Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

[steve4922]

I saw this a second time--a friend wanted to go--and really liked it. (The first time I had a cold and was in a pretty grumpy mood.) It's not a great film by any means and it doesn't deserve to (and will not) win BP, but it does have its charms IMHO.

Is it just my imagination, or do quirky comedies (even well reviewed ones) generally not do well on this site? SLP this year, The Descendants last year, and (dare I say the name) Little Miss Sunshine. What was the reaction to Sideways?

[hurricanesmith]

I saw this a second time--a friend wanted to go--and really liked it. (The first time I had a cold and was in a pretty grumpy mood.) It's not a great film by any means and it doesn't deserve to (and will not) win BP, but it does have its charms IMHO.

Is it just my imagination, or do quirky comedies (even well reviewed ones) generally not do well on this site? SLP this year, The Descendants last year, and (dare I say the name) Little Miss Sunshine. What was the reaction to Sideways?

Sideways was more split, but it had its share of vocal detractors.

HS

[Souler]

Talea!

[erikdean]

Talea!

I almost want to hear her thought on SLP. Almost.

[Meegadeth]

I saw this a second time--a friend wanted to go--and really liked it. (The first time I had a cold and was in a pretty grumpy mood.) It's not a great film by any means and it doesn't deserve to (and will not) win BP, but it does have its charms IMHO.

Is it just my imagination, or do quirky comedies (even well reviewed ones) generally not do well on this site? SLP this year, The Descendants last year, and (dare I say the name) Little Miss Sunshine. What was the reaction to Sideways?

And oh my god the Juno reaction.

[steve4922]

And oh my god the Juno reaction.

Yeah, I forgot about that one.

[kissfromarose]

I started posting in this site during the Sideways year and I vividly remember people FURIOUS at the movie sweeping all the critics Awards.

Talea's siggie was the Sideways FYC with dozens and dozens of "WINNER of the whatever critics organisation" quotes and a text graphic plastered all over it that said "FUCK OFF!!!!!!"

Good times.

[ladylurks]

Well, at least part of the Sideways hate was because it stole Eternal Sunshine's thunder, and that's one comedy that most ADers loved.

[Orlean]

Eternal Sunshine is great, although I don't see it as a comedy. Sideways isn't that either. Dramedy fits better imo.
Haven't seen SLP yet, but from the contend it sounds like dramedy or is it really more on the "rom com" side?

[Aaron Leggo]

Haven't seen SLP yet, but from the contend it sounds like dramedy or is it really more on the "rom com" side?

It's pretty much a romantic comedy. Dramedy isn't far off either, though, since it certainly has its dramatic moments. But it follows the usual romantic comedy arc to a T.

For me, what I loved so much about the movie is how Russell takes the familiar rom com formula and makes it feel fresh and dramatically meaningful because he populates the story with such rich characters. I found it invigorating watching that formula unfold and yet caring so much because I loved the people onscreen. I absolutely adored the performances and was really moved by the Pat and Tiffany love story.

But yeah, it's formula in a big way. Loving the characters seems to be essential to accepting the cliches of the plot. I rolled my defense of the movie into my reply!

[russen18]

This was ok, I enjoyed it enough, but I dont see what all the hoopla is over. Lawrence is by far the standout, but her performance is not...and I repeat NOT oscar worthy of a win. Like for reals, anyone could have played this part. If she wins, I think it will be underserved. I kinda got what Tiffany was about, and did feel sorry for at times, but there was nothing to warrant a win in my opinion. Her work in HUNGER GAMES is more awards worthy that this. Overall it was good, maybe I need a second viewing. But yah, this one is definitley not the one to beat this year.

[Orlean]

It's pretty much a romantic comedy. Dramedy isn't far off either, though, since it certainly has its dramatic moments. But it follows the usual romantic comedy arc to a T.

For me, what I loved so much about the movie is how Russell takes the familiar rom com formula and makes it feel fresh and dramatically meaningful because he populates the story with such rich characters. I found it invigorating watching that formula unfold and yet caring so much because I loved the people onscreen. I absolutely adored the performances and was really moved by the Pat and Tiffany love story.

But yeah, it's formula in a big way. Loving the characters seems to be essential to accepting the cliches of the plot. I rolled my defense of the movie into my reply!

Ah, I see. Thanks for your explanation.
I hope to see it soon and then judge for myself.

[Dally]

I saw this last evening and loved it. I couldn't really put a finger on why I loved it, though, until I came into this thread and read Aaron Leggo's thoughts. And then, I got it: David O. Russell cons the audience into a romantic comedy. It's... brilliant in that way? Like, this shit could've been made through the studio mill and starred Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson and it would've sucked. Here, the audience is hoodwinked, almost lovingly so, with all the tropes and stereotypes and by the time that's realized, viewers are too taken to resist. I also immediately saw how easily this could've been a pseudo-screwball comedy from the 1930s: sure, it's not quite LOL and physical enough its presented form but the elements are right there. It's a comedy of marriage and un-marriage and Jackie Weaver is a step-away from Billie Burke or Binnie Barnes (imagine Fredric March and Carole Lombard in the leads). Silver Linings Playbook is not believable in the details like at all but quite beautifully universal in the emotion the extremes represent. I loved it.

While Bradley Cooper deserves so much praise (it is in a way quite a delicate performance), I have to really highlight Jennifer Lawrence for a second, too. The scene where Cooper reads the letter from his wife and the camera remains on Lawrence... wow. Her betrayal, arousal, guilt, love and shame all flashes across her face. Fantastic.

[lazarus]

While Bradley Cooper deserves so much praise (it is in a way quite a delicate performance), I have to really highlight Jennifer Lawrence for a second, too. The scene where Cooper reads the letter from his wife and the camera remains on Lawrence... wow. Her betrayal, arousal, guilt, love and shame all flashes across her face. Fantastic.

Pretty much how I feel. It's not so much all her line readings but her presence and reactions.

But I'm surprised you don't even have criticism for the ending, which is just way to conventionally written and directed, regardless of what you think Russell has "smuggled" in up to that point.

[nadine]

Speaking of the ending after reading the final script - I preferred the ending in the original script (which was closer to the book). Kind of surprised he changed it the way he did.

[Aaron Leggo]

I saw this last evening and loved it. I couldn't really put a finger on why I loved it, though, until I came into this thread and read Aaron Leggo's thoughts. And then, I got it: David O. Russell cons the audience into a romantic comedy. It's... brilliant in that way? Like, this shit could've been made through the studio mill and starred Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson and it would've sucked. Here, the audience is hoodwinked, almost lovingly so, with all the tropes and stereotypes and by the time that's realized, viewers are too taken to resist. I also immediately saw how easily this could've been a pseudo-screwball comedy from the 1930s: sure, it's not quite LOL and physical enough its presented form but the elements are right there. It's a comedy of marriage and un-marriage and Jackie Weaver is a step-away from Billie Burke or Binnie Barnes (imagine Fredric March and Carole Lombard in the leads). Silver Linings Playbook is not believable in the details like at all but quite beautifully universal in the emotion the extremes represent. I loved it.

While Bradley Cooper deserves so much praise (it is in a way quite a delicate performance), I have to really highlight Jennifer Lawrence for a second, too. The scene where Cooper reads the letter from his wife and the camera remains on Lawrence... wow. Her betrayal, arousal, guilt, love and shame all flashes across her face. Fantastic.

So glad to hear you loved this, Dally! And especially that you responded so positively to Russell's use of the romantic comedy formula. It really is a joy to see such a mechanical genre, often so stale and generic nowadays, suddenly be enriched by a great cast, a smart director, and some really potent emotion.

And yes, Lawrence is incredible here. The whole cast is excellent, but I really found Lawrence's performance to be exceptionally engaging and moving.

[Dally]

Pretty much how I feel. It's not so much all her line readings but her presence and reactions.

But I'm surprised you don't even have criticism for the ending, which is just way to conventionally written and directed, regardless of what you think Russell has "smuggled" in up to that point.

The ending worked for me, though I can appreciate where you are coming from I guess. I just see the film as slowly building on conventions and then throwing almost everything but the kitchen sink into the end. It's a "gotcha!" moment that, in way, feels almost like magic? I know that seems corny, especially coming from a sourpuss like me. I was quite taken with how Russell almost makes the ending a damn feel-good Christmas movie! I've read little about Silver Linings Playbook, though, and I didn't see it coming.

The filmmakers smartly tinker with the conventional, however. Like, Pat discovers something that Tiffany has done and in a much lesser film, his character would've done something quite different, imo. There would've been that big scene where everything hangs in the balance but Pat comes through in the end. Silver Linings Playbook twists this, shifting the energy back to Tiffany. Even then, there is no big denouement of character development. And that's something I adored: Pat and Tiffany come to (admittedly expected) realizations but Russell doesn't feel the need to spend time spelling out emotional trajectory. It just happens, especially for Pat. The audience gets to fill in the blanks and I loved this.

[Dally]

I will say Silver Linings Playbook misses quite a few opportunities for shirtless Bradley Cooper, though. SO I AM NOT SURE HOW BADLY COOPER WANTS THE OSCAR.

[Dave_ATC]

In my top 3 of the year - loved every second of the film. Lawrence continues to prove why she is the one of if not the best actress in Hollywood, and Cooper gives the best performance of his career.

[Michael_Bay]

Pretty much how I feel. It's not so much all her line readings but her presence and reactions.

But I'm surprised you don't even have criticism for the ending, which is just way to conventionally written and directed, regardless of what you think Russell has "smuggled" in up to that point.

Boy meets girl.

How many outcomes there is really ????

They both commit suicide ?

How edgy and not cliché : amazing !

Meanwhile, ARGO gets a free pas for its 30 minutes faux-suspense, artificial ending with more cliché than an 80's bad actionner ...