games) never fails to astound with her intensity and range, and this film is a case in point. She plays above her age as an older and slightly more mature, if not outright crazy, character and she nails it.

Robert De Niro returns to comedy in top form as Pat's father, who is just as insanely obsessed, but with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. Jacki Weaver continues to add to her resume of recent successes as Pat's mother, who is tirelessly dedicated to restoring order to her home by low-key attempts to tame the restless spirits of the two men she loves.

 

Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro

David O. Russell, in his follow-up to The Fighter, scores again with another great story about ordinary people who achieve happiness and their own brand of success against the odds. It is filled with quirky characters who look a lot like the people we know, and who can be just as annoying and just as endearing. The script was adapted by Russell from the novel by Matthew Quick.

Not since Moonstruck, my all-time favorite of the genre, have I experienced a romantic comedy that's so much fun, yet so implausibly real at the same time. I highly recommend this film. It may be the most entertaining movie you will see this year.

 

 

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Like Crazy

A Modern Day Romance                            
by Zac Sanford

Young lovers struggle to hold onto passion against the challenges of career, distance and Homeland Security in Like Crazy. The tightly constructed scenes feature mostly improv dialogue that give this Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize winner an air of authenticity that is a refreshing deviation from the typical blueprint of Hollywood romance films.

Anna (Felicity Jones), a journalism major from the UK, falls for Jacob (Anton Yelchin), but instead of professing her love for him, she leaves him a four-page note proclaiming her feelings. In the end, she hopes that Jacob won't think she's crazy, which brings a slight smile to his face. Over the course of a couple months, the two fall madly in love and seem perfect for one another, but the looming end of school, and the expiration of Anna's student visa, quickly throw the first kink into their relationship.

Instead of heading home, Anna decides to stay with Jacob through the summer, ignoring the rules of her student visa. After Anna returns home from a holiday with her parents, she is refused re-entry by US Customs. She calls Jacob, who is awaiting her arrival at the airport, and tearfully informs him that she's being sent back home. He promises he will do whatever he can to get back together with her.

This is only the first of many bumps that plague their relationship over the years. No one is sure how much time passes between scenes and the times in which they can reconnect as the film flawlessly jumps in time. Eventually work gets in the way. Anna lands a promotion that keeps her in the UK, while business is booming at Jacob's furniture design company. But they do whatever they can to be together, mainly leaving Jacob to make the jaunt across the pond as Anna's immigration privileges are being appealed by her family attorney.

Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones

As more and more time passes between each and every trip, jealousy and new relationships begin to blossom for both of them. It is only the reconnection and being in the presence of one another does their true love spark fully once again.

Writer/director Drake Doremus doesn't allow the film to follow the stereotypical formula of the Hollywood romance. The handheld camera gets in close and gives the film a voyeuristic feel. The script (co-written with Ben York Jones) was assembled more as an outline, leaving the actors to improvise their lines, giving the film an aura of authenticity.

The stars have a real chemistry that shines through, especially Jones. She brings her character to life with the understated delivery of her lines, allowing a look or a smile to deliver more than words ever could. It is not a surprise that she won a grand jury prize for acting at this year's Sundance Film Festival.  Like Crazy also features Jennifer Lawrence (Oscar-nominated for Winter's Bone last year) as Anna's rival for Jacob's affection.

This is a modern day romance that shows the highs and lows of being in a long distance relationship. The stars shine and should receive many more kudos as the awards season kicks into high gear.