18. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

I feel like whenever someone talks about this movie the first thing that needs to be said is what a cast. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver. It’s not a surprise to say that this movie is built around its performances. And what performances they are! There is a reason that all four members of the main cast walked away with Oscar nominations (only Lawrence would end up winning) in addition to the other four nominations the film received (including Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Editing). It’s a love story about two people with a lot of problems who probably shouldn’t be together, but fall in love anyway. Sure the plot synopsis sounds super generic, but David O. Russell manages to tackle it in a pretty interesting way, no doubt helped by just how great the performances are in the movie.  Also, if I am being honest, as someone raised in the Philly area, I have a pretty big soft spot for movies that prominently feature Philly. Side note: I’ve eaten at the Llanerch Diner (where Cooper and Lawrence’s characters eat at in the film) a few times when I was in college and even sat in the booth where the scene was filmed. The food was fine I guess…it probably helps to be hungover. It’s also generally pretty crowded. I don’t know I am not a food reviewer.