Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Well I guess this makes three of the 2013 Best Picture nominees that I've see so far along with Zero Dark Thirty and Argo.

Silver Linings Playbook is certainly the most cliche of those I've seen so far.  It contains all the usual Oscar tropes that you would expect.  Everyone is damaged in some way--from Bradley Cooper's unemployed bipolar-ism, to Jennifer Lawrence's character who has lost a husband tragically to Robert DeNiro's anger problems and sports obsession.  The true message of the film seems to be that everyone is damaged in some way and we all have to deal with it the best we can.

The film is well put together and well acted, it just follows many of the same plot lines we've seen over and over and over and over...Boy loses girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl again, boy realizes he's been with the wrong girl, boy gets back with the right girl who has been there all along, they live happily ever after.  Seriously after watching the first ten minutes of the film (or even just the previews) who didn't know how the whole thing would unfold?

Direction wise, David O. Russell has likely inked a number of deals on the back of this film due to it being such a huge financial success but it really is unremarkable from that aspect and I haven't truly liked what he has put together in his career other than Three Kings.  Silver Linings Playbook is a decent throwaway film destined for endless reruns on TNT or other cable outlets as its so harmless and retread as to equate to baby formula.  Watch it with your wife/girlfriend...she'll likely enjoy it, and forget about it two days later.