Silver Linings Playbook

Written and Directed by David O. Russell.

This is confusing. I wished I liked you more and I want to like you more. Deep down, I do admire you. I liked you. I enjoyed you a lot. But at the same time, I didn’t want to be fooled by your charms, by your movements, by your amusing words. But still, I want to find you in the middle. That’s what I’m hoping for. Getting to know you better and accept your story and just mainly work my personal issues towards some aspects that define you.

David O. Russell tells us a story about looking at life with a more positive attitude, even when there are technical forces working against it. First of all, this is a great movie. It is a great romantic dramedy. It’s important that not every difficult situation in life as to be dealt with a heavy, tense and sometimes towards the depressing approach. Obviously it’s probably not easy to make a film about child abuse and be a light, comic approach. Trying, I’m can’t picture it right now. But these stories more often than not tend to be either tense, heavy, or on the contrary, just ridiculed. Nonetheless, with a heavy or light approach what will matter at the end are the intricacies of the storytelling, the combination of reality and fiction. Silver Linings Playbook is a fucking romantic comedy, which is also a drama, and (because) it is an insightful story. That’s what makes the film a good film, that’s what makes the film one of the best films of the year for the audience, that’s what gives the actors an opportunity to bring something of a hybrid fest of emotional amusement, of wit and thoughtfulness. And let me tell you, everything is in that paper, in the screenplay he wrote. Russell manages to bring his story to the screen and as he does that, he takes consideration for every particular move. He creates this really lively and amusing rhythm, the sound goes along with an equally exciting tone. I understand the negative critics towards it, though, and like I said earlier, it is all in the screenplay. But it is a good film. We may be mad the way he charms its way towards us, I may be mad that the girl does everything to be with the man to the point is ridiculous, but I won’t be mad just because other opinions suggest overrating. It is what it is and it is what you feel like it is. This film wins because he charms its way towards us. I think people should see a film like The Sessions, because I think it does everything what Silver Linings wants to do, but does it right!

My main issue with Silver Linings is that I don’t like that the girl finds in the man the best thing that ever happened to her. Like in many other cases, there is not much of a big reason, except for the usual ones. Sometimes there is even none. But it can’t stop from bothering one person, including even the one who falls for it. But this isn’t the only reason; it is not like I’m terribly jealous of the guy. There are a few details that make me be defensive and cautious to not be fooled by. But I have a great will to work my issues with this film, because I think it deserves it, for it’s willing to bring positivity.

Jennifer Lawrence is a good fit for Tiffany and it is not. She’s a good fit because she’s a gorgeous, deadly, attractive woman. Because she may be undeniably attractive but she can bring depth, and that depth becomes believable. After reading the screenplay I understand the praise she’s receiving for her performance, at least I want to, now when it comes to being recognized by the academy it just becomes a different set of grounds and I won’t even go there because it breaks all the meaning and it is unnecessary. She brings something more; I believe she brings the unconventional to Tiffany, what makes her different. I have no idea how would Tiffany play with other actresses, it would certainly be interesting, but Jennifer is not everyone.  But she’s too attractive, like I said, but too young for this role. It came close to not work at all for me (but I know my name and how could I not be amused by her?). It should have been someone else, no matter how much I appreciate Lawrence. Even though I confess now is hard to picture someone else. The characters from Silver Linings are interesting, and Pat, the protagonist, becomes undeniably intriguing and charming because Russell brought a set of irresistible forces towards him: he’s unconventional, he is also vulnerable and off course he does something altruist for a woman. He gets all the credits, when really, the girl did pretty much everything, including getting them together.  

And then finally, there’s the silver lining, which somehow let me a bit inconsolable. But what other ending there would be for Silver Linings? Many times happy endings bother me. I would like to make a difference between a positive ending and a happy ending, because this film has both. A positive ending tells us that there’s a possibility, a possibility of doing good things, of going into right directions, it brings a possibility under whatever distinct circumstances. A happy ending to me is the girl getting the boy, the boy getting the girl and you know the rest. Merely, I’m being a hypocrite because I like movies and sometimes I don’t like happy endings, which shouldn’t make sense. But it is what it is. And in this case, people won’t care, like the characters suggest, life is hard as it is, so why not just enjoy it? Why make it complex (even though things are usually more complex)?