Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

You could not have found a better director to produce this film; and you could not have watched a better film adaptation of the book that this was based on; and, finally, you could not have had better actors depict the emotion and allegory of this film with any more clarity than the ones would did connote this film. This film was so good, that a performer (Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Tiffany Maxwell) received her first Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role". Patrick Solatano Jr. (played by Bradley Cooper) had messed up his life pretty bad. But he believes in "Excelsior" where there IS a silver lining in each cloud, and he is willing to take every opportunity in order to grab that silver lining and sustain a positive as well as happy atmosphere. He lost his wife, his job, his house, everything - but he used that as some sort of fuel to keep him going. But his wedding song draws back to many hurtful memories which can trigger the anger out of him. Why does his OWN wedding song make him go mad? Watch the film and then tell me. He just wants Nikki back. Tiffany Maxwell (played by Jennifer Lawrence) is recently widowed, and she could never have been more depressed with life. She, too, lost her job and a lot of her life - her reputation was destroyed after a few mistakes she had made. What mistakes cost her so much? Do take care to watch the Diner Scene closely if you would like to know. She wishes she could have Tommy back. Now, these two characters meet each other and, although they come from a very similar past - they will understand things about each other that others cannot - they have a VERY different outlook of life. Pat knows that the rain will make the flowers grow, but Tiffany can only see herself drowning in the rain and the flowers growing on her grave. Pat wants to get back with Nikki, but has a restraining order therefore having contact with her will be far more difficult then he imagined, let alone being able to remarry her. Tiffany dances. She enters competitions and even though she knows she's not the best, her heart and soul depict all the hurt and grief she has suffered over time - dancing is a connotation of all this feeling and emotion - it's like therapy for her. But Tiffany doesn't have a partner this year so she cannot enter the competition she enters every year, and cannot dance to her hearts content. Tiffany knows Nikki, even sees quite often, that's good for Pat he can send letters to Nikki through Tiffany without getting into trouble. What does Tiffany want in return? A dance partner. But then Pat's father (played by Robert De Niro) is stuck in a parlay where he will lose EVERYTHING on a stupid bet unless Pat and Tiffany can gain a average score of 5 in the dance contest AND if the Eagles (their football - but rugby here in the UK - team) beats out the opposing team. Where a shocking twist in plot takes place can a silver lining really be found? Will Nikki return to Pat? Will Tiffany fall in love with Pat? Will Pat want Nikki back, or is he beginning to notice other people (i.e. Tiffany)? Well, this is a dramatic comedy - let's see where it takes us! The only reason I haven't given this film 5 stars is because it wasn't EXACTLY how I'd like it to be as a film adaptation of the book, but I understand why they had to change some areas in order to fit their plot of the film in comparison to the authors plot of the book. Regardless of that, this is a REALLY good film, of which I thoroughly enjoyed all the way through. Also, I learnt a new word "Excelsior" - who says TV today rots the brain?