Argument of Value - Essay Example

? ARGUMENT OF VALUE SUBMITTED TO- SUBMITTED BY- ARGUMENT OF VALUE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy drama, which has a different style of treatment, when compared to a string of movies in the same genre. It is a romantic movie at heart, albeit laced with generous doses of humor. There is a dark undercurrent of emotions that runs throughout the film. In certain ways, if one were to introduce the central idea of the film, romance may not take the centre stage. Comedy is sporadic as well as heartfelt. If a perspective is drawn on the nature of the characters, one can feel a deep sense of melancholy in their lives. But, as the movie tries to portray, it never takes itself seriously. All the fun does not get lost owing to the apparent upheavals in the lives of the characters. There is a definitive degree of fresh air in the treatment of the main characters. From the very beginning, the viewer is drawn into the intricacies of the characters, their joys and life. Even in the deepest melancholy, there are streaks of hope and happiness. In that sense, this movie has veered away from the staple comedy movies which lack poignant humor, but cover it up with condescending laughter. The movie exposes the tumultuous underbelly of human emotions with a fine serving of humor. This movie is perched between a razor sharp psychological drama on one hand and comedy on another. The film has a very upbeat title, which suggests the likeliness of having a generic bent towards the creation of a happy atmosphere: that is not very serious. It has all the ingredients of a nice movie, with the creation of sequences that exude positive spirit. A hero who is full of faults, a heroine with very doubtful credentials, the Christmas streets, the snow flaked roads are a constant reminder of the impending festivities. Throw on top of that, a dance competition and a football game, the movie tries to cover all the bases for a happy Hollywood film. The film opens with the release of the handsome Patrick Solitano Junior, who has just been released from a mental institution. He has been put there after beating up one of the fellow teachers, who is found in the shower with his wife. The hero is prescribed with medicines, and has to live with his father. Robert De Niro has played a delicious role as the father, who is torn among different problems. He runs an illegal gambling racket out of his parlour. He has a very supportive mother, who keeps him company. However, he is supposed to stay away from his wife and has to visit a doctor. All of the characters are obsessed with something in their lives, with sports being a big obsession. There is a tradition of disruptive violence, as the crowd identifies the game with their identity. The father of the hero has been banned from appearing in the matches due to the bouts of rage, which were experienced while viewing the match. One of the central characters in the movie is a young widow called as Tiffany. She is a good looking woman who lives in the garage of her parent’s home. She is preparing for a dancing competition, with the help of the hero. They bond over a dinner and she agrees to help him reunite him with his wife. The strength of the film lies in the differential treatment being given to the generic comic situations. Although, there is a lot of pain in the lives of the characters, there is sense of joy that runs throughout the fabric of the film. There are a number of scenes that would be very difficult even in real lives, but the handling of the situations has rendered the scenes funny. Some of the examples of such scenes; as the fighting in the diner that spreads onto the street: and also among the crowd wearing the Halloween dress. The film goes over the edge at times, but never fails to maintain the humorous simplicity in the storyline. The narrative is contextual and also very relevant due to the essential foresight being provided into the human heart. The design of the story has been calibrated with a lot of alacrity, so as to incite the maximum level of goodwill among the participants. One of the high points of the films is the aspect of casting the stars. The stars have been given the roles that are completely different to the persona in real lives. Their casting as the failed lovers is one of the highlights, which lift the movie from the realms of ordinary filmmaking. The actors have their respective arcs to deal with, Brad Cooper deals with the emotional outbursts that are caused due to the bipolar disorder. On the other hand, Jennifer Lawrence is trying to deal with the emotional trauma of recently losing her husband. This raises the stakes of a conventional light comedy into an emotional adult drama. The characters play with the many contrivances of the screenplay. The mental illnesses of the stars add to the charm of the movie. The dialogue between the lead pair is laced with a lot of sexual tension and involves viewers to the story. There are periods where the writing appears to have been hackneyed, making the movement between the plots looking contrived; rather than being organic in their constitution. The characters appear and disappear with equal ease. The film also gives into the stereotypes with only one black friend. The police inspector also tends to appear in a convenient manner. The bets being placed during the movie serve as mere instruments, rather than the movement of the plot. The racist attack during the football match is another instance of the meandering plot being driven by unnecessary drama. The movie has a number of stellar performances which raise the standard of performances from the actors. Although the movie has a host of drawbacks, it compensates with the performances and the undying spirit of the director. REFERENCES Whip, Glenn. "'Silver Linings Playbook': Bradley Cooper's good 'bad guy energy'." Los Angeles Times. N.p., 1 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. . Baca, Ricardo. "Movie review: A pleasure looking for those "Silver Linings" ." Denverpost.com. N.p., 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. . Travers, Peter. "Silver Linings Playbook." Rolling Stone Reviews. N.p., 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. . Read More