Silver Linings Playbook(2012)- User Reviews

"Silver Linings Playbook" is brilliant! This is how the story goes: Pat Solatano has lost everything -- his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother and father after spending eight months is a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet - and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

The cast led by Bradley Cooper (solidly impressive, Oscar-nominated as Pat) (also executive produced), Jennifer Lawrence (in another impressively crafted, Oscar-nominated performance as Tiffany), Robert De Niro (Oscar-nominated superb as Pat Sr.), Jacki Weaver (Oscar-nominated solid as Dolores) & Chris Tucker (also solid as Danny) is brilliant. The directing & screenplay (Oscar-nominated) (based on the novel by Matthew Quick) by David O. Russell is brilliant.

The music by Danny Elfman is brilliant. The cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi is brilliant. The film editing (Oscar-nominated) by Jay Cassidy & Crispin Struthers is brilliant. The casting by Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu is brilliant. The production design by Judy Becker is brilliant. The art direction by Jesse Rosenthal is brilliant. The set decoration by Heather Loeffler is brilliant. The costume design by Mark Bridges is brilliant. The visual effects coordinated by Holt Lindenberger & supervised by Ed Mendez is brilliant. The stunts coordinated by Ben Bray is brilliant.

This is a brilliant well-crafted film that is entertaining and well-made. Bradley Cooper gives his best performance to date as Pat, which just gave him his first Oscar nomination, Jennifer Lawrence, more or less, surpasses her "Winter's Bone" performance, in another impressively crafted (recently, Golden-Globe winning) performance as Tiffany, a character that is very much different for Lawrence's "Winter's Bone" performance of Ree Dolly, which earned her first Oscar nomination. Robert De Niro surprises as well in another well-crafted and well-deserved Oscar performance as Pat Sr. David O. Russell has directed and written another screenplay that is well-crafted and well-done, both of them deserving of their Oscar nominations that they have received. This is one of the best films of the recently-done holiday season, close to a month gone, and it is also one of the best films of the recently-done year, all deserving of the awards consideration that the film and its stars and director-writer have received to date, thus far.