Based on the novel by Matthew Quick, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a man recently released from a mental institution who goes back to live with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver). While in his old neighbourhood-where he wears a garbage bag while jogging, Pat connects with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman with issues of her own and a recently deceased husband. Meet-cutes and montages abound, as does some dancing and the best Ernest Hemingway joke this side of ‘Midnight in Paris’. What makes ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ look so interesting, though, is the real-life stakes for its cast. Lawrence, fresh from breaking out as Katniss Everdeen in ‘The Hunger Games’, returns to her indie-ish roots with a messy character that might not come her way again in the near future. Cooper, long the next great Hollywood leading man, finally seems to have a chance to showcase his pre-‘Hangover’ everyman-ness (see ‘Alias’) instead of his post-‘Hangover’ snark (see ‘Limitless’). And De Niro; oh, De Niro! He appears to be at the top of his game here. Serious question: Is De Niro better in the ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ than in any movie in the last decade? Plus, there’s Chris Tucker, co-starring in his first non-‘Rush Hour’ movie since ‘Jackie Brown’ in 1997.
