David
O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook
is a delightful film about rampant dysfunction, desperation, obsession,
isolation, hope, and the healing power of love. The writer/director taps into
deep recesses of darkness, dealing with such touchy subjects as mental illness,
only to make us see the light. Unabashedly positive, this small, intimate movie
has a big heart as well as brains, making you think even as you’re overcome by
its insanity and finally give in to its life-affirming, uplifting message.
Adapted
by Russell from Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name, Silver Linings makes us buy into the philosophy of its title and
assures us that “everything is under control,” as the characters keep repeating
with varying degrees of faith.
