Just saw "Silver Linings Playbook" and I liked it ... Very eccentric movie; at times I didn't know whether to laugh or be serious at a particular moment.
Though, it kept me aware at every minute. Rarely any sluggish parts, which I found very important.
Bradley Cooper's Peformance as "Pat": Very believable, playing a person with a mental illness.
Bradley Cooper plays a mental patient - that prior, catches his wife cheating on him, which drove him into insanity and to a psychiatric hospital.
He looked literally insane. Cooper was stubborn, antsy, paranoid and angry. Even the way he stared at the other characters' eyes without looking away while talking, was very intimidating and scary.
But was enough for Cooper to win an Oscar ? -- I don't think so. In the beginning of Silver Linings he was great, but then his character wore off at the end, as he was getting better with the illness. Pat, his character, faded away as the other cast made their entries in the movie. He got overshadowed once Jennifer Lawrence made her debut in the movie.
Jennifer Lawrence's Performance as "Tiffany": Outstanding. She was better than Cooper, I think.
Would not be surprised if Lawrence wins for best actress.
Lawrence made this movie great, in the second half. Without her, it would've gotten nowhere. She kept the movie going. I don't think anyone could have played "Tiffany" as good as Lawrence. She was simply amazing.
She plays Tiffany, whose this widow that's dark, sexy, sad, fragil, (sexually) easy, shameless and high unbalanced because of the pain of the lost of her husband. Tiffany was in a dark room, and was desperate to be loved correctly, and needed someone to guide her through the right path.
I haven't seen "Zero Dark Thirty", who Jessica Chastain is also nominated for actress in a leading role and many feel might come out the winner -- so I can't 'for sure' say Lawrence is going to win it.
Robert De Niro Performance as "Pat.Sr": Tremendous ... Well, is that anything new?
Robert De Niro played the father of Cooper, Pat.Sr. He played a father who loved his son and wanted his son to get better; and was worried every time he'd leave the house.
The one thing I found so authentic from De Niro and made me feel he could win an Oscar -- I saw a little bit of the anger and annoyance his son had, in the father. I saw glimpses of son in him. Which made me believe why his son was the way he was. I really De Niro was Cooper's father. To do that -- and I don't know if anyone else saw that while watching Sliver Lining -- is incredible.
I never saw De Niro win for "Godfather 2" in 1974. I never saw him win for "Raging Bull" in 1980. But boy, would I love to him win one more, so I can get a chance to see him walk on stage.
