Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

An odd-ball romantic-comedy, Silver Linings Playbook follows Pat and Tiffany, two twenty-something misfits trying to overcome their mental problems and find their place in the world. This film is essentially about dealing with unresolved loss: Pat is unable to come to terms with his wife cheating on - and leaving - him while Tiffany is unable to let go of her deceased husband. They soon bond and use training for an amateur dance competition as an alternative therapy session. The soundtrack is based around some good oldies tracks but is also hit-and-miss due to some unsurprisingly obscure tracks. However, decent performances from the leads and, in particular, the always-charming Jennifer Lawrence, help to make the quirky, hard-to-relate-to characters a bit easier to digest. It ties up neatly as is to be expected from the genre but struggles to fully engage the viewer throughout. Worth a watch or two.

7/10