Monday, December 24, 2012

The Silver Linings Playbook ...

In the midst of much hyped movies, which you anticipate for months, play the, ‘will it, or won’t it live up to your lofty expectations’ game, like ‘The Hobbit’, or ‘will it be as good as the book’, like I wondered about ‘Life of Pi’, or will the movie convey the grandeur, the splendour, or the pathos of Tolstoy, in the film interpretation, ‘Anna Karenina’ ... a small film, serenely ambles into your life, like a breath of crisp, fresh air & makes you, to simply put it, happy!
Of goof balls & messed up minds; thoda sa insanity; loads of romance; that the road to a perfect ending, is lined with big time craziness:
Of a father’s guilt at having neglected his younger son; at being an illogically, but firmly, superstitious dad, who mixes business with family, insisting that his son spend time with him, watching the game, that the son holding the TV remotes in a particular manner, are key to winning the game & his bets, of which he makes a living; of a fabulous Robert De Niro, who leaves you exhausted, trying to find adjectives to describe his awesome talent – this absolutely adorable father, with a weird way of showing his love, is the same actor, from such heavy duty movies like ‘Raging Bull’, ‘Taxi Driver’ ... his extraordinary ability as an actor, deserves a better writer to wax eloquent over it!
Of Bradley Cooper proving that he’s more than a ‘Hangover!’ Playing the mentally stressed ex teacher, recently out of rehab, who hates taking his medication, has lost tons of weight, wears a garbage bag as a sweat suit while running, Cooper is funny, real, gets on your nerves & tugs at your heart strings, all in the same movie! A well deserved Golden Globe nomination!
The golden girl of ‘Hunger Games’, Jennifer Lawrence, who actually made us believe, that it was ok to kill fellow human beings, for a sport & TRP’s & left you hungry for more, proves that she ‘aint a one film wonder! The bold, bad, brassy young widow, who swops notes with Cooper on medication for mental illness, who wins you over with her no-nonsense, in your face attraction for Cooper (who takes time in realising that in his quest for rekindling his love for his ex, he has found true love) & you can’t wait to see what this fine actress will do next, because already with an Oscar & Golden Globe nomination under her belt, Ms Lawrence is marked for a long innings in Hollywood! A fierce, top-notch performance!

Apna Anupam Kher does Bollywood proud – the understated, firm psychiatrist, who steers Cooper to sanity, the passionate football player & a well meaning friend, Kher plays all the roles thrown to him, with equal ease, so real & believable!
The crackling chemistry – Cooper & Lawrence sizzle in the dance sequences &
actually, whenever they come together, the tender, helpless moments between mother & son, the take-your-parents- for-granted-familiar vibes, between a son back from rehab & parents trying to be optimistic about it, between shrink & patient, all add up to a movie that will surprise you, knock you out in a good way, with its characters, make you cheer on & believe that, yes, the road to ‘The End’ was messy, had plenty of speed breakers & kept you guessing, but in your heart you know that ‘they will all live, mostly, happily ever after!

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