Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook

Director: David O'Russel
Written By: David O'Russel 
Photography: Masanobu Takayanagi 
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro.
Year: 2012
Country: USA 


    
 Picture the scene: I've just half heartedly purchased a ticket for Silver Linings Playbook, I've being forced to listen to the Aladdin OST while the screen fills up, I'm getting funny looks and laughs of people for being on my own and I know already that for two hours I'm going to have to sit through the most cynical piece of Oscar bait since Extremely Load and Incredibly Close.

 But something happened to me during Silver Linings Playbook where my reservations were overturned and I was completely won over by the film.

 Pat, played by Bradley Cooper, is diagnosed a with bipolar disorder and has spent time in a mental facility. Upon release he delusionally believes that is ex-lover is waiting for him to get better before they'll restart their relationship, despite a restraining order. Partly in an attempt to gain a link with his Ex-Wife, Pat strikes a friendship with an old acquaintance, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), now suffering from depression after the death of her husband.

 On paper the film seems very 'Hey let me tug at your heart strings.' And if it was directed by say... Cameron Crowe, it probably would be. But David O'Russel tones the film in an honest and sincere way that when you are effected by it's charm (and you will be) it's all natural.

 I personally see it as wrong to call Silver Linings Playbook a comedy about mental illness. What it is is a human drama, with comic moments where several of the characters are affected by mental illness. One of my concerns while sitting listing to A Whole New World was that the film wouldn't differentiate between being ill and just being quirky, but it was quite the contrary . What I really appreciate is that mental illness isn't the catalyst or the but of any joke. Take any of the jokes delivered by Bradley Cooper and give them to one of the many characters in the film not affected by illness and it would remain just as funny.

 The film is propelled by two central powerhouse performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence plus two brilliant mediating roles from Jacki Weaver and  Robert De Niro. Even Chris Tucker manages to be oddly engaging.    

  This good hearted winter-warmer makes the perfect film for a Christmas trip to the cinema. And make sure to see it now, because it will be the film everybody's talking about come February.    

Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Photography: Robert Elswit.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. 

Year: 2002.  

County: USA.

 Punch-Drunk Love is the fourth film from my man-crush Paul Thomas Anderson. Or PT, as he lets me call him (in my mind).  

 Lets get this straight to star with: Adam Sandler movies suck, in general anyway. And nobody likeable likes Adam Sandler. But Punch-Drunk Love is an exception, as is Funny People and as I understand, although I haven't seen it, Reign Over Me. Surprisingly, he gives a good performance in this, too. Sandler does actually have the capability of being a good actor, but much like Nicolas Cage, has a tendency to overplay his characters.

 The rule of thumb for Adam Sandler movies: If he wrote/directed/produced - avoid. Just acted - probably terrible, small chance it might be good. 

 Philip Seymour Hoffman, who's one of my favourite actors, also stars, although one of my major disappointments with Punch-Drunk Love is that he's not in it nearly enough. I'm really exited to see him and PT Anderson working together again later this year in The Master. 

 As well Phillip Seymour Hoffman it also stars Emily Watson, who I don't always like, but do in this. 

 Paul Thomas Anderson's direction is masterful, he's often crowned as the new Kubrick or new Altman, which are defiantly fair statements. Every part of its direction is fantastic, from stage direction to sound design. 

 Anderson worked on the sound for the movie with composer Jon Brion from pre-production to post to created a fantastic track. There's a drum beat that plays continually for about 10+ minutes that makes you feel like you've been doing half an hour of a treadmill (I imagine, I've never exercised In my life). Near the end I was literally screaming at the screen for it to stop. 

 There's also a interesting use colour in the film. For example Adam Sandler's famous blue suit that he wears throughout represents sadness, red represents danger and white isolation.  

 Romantic-Comedy is a sub-genre that's been tarnished by many terrible rom-coms in a post-There's Something About Mary world. With the abundances of Katherine Heigl movies in cinemas it's sometimes hard to forget that romantic comedies have to potential to be When Harry Met Sally-great (Now is a good time to give thought to the late Nora Ephron). Punch-Drunk Love isn't great, but it's good, and worthy of many laughs and multiple viewings.