Silver Linings Playbook Review

The Plot:

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

The Good:

The performances, Jennifer Lawrence (Tiffany) Bradley Cooper (Patrick) and Robert De Niro (Patrick Snr) each show fantastic turns and deadpan comedy in this crowd pleasing, unconventional romance story. With such an excellent cast it’s great that the film has a simple setting focused firmly on those performances.

The film’s central figure is Cooper’s character Patrick, a man who’s just spent 8 months in a mental institute because he nearly beat his wife’s lover to death after discovering their affair. Finally released and convinced he’s cured, Pat is fiercely determined to get back to work and reconnect with his estranged wife. Nothing can distract Pat form his obsessive goals, until he meets Tiffany.

Jennifer Lawrence yet again demonstrates an accomplished acting prowess, getting to grips with a character just as complicated as Cooper’s, but not as naïve… The troubled bond between them becomes a captivating “will they, wont they” battleground of emotion as the story progresses.

Silver Linings Playbook is essentially focused on a close knit community of friends and family, who know a little too much about each other but nevertheless are striving to do the right thing by each other. Patrick and Tiffany are both clearly equally detached from the claustrophobic but loving environment that surrounds them.

Robert De Niro delivers a notably fantastic turn as Patrick Snr, Pat’s short tempered OCD suffering father. Accepting but overly worried about his son’s illness, he’s a soft sided character that audience will find warm and charming. The character may also be a reminder for many people of the actual relationships within their own family units.

The film also boasts credible dead pan comedic performances from Julia Stiles and Chris Tucker; providing light relief as a “have it all wife” and “mental institute escapee.”

The Bad:

Silver Linings Playbook doesn’t have any damning faults, thanks in large part to strong performances which hold an excellently executed story together. However, there may be some concerns about exactly what type of audience the film will really appeal to.

The film doesn’t fall neatly into the easy category of ‘romantic comedy’ and audiences looking for a familiar feel good fix may be a little put off by the film’s more serious undertones about mental health. Likewise the way the film gradually replaces an early focus on that theme with humor and predictable romance may leave people hoping for a more serious examination of a challenging issue a little unsatisfied. Blending comedy with the drama of mental health issues is also obviously sensitive territory. It’s a fine line between laughing with and at someone with an affliction.

Though the film gets a lot of things very right, some motion sickness inducing early camerawork and an increasingly predictable story may stop it becoming a treasured favorite.

The Ugly Truth:

Silver Linings Playbook is definitely worth a watch and should leave you happily charmed by the end. Cooper and Lawrence are understandably firm favorites for male and female audiences. There’s definitely some fantastic sparing and romantic chemistry between the talented pair in this film. However if you’re looking for a meaningful examination of the challenges and stigma of mental health issues you may need to look elsewhere.

 

Disney May Be Buying Hasbro

Rumours are beginning to circulate that Disney is considering following their sensational acquisition of Lucasfilm, Marvel and Pixar with talks to acquire Toy Company Hasbro.

Acquiring Hasbro would bring even more lucrative franchises ad merchandise lines within Disney’s rapidly expanding library. Transformers, My Little Pony and G.I. Joe would be just some of the lucrative franchises that would come with any acquisition.

While admitting it remains only a rumour MTV claims that they:

“have it on good authority that serious discussions are happening at the highest levels of both Disney and Hasbro to fold the largest toy and game company on the planet into the Mouse.”

The move would be totally in character with Disney’s recent strategy of aggressively acquiring successful rivals and firmly cementing their virtual monopoly on global entertainment. However it’s unlikely that having just spent $4billion dollars acquiring Lucasfilm and Star Wars that any move for Hasbro would come so soon.

Another potential stumbling block would be that Hasbro already has many of their most lucrative franchises in active development with other studios, so it would be very difficult for Disney to gain effective control of those most valuable assets quickly.

Harrison Ford Open To New Star Wars Films

Mark Hamill had already revealed that he and Carrie Fisher spoke to George Lucas about the new Star Wars Sequels as early as August. Now Entertainment Weekly is reporting that a ‘highly placed souce’ has hinted that Harrison Ford is not only open to the idea of reprising his classic role as charismatic space smuggler Han Solo but actually enthusiastic about the prospect.

“Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of [the original leads] are.”

As fervent fan speculation continues the question remains whether the original cast would be key figures in the new trilogy or merely background cast to a younger generation of lightsaber wielding heroes form a galaxy far far away.

Nicolas Cage Joins Expendables 3 Cast

Sylvester Stallone has confirmed via his own Facebook page that Nicolas Cage has joined the cast of the inevitable Expendables 3 sequel. Cage has long be one of the names Stallone admitted he wanted to pursue for the next testosterone packed action ensemble piece.

Stallone has been widely advertising  a potential wish-list that includes Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford and Wesley Snipes. Though Eastwood might be a tough target, given their recent track records perhaps Ford and Snipes wouldn’t be quite as unrealistic.

Here’s what Sly had to say in his oddly incoherent statement:

“We have confirmed Nicolas Cage, a master actor who gives a veneer intellectual group. Hopefully we can realize to Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke. That is the great mission of the producer. We will continue with the same narrative scheme, the agility and the frenzy, which are inherent to the saga. What will definitely be the last? I can not guarantee. In principle it would be two deliveries, but the affection of the people encouraged us to work on a third. I guess as long as we amused ourselves by offering fun and people, we can continue playing ‘The Expendables’. For now we are not as expendable as it should and as some critics want.”

First Image of Last Vegas Cast

Here’s our first official image of Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Klein in character for new comedy film Last Vegas. The quartet of aging stars play four best friends in their late-60′s who decide to escape retirement and throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one of them who has remained single.

This early peek continues to suggest that Last Vegas will indeed shamelessly combine the lucratively popular genres of grumpy old men shenanigans with Hangover style hi-jinks. Although to be fair the title, cast list and initial synopsis should have been your first clues.

Director Jon Turteltaub who previously gave us Cool Runnings, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and National Treasure is the person responsible for whether or not Last Vegas makes you chuckle about old age. Expect those laughs to be mostly fueled by inevitable viagra jokes and Robert De Niro‘s grimacing face.