Silver Linings - DVD

Film: Eight months is enough! Despite doctors strongly advising him not to, Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) leaves the mental institution he was committed to after brutally beating up his wife's lover, after the court-ordered time. Now there is only one goal for Pat: he wants his Nikki back. With no job, no house, and a restraining order, that's not so easy. While he is forced to move back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), he tries against all odds to get his life back on track. But then he meets young Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has also been completely thrown off course after the sudden death of her husband. She offers to help him get in touch with Nikki. In return, Pat is to accompany her to a dance competition. In order to do that, however, Pat has to learn how to dance first. And that brings him and Tiffany closer in a way that reveals an unexpected silver lining on a previously bleak horizon...

Two years after his two-time Oscar winner The Fighter, David O. Russell delivers a more than fitting follow-up with Silver Linings. Based on the best-selling book The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, Russell has crafted a wonderfully unsentimental blend of drama, comedy and romance that delights with wonderfully drawn characters, quirky humour and genuine emotion far removed from any form of kitsch or cliché. Admittedly, some scenes in which Pat's somewhat neurotic family engages in fierce verbal sparring seem a bit overdone and exhausting. But these are admittedly only very small clouds in an otherwise almost perfect sky.

The film is carried not only by its wonderful script, but also by the perfectly cast actors. Bradley Cooper delivers an extremely multi-faceted, Oscar-worthy performance. Whether it's Pat's freak-out while reading a Hemingway novel, his first non-date with Tiffany, or his unwavering enthusiasm in his quest to win Nikki back, Cooper does a first-rate job of bringing this difficult character to life with quirky charm and emotional complexity. Even though Pat doesn't always show particular sensitivity towards his fellow man, and especially Tiffany, and vehemently refuses to face reality, his character always remains sympathetic thanks to Cooper's engaging performance, which is hugely important to the film's success.

Jennifer Lawrence's performance is on par with Bradley Cooper's fine performance. She perfectly manages to believably portray Tiffany as outwardly cynical, strong and emotionally detached, but in reality extremely vulnerable and filled with enormous sadness and longing. With this stirring performance Lawrence proves that she is an extremely versatile and really good actress, who almost incidentally also exudes a fair amount of sex appeal. The Oscar was more than deserved.

Neben this great duo, the rest of the cast admittedly go a little under. Whether it's a wonderfully quirky Robert de Niro who wows as Pat's extremely superstitious father, or Chris Tucker as Pat's buddy from the psych ward who never misses an opportunity to storm out of the asylum, almost all of the supporting cast deliver quite great performances. However, they just can't compete against the two leads and the sizzling chemistry that exists between them. This may sound a bit negative, but in the end it is absolutely appropriate to the story and also to the production.

Silver Linings manages the feat of dealing with inherently heavy topics such as the death of a loved one, depression or adultery with an infectious lightness of touch, without sacrificing a certain dramatic depth. David O. Russell has created a hilarious, bittersweet and touching comedy that in the end shows that there is always a glimmer of hope even in the darkest of times. Undoubtedly the most beautifully unromantic romance since (500) Days of Summer and one of the highlights of the 2013 film year, it's absolutely worth seeing!!!!

Picture + Sound: The DVD's picture pleases with a warm, engaging color scheme and a clean look that's supported by good overall sharpness and coherent contrast. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is primarily carried by the powerfully mixed dialogue and music, with the surround channels rarely really pushed hard. Only minor sound effects like the breaking of a window pane and atmospheric ambient noises add some movement to the tonal proceedings. For a quiet comedy like this, though, that's perfectly adequate. Good!

Extras: The DVD available for review unfortunately had no bonus material to offer apart from the trailer and other programme tips. However, a making of, cut scenes, a look at dance training and a dance class video have been announced for the purchase version.

Conclusion: Silver Linings is a wonderful blend of comedy and drama that scores points with a perfectly harmonizing duo of actors, a great script and, above all, touching romance beyond well-trodden kitsch paths. Countless nominations and wins at various film awards and the good performance at the international box office are therefore more than deserved. Therefore, there is also for the DVD a more than deserved: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp