Silver Linings - Dance through the world with me

A role perhaps every successful actor has to take once in his career is that of a physically or mentally ill person. Then the most important thing is to see if the actor plays his role authentically. And sometimes, those movies have happy endings. In Silver Linings (2012), however, two - with different stories - mentally ill play the main roles and create magic with a dancing talent which is not even that big. 

Minus plus minus is plus 

The grown Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has spent the last eight months of his life in a clinic, in which he got sectioned after freaking out due to his manic-depressive disturbance. He caught his wife Nikki cheating on him and thereupon smashed her lover. Now the court permits him living at home - but he’s not allowed to come up to Nikki or establish any contact. But this is exactly what Pat’s greatest wish is. The audience witnesses how desperate and disturbed Pat is - and how he freaks out again and again. Living together with his parents is also difficult, because Pat seems to be more child than adult. 

At a dinner, to which Pat is invited by his friend and his wife, he encounters the also mentally unstable Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). After her husband’s death, she has lost her job and is now living alone, what she tries so suppress by numerous affairs. She seems to be totally beside herself and can not define her feelings properly. Also in Pat she sees a chance to end her loneliness, but her clear offer gets refused by Pat, referencing to his wife Nikki. Thereupon, Tiffany starts to follow Pat while jogging and this is how a pretty complicated friendship, in which Pat sees a chance to get in contact with Nikki again, is starting. After some time, Pat and Tiffany make a deal: Pat takes part in a dance contest with Tiffany, in return Tiffany promises to give Nikki a letter from Pat. Pat sees the dance competition as a chance to show Nikki that he has changed. 

As in every tragicomedy, the path to the happy ending is interrupted by an event shortly before the end. Since Pat’s father sees a sort of guarantee for his team’s win at football in Pat, he sends him to a game of the Philadelphia Eagles on which he has bet all his savings. But Pat innocently gets involved in a fight and the Eagle’s loose. Pat’s father doesn’t know how to help himself but making another double bet to get back all his lost savings: He bets on the Eagle’s victory for the next game and on Pat and Tiffany winning at least 5 points at the dance competition. When Nikki surprisingly attends on the dance competition, Pat is glad about his chance to convince her of his new self. Tiffany, who has feelings for Pat by now, looks forward to a catastrophe and tries to drown her sorrow in alcohol. In the very last second, Pat can convince Tiffany to dance with him. 

Five points for Pat and Tiffany? 

The dancing scene is definitely the highlight of the film! Without many words - and honestly also without too much dancing talent - Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence create an atmosphere which is absolutely unique. They dance pure and especially interconnected. At the same time, this scene represents the top of Pat’s processing in the film: He started something and he brings it to an end. He’s not running away, doesn’t beat himself and is completely calm. Only when Tiffany is dancing, she seems to be happy. Although she has been completely depressed shortly before, she exudes real joy then. And indeed: Pat and Tiffany reach exactly five points - and the Eagles win the game! But after Pat and Nikki are very familiar in conversation, Tiffany sees the end and leaves the building frustrated. Pat, however, knows that Nikki’s alleged answer to his letter originates from Tiffany. He follows her on the street, where he confesses his love to her. 

Thereby, Silver Linings is a film that brings hope in seemingly dark days. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence play their roles incredibly authentic, so the audience shares the thrill with them right from the beginning. Especially the fact, that their participation in the dance competition was not perfect makes it a perfect scene. Not to mention that Jennifer Lawrence got her first Oscar for Silver Linings ...

We say: Thumbs up for a movie that is fortunately not 0815! Of course we grabbed a multilingual trailer in English and Spanish for you above. 

We wish you a nice week!

Your alugha team

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