The most startling thing about Silver Linings Playbook is its complete embrace of being unhinged. A film that revolves around mental health issues should feel unpredictable, even if people stubbornly want to shoehorn the film into the romantic comedy genre. Let me be clear here, then, that I never felt Silver Linings fell into that genre. In fact, it doesn’t play fair. This isn’t a neat film. When Jennifer Lawrence’s Tiffany is introduced to Bradley Cooper’s Pat, we see his gaze drift to her breasts ever so casually. When he looks up, we see recognition in her eyes. She doesn’t admonish him there, but later we understand this attention isn’t uncommon for her nor unwanted. Which is…
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Interview…’Silver Linings Playbook’ Writer Matthew Quick
David O. Russell‘s vivacious new film, Silver Linings Playbook, is perhaps his best yet. While being full of charm and humor, it also has something to say about how fragile the mind is and what this world can do to someone on the brink. Bolstered by a barrier-breaking performance by Jennifer Lawrence and a surprisingly great turn by Bradley Cooper, the film will both shock and bewitch you. A lot of what Russell displays on the screen, however, is drawn from the novel of the same name by writer Matthew Quick, who was gracious enough to recently sit down with me to discuss the mixed emotions of watching his book on screen, his thoughts on…
