It's Cloudy in here! 

Silver Linings Playbook 

To watch a film like this when you're feeling down and dusted yourself - not really a good idea! But then again, to watch Bradley Cooper look super dishy and dish out a performance that makes you want to hold him and never let go could possibly hook you right out of your lowliness.

It's confusing at first when you can't understand why people would go off the deep end and be sent to a mental facility especially someone as heartbreakingly handsome as Cooper. But when you are exposed to the mess that Pat Solitano Jr (Cooper) is, you wonder if even the beautiful are spared from being broken. 

Jennifer Lawrence as the 'love interest', well not up till the very end, is intense yet removed and watching her in SLP is like getting home after a shitfucked day and pouring yourself a Whiskey on the Rocks and slugging it down. The harsh brown liquid burns your throat yet calms your nerves. Takes off the edge but you can't deny the fact that tomorrow's going to be as fucked up as today. 

Robert De Niro is a delight to watch and if you aren't reminded of your own dad when you're watching him in SLP, you just aren't involved enough. He's interfering, he's hoping to overcome the pitfalls, he'trying hard to be loving and rock-like when he's shaking inside. He's perfect and undeniably flawed. 

If you're looking for a date movie that will give you a walk through the rose garden and the fountain of wishes and innumerable romantic cliches, avoid SLP and focus on getting a reality check. SLP moves at a real pace, shows you what family is all about and at the same time tells you what real love can be like - hurtful, vengeful, stormy, passionate, compassionate and can't-live-without-able. 

Settle in to watch SLP with your favorite scotch, a few cubes of ice and water to top it up.