Are you ready for some dancing?
Are you ready for some mental illness?!
Welcome Back to Rated D!
This week we threw a huddle, fumbled our tickets, and touchdowned
some tailgates so we could superbowl the new movie "Silver Linings
Playbook". (Impressed with the
technical jargon?) SPOILER ALERT: A bipolar Bradley Cooper and severely
depressed Jennifer Lawrence must work together to beat their afflictions and
reacclimate themselves into society.
So, just last week as I began to talk about all of the long
anticipated, sweeping epics that would soon crowd your local multiplex, I
happen to give in to my curiosity and check out this romantic-comedy-drama… and
I am really happy that I did.
The movie’s premise is doomed to fail right out of the gate: two uber-attractive people suffering from
debilitating psychological and emotional trauma develop an unlikely
relationship while practicing for… here’s the hook… a dance competition! It’s like “Gigli 2: The Next Generation”.
If only…
But no, somehow… some way… it turns out to be one of the best
movies of the year!
We kick off the story (where
all hilarious films begin) in a mental institution in Philly with Pat,
played by Bradley Cooper (The Hangover,
Limitless), just being released into the custody of his parents. With no verbal filter on top of near violent
episodes triggered by the song “My Cheri,
Amor”, it would be easy for us to grow instantly annoyed and unsympathetic
to our main character, but Cooper’s maturity as an actor shines as he proves to
be more than just a pretty face… and those eyes… those eyes… wait…where am I… oh yes…
On top of his bipolar disorder, Pat’s life is complicated further
by a restraining order from his estranged wife, tense interactions with stressed
out friends, and a codependent relationship with his football fanatic father,
played by Robert DeNiro (Casino, Meet the
Parents). DeNiro’s turn as an OCD bookie,
playing off his own instabilities as rituals or superstitions, is engaging and
sincere; as is the performance of his denial stricken wife, played by Jacki
Weaver (Animal Kingdom, The Five-Year
Engagement). Weaver does an
excellent job balancing the fragile-matriarchal strength and almost wishful
obliviousness of her husband’s own afflictions.
Then just as you wonder how the family will survive, Katniss
volunteers for the Hunger Games with little more than a bow and arrow and a
unbreakable spirit… uh… I mean, we meet the depressed, widow Tiffany, played by
Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games,
Winter’s Bone). Though her tortured
character can often times be harsh and selfish, Lawrence nails it, keeping us
rooting for her while at the same time illustrating how complicated loss, love,
and sex can be to one in such a dark state.
A sharply funny script from Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, I Heart Huckabees), who never lets the seriousness of mental
illness become the punch-line, paired with the chemistry between Cooper and
Lawrence really makes this unique, quirk filled film succeed. Often times you find yourself laughing
directly into a cringe-inducing argument, but things never go so far as to lose
the audience to the dark side or downplay the severity of source material.
Like I said, it’s a film that by all means, shouldn’t work, yet
somehow, it does and then some. But
maybe that’s like all recoveries and trying times; it never seem like it’s
going to get better, but most of time, often inexplicably, it does.
D's Recommendation - 4 out of 5 – There’s something for everyone! Football, dancing, and cringe-inducing
psychotic episodes.
D's LIST
"Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal"
Movies featuring Christmas and Action!
1. Reindeer Games (2000) – Why did they let Poor Affleck join in
these Reindeer Games? I guess if you
said it was an action packed heist flick with Gary Sinise, Ben Affleck, and
Charlize Theron trying to rob a casino on Christmas, it would be hard to turn
down. Think of it as "Ocean's 11", only terrible.
2. Batman Returns (1992) – Also known as The Last of the Mo-Keatons, and by 'also known as' I mean 'I call it
that', this was Michael Keatons last portrayal of the Caped Crusader. With the Penguin attacking Gotham, Catwoman
terrorizing Batman, and Christopher Walken… just being Walken, it’s the perfect
Christmas movie*!
*From the Corrections Department: It's a movie!
3. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (2005)
– If you haven’t seen this black-comedy-noir, detective flick with Robert
Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer, you don’t know what you’re missletoeing… that
worked right? This unconventional,
oddball flick is as hilarious as it is a really fun mystery.
4. Lethal Weapon (1987) – And eighteen years before "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang", Writer Shane
Black brought us this other fun Christmas action flick. Think you’re too old for this $#!%, think
again! It’s a perfect example of what
late eighties/early nineties action movies were all about: one-liners, body counts, and Christmas
time. Speaking of which…
5. Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) – Probably the worst of the franchise… it certainly has the
most naked bad guy practicing karate in the first few minutes of the film… but
alas, it screams Christmas! With crowded
holiday travel, “Ode to Joy” looming
under every scene, and a title which even translates from Russian into “A Hard Nut to Crack”, no holiday season
is complete without a Yippee-Kay-Ay to us, everyone!
Rated DVD -
Ted -
I was skeptical to check out what I thought was going to be “Peter Griffin as a bear and Chris Griffin
being played by Mark Wahlberg for two hours”, but I was pleasantly, if not
extremely crassly, surprised.
When a little boys Christmas wish turns his Teddy Bear into a
walking, talking best friend, life seems great… flash-forward a couple of decades
and we see why no one talks about the sequel to The Velveteen Rabbit. Essentially the movie becomes a familiar
arrested development, raunchfest comedy with the same romantic plotlines and
stakes, but Seth MacFarlane is as
entertaining as always and that socially inept, foul-mouthed bear manages to crack you up consistently
from start to finish.
As with most MacFarlane and Wahlberg tales, the story takes place
in New England (Boston specifically) and therefore is filled with lots of fun
regional jokes and jabs, but it’s still amusing for anyone who isn’t easily
offended by some good ‘ol fashioned vulgarity.
Next Time on Rated D...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Yeah,
yeah, yeah… I’m getting to it. I just
haven’t had a spare sixteen hours to spare.
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