David O. Russell, straight from his success with The Fighter (2010) gives us a fresh new screwball comedy about two unstable people who help each other through their respective issues. The cast is exceptional with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence taking lead which is for me what makes this film so good, as in the hands of lesser talent the film could have been just another typical comedy-drama. Read on after the jump to see why I loved this film...
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher and John Ortiz.
Running Time: 122 Minutes
Suffering from bipolar disorder Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is surprisingly positive and upbeat for a man recently released from a mental institution and being under a restraining order from his ex-wife. He is clearly in a manic state for the most part and determined to reunite with his ex-wife he begins fervently reading all the books on her English teaching syllabus. The main hiccup with his plan is the last time Pat saw his wife he almost beat the man she was having an affair with to death leading to his time in residence at a mental health facility. In his quest for rebuilding his life Pat meets Tiffany, played by the fantastic Jennifer Lawrence, who similarly has demons of her own to contend with.
Tiffany is a young widow who since her police officer husband died has been sleeping around and also trying to find her balance in life. The narrative follows the two characters as they work through their problems and find a renewed sense of purpose in each other. Pat also has to rebuild his relationship with his parents; his Dad Pat Sr played by the legendary Robert De Niro and his caring dutiful mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver). His parents are very supportive and although they are still struggling with Pat's illness they do their best to help him through it. His mother is no stranger to mental issues as Pat Sr has pretty severe OCD especially when it comes to his beloved Philadelphia Eagles football team. Since Pat was away a lot has changed, his father has lost his job and become a bookie which links in with Pat's story line quite nicely. You see Pat makes a deal with Tiffany that he will help her with an upcoming dance competition if she will get a note to his ex-wife who her sister is friends with. This leads Pat Sr to make a huge bet that features the unlikely combination of football and dance.
The main strength of this film is the cast who are superb as in lesser capable hands it could have been a very different movie. The casting reads like a dream team roster of Academy Award nominees mixed with fine comedic talent. Bradley Cooper has great comic timing and really impressed me in this film. He plays the bipolar disorder with skill and does not make it cartoonish or unnecessarily extreme and over the top. Rather he plays it as someone obsessed with getting his wife back and the many tasks that will help him do this; to get fit, read all the books she loves and be the best version of himself. Cooper makes the audience fall in love with Pat and you really root for him to get a happy ending. Supporting Cooper is Jennifer Lawrence who has quickly become a favourite of mine. Lawrence excelled in her Academy Award nominated role in 2010s Winter's Bone, kicked ass in X-Men First Class (2011) and made The Hunger Games (2012) the success it was. It is amazing that Lawrence is only 22 years old as she brings so much believability to a role which requires an emotional depth much more than the usual roles offered to a typical 22 year old Hollywood actress. It is no surprise that Rolling Stones magazine called her 'the most talented young actress in America' and with her performance in this film I do not believe anyone will argue with that statement. Tiffany is a troubled young woman who is desperate to feel again since her husband's death and after looking in all the wrong places finally finds Pat, her kindred spirit. It is also nice to see Robert De Niro in a role to which his talent deserves as here he does not have a huge part to play but he steals pretty much every scene he is in. One of my favourite scenes in the entire film involves a frantic conversation in the living room of the family home which is full to the brim of the majority of the cast with a back and forth mainly between De Niro and Lawrence in which the big bet is decided. In the scene Lawrence holds her own with De Niro and the two play off each other with skill and poise. Playing De Niro's wife is Jacki Weaver who blew me away in Animal Kingdom in 2010. Weaver again plays the matriarch but this time to a very different family to that of Animal Kingdom. Dolores is sweet and clearly loves her family and does whatever she can to help them.
Even down to the smaller roles of Chris Tucker as Danny, Pat's friend from the mental health facility, Anupam Kher as his therapist Dr Patel and John Ortiz as his old friend Ronnie are perfect for their roles. While they may start as stereotypes or extremes by the end of the film the characters are endeared to the audience whole heartedly.
David O. Russell's screenplay gives the stellar cast a brilliant narrative in which to explore their characters. The snappy dialogue reminded me of Classic Hollywood films with the narrative style taking on an almost diluted screwball comedy style with a dash of drama. The audience is well aware of the romantic comedy-drama conventions at work but even though superficially it is your typical narrative with all the bells and whistles it feels refreshing and original which is both a sign of a skilled cast and excellent writing on Russell's part. The familiar plot points are done so well you can forgive any cliches as you really want the characters to just be happy, a task that is not easily achieved.
Final Verdict
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| Pat meets his match in Tiffany |
The main strength of this film is the cast who are superb as in lesser capable hands it could have been a very different movie. The casting reads like a dream team roster of Academy Award nominees mixed with fine comedic talent. Bradley Cooper has great comic timing and really impressed me in this film. He plays the bipolar disorder with skill and does not make it cartoonish or unnecessarily extreme and over the top. Rather he plays it as someone obsessed with getting his wife back and the many tasks that will help him do this; to get fit, read all the books she loves and be the best version of himself. Cooper makes the audience fall in love with Pat and you really root for him to get a happy ending. Supporting Cooper is Jennifer Lawrence who has quickly become a favourite of mine. Lawrence excelled in her Academy Award nominated role in 2010s Winter's Bone, kicked ass in X-Men First Class (2011) and made The Hunger Games (2012) the success it was. It is amazing that Lawrence is only 22 years old as she brings so much believability to a role which requires an emotional depth much more than the usual roles offered to a typical 22 year old Hollywood actress. It is no surprise that Rolling Stones magazine called her 'the most talented young actress in America' and with her performance in this film I do not believe anyone will argue with that statement. Tiffany is a troubled young woman who is desperate to feel again since her husband's death and after looking in all the wrong places finally finds Pat, her kindred spirit. It is also nice to see Robert De Niro in a role to which his talent deserves as here he does not have a huge part to play but he steals pretty much every scene he is in. One of my favourite scenes in the entire film involves a frantic conversation in the living room of the family home which is full to the brim of the majority of the cast with a back and forth mainly between De Niro and Lawrence in which the big bet is decided. In the scene Lawrence holds her own with De Niro and the two play off each other with skill and poise. Playing De Niro's wife is Jacki Weaver who blew me away in Animal Kingdom in 2010. Weaver again plays the matriarch but this time to a very different family to that of Animal Kingdom. Dolores is sweet and clearly loves her family and does whatever she can to help them.
Even down to the smaller roles of Chris Tucker as Danny, Pat's friend from the mental health facility, Anupam Kher as his therapist Dr Patel and John Ortiz as his old friend Ronnie are perfect for their roles. While they may start as stereotypes or extremes by the end of the film the characters are endeared to the audience whole heartedly.
David O. Russell's screenplay gives the stellar cast a brilliant narrative in which to explore their characters. The snappy dialogue reminded me of Classic Hollywood films with the narrative style taking on an almost diluted screwball comedy style with a dash of drama. The audience is well aware of the romantic comedy-drama conventions at work but even though superficially it is your typical narrative with all the bells and whistles it feels refreshing and original which is both a sign of a skilled cast and excellent writing on Russell's part. The familiar plot points are done so well you can forgive any cliches as you really want the characters to just be happy, a task that is not easily achieved.
Final Verdict
A fine edition to the David O. Russell filmography, with a stellar cast who make the film a modern classic of humour, drama and romance. For me it ticked all the boxes and I would highly recommend it to anyone. This film will make you laugh, cry and all the fun stuff in between.
9/10
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