Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Director: David Russell

★★★★★

Silver Linings Playbook is a surprisingly charming film, despite showing all the trappings of being another recycled romantic comedy. It bears a unique sense of dark humor, providing a new twist on romance in modern America. Jennifer Lawrence (winner of Best Actress) and Bradley Cooper both deliver terrific performances as young people struggling with psychological challenges, and Robert De Niro also gives a chucklingly fun performance.

Adapted from Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel of the same name, Silver Lingings Playbook is about Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a man struggling with bipolar disorder who is released from a psychiatric hospital only to move in with his parents in Pennsylvania (his father is played by Robert DeNiro). He hopes to reconcile with his ex-wife -he was initially sent to the clinic after he had a violent outburst after catching her in the shower with another man. Now recovered, he sees the world in a different light -seeing the “silver linings” in everything. He meets a young widow who is also struggling with her own mental health, Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence). She promises to help him win back the love of his wife by joining together in a dance competition. After a series of unfolding events involving the gambling of Pat’s father, Pat and Tiffany eventually wind up together when Pat professes his love. They both decide to stop wearing their former wedding rings as they learn to embrace one another, quirks and all.