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SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK REVIEW
BY LOREN RECCHI
Silver Linings
Playbook is an intriguing, captive and emotional film which I thoroughly
enjoyed. It is a well written and directed story which finds its charm tackling
big issues including mental illness and the publicly portrayed stereotypes
associated. Both the main actors, Pat (Bradley Cooper, The Hangover Sequel) and
Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games), hold the audience on the edge of
their seats as their brilliance shines through their troubled characters. The
characters pushed these experienced actors to their limits as they embodied
personalities with separate mental illnesses.
Additionally,
negative connotations related to mental illness in the 21st century
were prominent including public ignorance and disapproval, family disruption and
personal struggles. This film surpassed boundaries around mental illness and
will the help of amazing actors such as Jackie Weaver (Pat’s Mother) and Robert
De Niro (Pat’s Father), provided an illustration of family life burdened, or in
this case, sometimes enriched with mental illness which is rarely seen in
Hollywood.
The film
follows the journey of Pat as he seeks to reunite with his wife (who has a
restraining order against him), get his old job back and return to his previous
life while struggling with a bipolar disorder. It begins a few days before he is
getting released from Baltimore Mental Health Facility which has similar
characteristics as a prison. We later find that Pat was admitted to Baltimore
for almost murdering his wife’s lover after walking in on her having an affair
resulting in an uncontrollable bipolar outburst.
After a few
negative events at home between Pat and his parents, he meets with Tiffany who
has many problems herself. Moments which make you sit at the end of your seat,
laugh and hold your breath soon follow with one main theme; Pat’s determination
to always find a ‘Silver Lining’. Without ruining the plot, Tiffany and Pat have
their ups and downs, laughs and struggles. Their crazy friend/love story beneath
the heated issue of mental illness was my favourite part as it resembles the
intricate struggles of being and falling in love.
Overall,
Silver Linings Playbook is a brilliant film which is, in my opinion, suited best
to the ages 15 and over. It is definitely an inspirational film which I could
watch again with family and friends or alone after a long tedious day.
Levelling up – Love, Loren x
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