Silver Linings Playbook Review

Can this Best Picture Oscar nominee impress despite its defeat?
When approaching a motion picture film such as Silver Linings Playbook, a film which its promotional campaign seems to market plainly as a standard 'rom-com', it's near impossible not to be skeptical. Indeed, more than most romantic dramas nowadays, the movie seems to live on playing on the expectations of its audience, and it works wonder. You might not expect it, but Silver Linings will probably be one of the greatest films you'll see in 2013, and since I'm including it in this year's roster, it'll be a new contender for the Film Of The Year crown.

What's Playbook's greatest strength? Without a shadow of a doubt, it's by far the cast. Jennifer Lawrence is well-deserving of her Best Actress victory at last night's Academy Awards, owning her role as a detached widow who longs for passion and success. We shouldn't neglect the other big Oscar nominee stars, though- both lead Bradley Cooper and his supporting actor Robert De Niro are marvellous in their portrayals of a OCD-ridden young adult and a father desperate to reclaim his paternal relationship respectively. These are by far the standout performances of the production, and they're the elements that serve the biggest contribution to the film's overall success.

Mind you, the narrative does a lot of the job. Adapted from the 2008 novel of the same title by Matthew Quick, Playbook focuses on Cooper's protagonist as he leaves his assigned medical hospital and struggles to adapt back into usual society- yet he finds hope and love in ways that he never thought possible. There are plenty of cunning twists in the narrative, unusual in the core of romantic drama motion pictures such as these, and the script utilises its best actorial assets to their full potential. There's innovation, there's heart, there's uplifting soul to the film, everything that's required of an Oscar Best Picture nominee and yet plenty more besides for the regular viewer.

It would be churlish to pick out many true shortcomings in this rather stunning surprise masterpiece, yet for the sake of reason, I'll just note that with Lawrence, Cooper and De Niro making such an impact on the film's overall quality, it could be argued that it's a shame there aren't many other notable performances. Nevertheless, Silver Linings Playbook remains an absolutely incredible achievement for both the genre of romantic drama and the film industry as a whole- Jennifer Lawrence takes her experiences from The Hunger Games and transforms them into something more substantial than we ever could have anticipated, breathing new life into the Oscars and into the audience. Make sure you're among that group when this uplifting masterclass of filmic vision hits DVD and Blu-Ray retailers, because it's an opportunity viewers would be absolutely foolish to pass up.
5/5