Silver Linings Playbook - Movie Review

Lawrence and Cooper - stars or out of their depth?

The review I ought to have written about seven months ago... better late than never!

Silver Linings Playbook is a film that entered the cultural zeitgeist suddenly with a string of seemingly sudden nominations during awards season. When all eyes were on Lincoln, Les Misérables and Argo, this unassuming indie romcom rushed up and demanded attention. Did it deserve its nominations and the awards that it won, or is this a case of the Academy getting it wrong?

The film opens with Bradley Cooper as a patient in a mental hospital. Initially, there's doubt. Bradley Cooper is best known for The Hangover trilogy and thus taking him seriously in a dramatic role is difficult - but following his performance here he's paved the way for a serious career. He displays both naivety in regards to his illness but there's also a fractured and angry side to him that you can see bubbling under the surface in nearly every scene he is. He's excellent at portraying the unpredictability of mental illness and he shines throughout.

You talking to me?

The film details how Cooper as Pat struggles to readjust to life outside of a mental hospital. He's trying to get healthier, but mentions of his wife, who caused Pat's psychotic breakdown after he found her cheating, cause Pat to deteriorate further. His father, played by Robert de Niro seems to have more time for his "job" betting on football matches than he does for his son. de Niro for the first time in some time wakes up for this role. His disappointment at himself for losing his job is directed towards his son yet at the same time his fatherly instinct remains. It's refreshing to see de Niro in a role where he can act seriously. It feels like too long since we've seen him not in a comedic capacity, and he shows once again why he's one of the all-time greats here. He elicits sympathy for Pat, who at times can be difficult to empathise with as he's such an erratic character. Enter Jennifer Lawrence.

Jennifer Lawrence is on a whole other level from the rest of the film. She elevates what essentially is a quirky romcom with some dark themes pervading it to something special. She plays Tiffany Maxwell, a recent widow who's had a string of meaningless sexual encounters as she's so detached and distant since her husband passed away. She forms an odd friendship with Pat after offering to get him in contact with his estranged wife. Slowly as the film progresses, the pair bond over dance and their shared mental issues. It's an endearing pairing, but where it succeeds is coupling Cooper's naivety and frustration at his situation with the hauntingly vulnerable Lawrence. She deflects her weaknesses through a solid barrier of snark and blunt questioning, but when it falls she reveals a broken soul. She's so bitterly angry at how life has went for her and she uses Pat as a mental punching bag. Lawrence does an absolutely outstanding job at reflecting this raw hurt, and when she explodes with rage, it's as if Lawrence truly has undergone this emotional turmoil that Tiffany has. It's the sign of a truly great actress. Just look at how Lawrence shows both true anger and humiliation simultaneously in the image below.

Every scene Jennifer Lawrence is in is elevated to a new level.

It's a shame that despite the outstanding performance from Jennifer Lawrence and the impressive showing from Bradley Cooper that a surprising change in tone part way through the film deflates it somewhat. What was shaping up to be a bittersweet exploration of two characters relying on each other to heal from their mental wounds but being unable to process that because of said wounds strays into all too cliche rom-com territory. The climax of the film is so brutally predictable and it's disappointing. For a film with such unpredictable and complex characters - even the supporting cast - to fall into convention is saddening. Still, it's not entirely film-ruining and if you can overlook the cloying stench of cliche then there's a five-star film here.

Final Verdict: A stunning performance from Jennifer Lawrence who truly deserved that Best Actress gong at the Oscars. Praise must go to Bradley Cooper and Robert de Niro who put in layered and believable showings as well. An outstanding film marred by an all-too familiar ending.

****

Les Misérables - Film Review

Do you hear the people sing?

Tom Hooper must be grinning from ear to ear right now. Only a year after the spellbinding success of The King's Speech, he goes and directs Les Misérables and just like last year, it has Oscar nominations and widespread praise lavished upon it. Just how does the man do it? Well, the answer is with a stellar cast and some of the most impressive set and costume design ever seen in film.

To the uninitiated, Les Mis, as it's known amongst its fans, is a smash hit musical renowned for being the longest running musical in the West End, having been shown for over twenty-five years. It tells a tale of heartbreak, love and liberty set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. A prisoner named Jean Valjean breaks parole and goes on to live life as an honest man whilst being pursued by the tenacious Inspector Javert. To say anymore would be to remove the emotional impact of the film's best scenes, which I'm certain those in the know are privy to. With its undying popularity, Hooper chose a guaranteed hit movie, but a movie with which he had to tread carefully, lest he offend the devoted fans of the stage show. Luckily for him, he has done no such thing.

And I'm Javert, do not forget my name!

Valjean is portrayed excellently by Hugh Jackman, who with his Broadway credentials had no difficulty in overcoming the challenge of having to sing live on set. In other screen musicals such as Grease or Hairspray the actors would mime to a pre-recorded soundtrack, but in Les Mis there are no such liberties taken. This only serves to add to the emotional intensity of each scene. Hooper pulls the camera in close for many of the songs, and the heartbreak and sorrow etched on each of the actors and actresses' faces is laid bare, allowing for a real intimacy that's lost on stage. Anne Hathaway's I Dreamed a Dream, Jackman's Bring Him Home and Eddie Redmayne's Empty Chairs for Empty Tables all work beautifully with Hooper's style. When you hear their voices break as they let out a sob and see their face contorted with raw emotion, it's difficult to maintain your composure.

Valjean's nemesis, Inspector Javert, is played by Russell Crowe. His lack of professional experience with singing is evident from the get-go, as his voice strains to reach the higher notes. Yet, the way in which he portrays the character more than makes up for this, as the dogged tenacity of Javert is evident through Crowe's excellent performance. As for the rest of the cast, each of them have their moments to shine. The dastardly innkeepers, Monsieur et Madame Thénadier are played with just the right amount of Cockney charm from Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, although some of the humour from the pair is lost in the transfer from stage to screen. Cosette, both young and old played by Isabelle Allen and Amanda Seyfried respectively, shines in her scenes, although Seyfried is somewhat overshadowed by the mindblowing Samantha Barks as Éponine. As she sits in the rain sobbing during On My Own, the brilliance of Hooper's casting is wholly apparent. Aaron Tveit's Enjolras brings a lot of bravado to the character as he leads the student revolution, and Eddie Redmayne's Marius does not put a foot wrong in any of his scenes.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by...

Yet they are all, even Jackman, overshadowed by the brilliance of Anne Hathaway as Fantine. For the brief time she appears in the film, she shines the brightest. Her complete emotional breakdown is heartbreaking to see, as she morphs from a beautiful and vestal factory worker to a broken husk of a women sobbing through I Dreamed a Dream. Anyone who doesn't feel emotion as Hathaway's face contorts with rage and despair as she curses the world which has abandoned her and tossed her aside, anyone who feels nothing here is clearly an android, and the Blade Runners will be there to see you shortly. Even though she barely features in the film, she certainly leaves the biggest impression. If she does not win her Best Supporting Actress Oscar, then there is something very wrong with the world.

It would be ill-fitting to not talk about the stellar set and costume design. From the opening scene of Valjean and the chain gang pulling in a beached ship to harbor to the bombast and drama of the shootout at the barricade, Hooper's film delivers spectacle that the stage show simple could not provide. The costume and makeup likewise heighten the drama, be it Javert's pristine military outfit or the haggard and rugged Valjean during the chain gang scene.

Look down, look down, don't look him in the eye.

                                                                                                          

There is definitely a grandeur gained in bringing Les Mis to the silver screen, and it is a grandeur that only adds to the drama. Yet, at times it is difficult to truly appreciate the beauty of the streets of Paris because of the abundance of close-ups, but that is only a minor gripe.

Final Verdict: On the whole, Hooper has once again struck gold. He has put together a cast who all deliver grade-A performances and hold their own musically, and put them into a grandiose world full of drama and spectacle. You'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll smile, you'll just want to give Anne Hathaway a hug and tell her it'll all be okay. Les Misérables is certainly a emotional rollercoaster of a film, yet it's one you should definitely experience. Vive La France!

*****

- James