With the help of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's best performances to date, a fantastically charming screenplay, and David O. Russell's substantial directorial prowess, "Silver Linings Playbook" easily soars above the conventional romantic comedy with its honesty.

This comfortably sits as my movie of the year thus far. I sat with a wide, satisfied smile when it was over. This won't be a full review because I want it to be fresh experience for everyone. I will say that it shows outstanding casting, writing, and directing. And its use of a certain Led Zeppelin song is so pitch perfect, it gave me goose bumps.

The Silver Linings Playbook has no flaws at all. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper somehow manage to be the most entertaining characters of the year. The cast gives potent and wonderful performances and it has an excellent screenplay. This is a great film and should be a big hit at the Oscar's. I give this film 94%.

Magnificent performances with a ruefully witty truthful script. A beautiful concept that manages to make you feel different emotions every couple of seconds. Pleasant and loveable.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Two endings: one happy, one sad, wind up Billy Brown's malleable story in Vincent Gallo's Buffalo '66, the 1998 cult classic that informs Silver Linings Playbook: sometimes broadly, sometimes not. Like any good quarterback, however, the film calls many audibles and creates something new from the prevailing framework. But make no mistake about it, the QB scouted the Bills-themed indie. The QB knows the players. Billy, lost and unloved, just released from prison for a crime he didn't commit, inevitably, finds himself at a strip joint, bent on revenge with gun in hand, staring down Scott Wood, a retired placekicker whose missed game-winning field goal prompted in Billy a default on his wager to a local bookie that the designated fall guy couldn't begin to recompense. As the club's owner, Scott holds court in a private booth, in which the Super Bowl goat, surrounded by topless women, takes a bullet in the forehead before the disgruntled gambler turns the gun to the side of his own temple. Excelsior, Pat's notion that every bad situation has a silver lining is something Billy doesn't prescribe to, or so it seems, at first. Who is the omniscient QB(read: narrator) that changes the called play: the murder/suicide? Is it the bipolar high school teacher, who similar to the would-be killer, returns home after being incarcerated for a felony(he nearly beats his wife's lover to death), with the difference being that the facility is a mental hospital, not a state penitentiary? Pat, similar to Billy, grew up in a house where the preponderance of football created an extensive amount of dysfunction between parent and child. When Pat Sr. complains that Tiffany is messing up his team's juju, it reveals how for many Americans, football functions as a sort of pagan religion. In the Brown household, O.J. with the pigskin graces their wall, not J.C. on the cross. Moreover, Billy is named after the appelation given to the cold weather city's team. Clearly, both men played(and continue to play) second fiddle to an organization of beefy athletes who on Sunday, diverted their parents from the church and into a stadium, the house of laical worship. Sadly, the discovery made by Tiffany that Pat's catchword doubles as the motto used on the New York State seal, constitutes as a bona fide miracle. In Buffalo '66, god is in the details; the parking lot markings where Billy tries to drive Layla's "shifter car", look conspicuously like hash marks. The eagle, another detail, the symbol that serves as the moniker for Philadelphia's NFL team, doubles as a sign, a street sign in Buffalo, where Billy crosses Eagle Avenue during his quest for a public restroom. Therefore "reading the signs," becomes even more pronounced, becomes more than the key phrase from the letter Tiffany writes in order to trick her fellow codependent into participating at a formal dance competition. She has filmic powers. The audience can read signs, too. Tiffany passes Baldwin(as in bald eagle) Street; she spans time like Billy, but backwards instead of forwards, all the way back to Eagle Avenue. Blink and you'll miss it, but as Tiffany enters the Ben Franklin Hotel, you see a camera flash go off; it's the photo booth scene updated. Other faint echoes abound, especially the moment in Buffalo '66 when Billy runs into Wendy Balsam, his unrequited childhood crush, whose house he used to walk past, since in Silver Linings Playbook, Pat jogs past Tiffany's place, but unlike Wendy, she comes out of the house, crossing Pat's path and greeting him with a sharp "hey". Tiffany, the girl who can span time, by running with her stalker(decked out in a garbage bag), it can be construed, is in a sort of extra-diegetical communique with celluloidal Buffalo and its flickering residents. She's the retroactive ghost in Gallo's film, a conduit from the moving picture future, a second skin beneath Layla, as she coaxes the former Bills fan into believing that he's better than Wendy(who growing up, perceived Billy as garbage), which has ramifications in her own life, since throughout Silver Linings Playbook, she is proving her love for Pat is bigger than Nikki's. Hypothetically speaking, in the performative sense, Silver Linings Playbook has an alchemizing effect on Buffalo '66. The illusion of fluidity in a static art is enacted. The second ending, the one where Billy's reality turns out to be his imagination, becomes the narrative equivalent of a Hail Mary. With Pat helming the quarterback position, he throws A Farewell to Arms through the window, through time, like a football. He then goes into his parents' room and complains about Ernest Hemingway, yelling, "Can't anybody say: Hey, let's be positive? Let's have a good ending to this story?" Billy hears the audible. Outside the nudie bar, he flings his gun into the darkness: a farewell to arms. Because of Tiffany, excelsior becomes his catchword, too. Layla is his silver lining.… Expand

Fresh and original, Silver Linings Playbook is my favorite film of 2012! It's a family drama, a romantic comedy, and a touching story of people suffering from mental illness, but all the while it transcends all these genres making SLP a unique movie experience. Powerfully acted by its leads Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper who gives the best performance of his career, as well as the supporting cast. Perfectly directed by David O Russel. Overall, just an amazing film that I absolutely loved.… Expand

I loved this film. A perfect balance between humor, drama, and quirkiness. I thought the chemistry between Pat and Tiffany was through the roof. The acting and writing are excellent throughout. David O. Russell seems to be one of those directors that gets superb performances by the entire cast. "I made crabbie snacks and homemades!". I laughed every time his mother said it. Pat and Tiffany's discussion about all the meds they've taken was hilarious. I laughed a lot during the film and was rooting for these two to get together right from the start. The best romantic comedy I've seen in years. This movie and "Life of Pi" are the best two films I've seen this year. Oh - I also really enjoyed the music selection for the film as well.… Expand

Well, honestly speaking, Silver Linings Playbook is the best romantic comedy-drama film I have watched in 2012. I'm not even exaggerating it, I'm not a fan of Hollywood romance but there comes a time when someone, out of the blue, does something marvelous. Congratulations to David O. Russell for writing and directing such a wonderful piece of story, which is imperfect, includes a dysfunctional family, two damaged persons and despite all those imperfections, it is a flawless and perfect story. Some romantic films seem predictable at times when you're watching them with complete attention but Silver Linings Playbook is unpredictable. You think something bad would happen in the next scene but it turns out to be the complete opposite. Hats off to Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's excellent performances. I know how great of an actor Lawrence is, but the big surprise of this film is none other than Cooper; his character and its execution, his dialogues and expressions are wonderful, he has carried it out extremely well, I don't think anyone else would have done it in the same way. Here is an argument that the film doesn't have a powerful story and gets lame at times. My only response to that is this love story is told in such a beautiful way that you can easily ignore all the bad things, but there isn't a single bad thing about this film, for me. My expectations from this film were higher than the Mount Everest and yet it still surprised me with its ingenuity and beauty. The imperfection of its story and its characters is what makes it flawless and perfect and that is the sole reason I call it the best love story of 2012.… Expand

One of the most unique, clever, and charming films I've seen from 2012! The film exceeded my expectations in every way possible! The acting was absolutely sensational! This film will no doubt in my mind be Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's career booster. De Niro was perfect as the film's comic relief. Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker also deliver worthwhile performances. The film's story is absolutely perfect! The dialogue from the characters is very clever and often times rather humorous. There were some instances where the film seemed confused about what it was(comedy, drama, romance, etc.) However, the film was able to maintain a perfect balance of all three for the most part. So that extremely minor flaw can thankfully be overlooked. Overall, it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen all year! It's a movie that will definitely make you laugh, cheer, and maybe even cry. It's also bound to stay with you in spirit long after it's over!… Expand

I loved this movie. I don't usually like Bradley Cooper, but I thought he did great in this movie. Jennifer Lawrence stole the show, though. Her performance really made this movie.

All I know is that when I first watched this as opposed to the movie that did win the Oscar, I did not feel strongly that it didn't deserve Best Picture. The casting was great. The nut jobs were all entertaining. We can all lament the plot for its predictability but the title had silver lining in it, and they kept talking about negativity, so I'm glad they did not resort to shock value so that the movie would come across as something it wasn't supposed to be. The acting and the references and jokes about Bipolar Disorder gave this movie a fresh face where it could simply have been a second rate movie about 'boy meets girl' with a little dancing at the side. The first half was stronger than the second one.… Expand

One of the best movies this year. Top notch performances from every cast member. Sad and funny at the same time. It gets a little bit unrealistic around the last part, but I like it anyways, because when the movie ended I felt good, and there is nothing more to ask...Now we should go and find our silver linings too.

Silver Linings is a film that could have done so many things wrong and offended so many people, but luckily it does everything so right and comes across as one of 2012's best films. Patrick suffers from bipolar, brought around by his wife's affair, and he is being let out of an institution for the mentally unstable to go live back at home with his parents. Pat is determined to get back into shape, sort out his mental health problems and sort out his marriage with his wife however the restraining order she put on him makes this extremely difficult and only makes matters worse for him. However when me meets Tiffany, a person who also has mental health issues and can relate to what he is going through they decide to become friends and help each other in each others problems. Pat needs to get back with his wife and Tiffany needs a dance partner, however as the relationship they start grows they begin to realise that what they set out to do in the first place no longer matters as long as they are together.
Silver Linings is expertly written, well casted, light hearted on serious matter yet never comes across as poking fun at mental health problems. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence perfectly compliment yet also contrast with each other in this film in all the right places and the supporting cast including the likes of Robert DeNiro just makes this film truly stand-out from the rest of the 'feel good film' genre. The perfect film to make you feel sad, happy, romantic, angry and ultimately make you realise that everything has a Silver Lining.… Expand

I would first like to say, this is my favorite movie that is in the line up for the oscars. It has the best acting I have seen in years and deserves to be the first movie in 31 years to be nominated in all four acting categories. The direction is spot on rendering the audience to the emotional complexities of this movie and along with the writing renders your brain to its mercy. The commercials do not explain this movie at all. It is so much better than a simple rom-com. It is a heartfelt interpretation of these peoples lives with indie cinematography that works because of their repetition and delivery. The editing is dependent on how the main characters think in this movie and brings fast cuts to an honorable new high. This movie is one of my favorite movies of all time and it has not a single problem in it.… Expand

People are hopelessly flawed, but that doesn't mean that happiness is out of reach. This movie is a celebration of the human spirit, and I love it so much. Might be my favorite of 2012.

It's no "Ordinary People," but I really enjoyed both the drama and comedy of this film about people just trying to survive in their different ways. And the fact that a competent cast managed to do the job in a mere two hours! Know it's not a "blockbuster," but it's less preachy than "Lincoln," doesn't embellish a real story like "Argo," is more relatable than "Zero," and has a soundtrack that's more enjoyable than 99 percent of the music in "Les Mis." Puzzled, though, by the Oscar nom for Jacki Weaver. She picks the son up at the hospital and that's about it -- kind of a zero compared with (say) Melissa Leo as the mom in "The Fighter."… Expand

I rode the story like an exciting roller coaster ride. The acting by all was superb. Robert DiNiro gives his best performance in years. Clever and spontaneous are the two words I would use to describe this film.

Jennifer Lawrence has arrived. If the Hunger Games did not catapult her to the top Silver Linings Playbook does. All of us in America come from a dysfunctional family. So what? DeNiro is a scream as a die hard Philadelphia Eagle fan. This movie is totally worthy of all the accolades it has received. Definitely worth the price of admission. Go see and enjoy.

The greatest date movie I've seen in years, or ever. Funny, sad, serious, everything. Plus, if you have any experiences with the subject matter you will have a lot to relate to. A couple unrealistic issues are no big deal to anyone except the annoying self-righteous types.

Incredible movie. Cooper and Lawrence could both be up for an Oscar for this puppy. The development of Cooper's character is given with care and validity. My only gripe is the betting of the football game and dance. That seemed a little cliche.

Such great dialogue that it deserves an Oscar - and makes you realize how starved you are for intelligent dialogue in movies. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have surprisingly good chemistry and this helps you overcome the desire to (occasionally) slap them silly.

Silver Linings Playbook is a heartfelt, funny, and well-acted drama that shows off its brilliant cast and proves to be David O. Russell

esta película es muy cuidadoso ya que trae consigo un tema delicado pero lo maneja tambien que uno por mas que quiera dejar de verla no es capaz las actuaciones son solidas en especial la de lawrence quien lo deja a uno impresionado

Fronted by four impeccable performances, 'Silver Linings Playbook' is not your average rom com, but a character drama and story of emotion. It may on the outside seem generic, but David O. Russell has some impressive direction, and wonderful script writing to create an original dramedy film of the highest level. It really is the performances that steal the show here though, with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in particular, theres very few minor faults in this film, but its just too good to complain about them when you get a film this amazing.… Expand

What a brilliant film Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DiNiro, Chris Tucker so funny considering the subject matter after a long day it really cheered me up some brilliant acting and great direction a must see film.

David O. Russell´s Silver Linings Playbook is a great film. It´s funny when it needs to be and dramatic when it needs to be. It´s funny, romantic and a great experience. The screenplay is very well written, believable and funny. The cast is remarkable, Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and Robert DeNiro basically reinvented himself. The movie is such a great experience, it´s fun, charming and dnd delightful. It is definitely a must-see!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Silver Linings Playbook is a fun movie, with the usual compromises that touchy-feely family comedies have, especially when mixed with a heavy amount of clinical disfunctionalism.
Most of the casting was fine, the script and work of the cast drew us in to the characters and the semi-plausible tale will bring tears to the eyes of the optimists in the audience.
There was a little too much psychosis for me, but it was a fun two hours and the ending didn't disappoint.… Expand

I really enjoyed this film. The comedy never gets in the way of the drama and vice versa. The performances are all solid. There are several actors you don't see in movies too often anymore and it is pleasant to see them again.