Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Uri
Adjunct
Posts: 1230
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:37 pm
Location: Israel

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Uri »

Sonic Youth wrote:I enjoyed this very much, but I know there'll be a vocal number here who'll dislike it.
I'll do my best.

So my cousin (55, avid filmgoer – she was the one who introduced me to the Oscars back in the early ‘70s) who lives in a kibbutz near the Gaza strip said she needed a break and would I join her in Tel Aviv for a movie. Of course I complied. We picked my niece (24, extremely informed and hip) and off we went. They both wanted a distraction, so I suggested we’d see SLP, which just opened here that day, and told them that it’s a romantic comedy which got good reviews at the States and that it’s an Oscar front runner, so they both felt it was a good idea. It turned out to be one of the gloomiest experiences we ever shared - at least at the movies. They sat there, grumbling at the screen and at me. And I’m afraid I had nothing to say in defense of myself or the film.

While I was watching it I was working very hard, trying to come up with something which would enable me to figure out what made this film loved so much – should it be read as a genre twisting piece (morbid, totally unfunny rom com), or maybe as a very stylized, intentionally alienating artificial representation of clichéd characters and situations – and nothing worked. What I was left with was a film with hardly any genuine human beings or behaviors and even more so, not a single scene or replica which wasn't so exhaustingly and meticulously SCRIPTED. I think I heard Russell has some personal experience with people who are bipolar and this may explain what I would define as defensive/reassuring agenda this film seems to promote. But I’m afraid I find this particular approach (we are all wounded and have issues, some of us are officially branded as damaged goods, most are not, but does it really matter, so let’s all get together) to be misguided at best, insulting at worst. And as is often the case with works of art which are driven by having an agenda to promote rather than reflecting a concrete point of view, every aspect of them becomes forced, artificially fabricated narrative devise.

I’m sure it has a lot to do with predisposed conceptions and tendencies – certainly personal, but maybe cultural too. As homage to Damien, I’ll describe it as the McCarey vs. Wilder litmus test. I know that if I’m hard pressed to choose one, I’ll go with Wilder, since I’m very suspicious when it comes to compassion. I do crave having compassionate, humanistic catharsis offered to me, but this attribution should be elusive, something which involves artistic, intellectual and emotional struggle – by the work of art I’m consuming as well and by me. Give a cold, slick, cynical yet intelligent film and I’ll gladly take it over a life affirming one, filled with ready to use, nicely packed sentiments. Unfortunately, when it comes to American (or Americanized) films of recent years, it’s harder and harder to find films I can truly relate to. And while it might be that the pictures didn't necessarily get smaller but it’s I who got smaller minded, still I’m afraid the fact that I too find me to be a rather grumpy viewer of Oscar films lately is not solely my fault.
User avatar
Sonic Youth
Tenured Laureate
Posts: 8003
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:35 pm
Location: USA

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Sonic Youth »

Now that I have some time to write...


I enjoyed this very much, but I know there'll be a vocal number here who'll dislike it. Some will dislike it for its overall story arc which is as conventional as any half-dozen rom-coms in any given year; some will dislike it for its "quirkiness", since quirk is kryptonite; and there are some who dislike the notion of "love at first sight" movies on general principle. (This doesn't sound too defensive, does it?) The first-concern is well-founded. Structurally, it's a conventional romcom, as the generic final montage makes all too clear, making everything that came before far more conventional than it promised as it went along. But it's also a movie about people saddled with neurosis and personal horrors, whether displayed openly or kept tightly outside of secure moments... and it's here that the movie does some very interesting things. Or rather, it's what the movie _doesn't_ do that's very interesting. It doesn't give us a conventional storyline about finding the root of the illnesses or about overcoming it, about redemption and facing life anew. The movie's not interested in any of this, thank god. Mental illness is just an attribute, a condition rather than an affliction, albeit one with nightmares and consequences potentially resulting from it.


It would be instructive to watch this and Lincoln in a double feature, to see how different filmmakers take two 'talky' screenplays and strive to make them cinematic. These are no mere 'point and shoot' projects. Spielberg uses quiet little emphases and highlightings; Russell's far more energizing, strategizing every shot and edit, as compulsive as his subjects but still giving every scene and character exchange life. His assuredness of the medium is a thing Peter Cattaneo and Faris & Dayton could only fantasize about, and his foundation as a satirist makes the anguished moments lacerate yet still humorous. It hits its peak in the diner scene as Cooper and Lawrence grow indignant at the simultaneous realization that the other one believes they've found someone even more crazy than themselves. Their turmoil is their identity, a point of pride, now belittled. It's such a keen, cutting moment yet funny all the same. And if plotwise the more movie-ish conclusion lets the set-up down, Russell tries not to let it show. Turns out, it was a screwball rom-com all along and ultimately the entire film coheres on those terms. If there have to be conventional romantic comedies, at least let them be like this one.

I've already discussed my opinion of the leads performances elsewhere... I just have no idea where. Simply put, Bradley Cooper may not be the deepest actor (although his out-loud reading of his ex-wife's letter was as lovely and vulnerable a thing I've seen all year) but he's smarter than I've ever taken him for previously. He knows how to use his overgrown gangliness for comedic and character purposes, giving the role his visual stamp. Several people in the movie are surprised at how much weight the character had lost. And it shows. Cooper carries himself like a former couch potato. Alas, Jennifer Lawrence fares less well. It's not that it's a bad performance. She's free of the tics and mannerisms of most young actresses her age, and she brings a quiet focus which suggests she idolizes Cate Blanchett. So, performance-wise Lawrence is fine. She's just miscast, and seriously so. I was surprised to learn that she was 21 years old when shooting the film. Really? As old as that? She does not look like a distraught widow who lost her husband to a murder and then became the office slut. She's too young, too untraumatized looking, her face too unlined. She may be a good actress, but regarding this role she has none of the smoky, sultry quality that the role demands. I do like her and I'm happy for her meteoric rise to stardom, but I really hope she doesn't win the Oscar for this. It'll doom the rest of her career.
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
Sabin
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10747
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 12:52 am
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Sabin »

Saw this again. There are still some flawed little moments here and there. Some of the moments are a little too glaringly Screenwriter’s Manual, like introducing Cooper’s older brother only to have Pat bail him out in his time of need moments later and the way that Chris Tucker (who is very funny) just pops in and out to forward subplots like Robert De Niro’s [adorable] OCD superstitions and Cooper’s attraction to Lawrence. But when every scene just bursts with personality and visual innovation this much, I really can’t bring myself to care too much. I could easily watch it a third time. I don’t know if Silver Linings Playbook is the best film I’ve seen this year, but it’s certainly my favorite.

And I have no idea why Harvey Weinstein is keeping it a secret. Has there been a more poorly marketed film this year? Why didn’t it go wide over Thanksgiving? Maybe they’re just waiting to go wide after the Oscar nominations. It could happen. A month ago, I made the case for it possibly winning Best Picture. Now, it's pretty much an impossibility. It's Sideways. It's Up in the Air. It's an afterthought in the race. And I have no idea why nobody else on this Board is talking about it.
"How's the despair?"
Sabin
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10747
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 12:52 am
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Sabin »

David O. Russell gets great work from everybody. An actor I only somewhat recognized named John Ortiz is destined to be overlooked but he plays Pat’s buddy who is being dragged along through his marriage and feels suffocating. No chance of anything but very funny. The best way to describe the ensemble is that everybody is down to play.

This film is getting nominations. No doubt. Every few years, a “human comedy” comes along that people dutifully line up to honor/overrate. Sideways. Up in the Air. Y’know, ruin any chance of going in and just finding a movie you might just really like. This year, it’s Silver Linings Playbook. Pretty positive it’s getting in for Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and – if there’s any justice – Film Editing. We’ll have a slightly clearer picture about Director as we move closer to the season, but Russell is probably safe. So, I’m thinking on the low end, it’s getting six nominations. I don’t think a lot of people are going to predict Danny Elfman’s score, but I am. It’s terrific and its nomination will be a sign of – like The Hurt Locker – overall support. Jacki Weaver is good but she has very little to do and few scenes. If she’s in, it’s only because of the weak lineup this year. I’m not predicting her, but Silver Linings Playbook has an outside chance of being the first film in ages to be nominated in every acting category. If that’s the case…wow.

I think Bradley Cooper is getting in but Best Actor looks competitive this year, but as The Sessions continues its mild box office take, John Hawkes becomes less and less of a lock. I haven’t seen Flight, but Washington is going to need a Screen Actor’s Guild nomination to go along with his assured Golden Globe nom, and that might not happen. I think there might be a lot of complaining come Oscar morning Anthony Hopkins is nominated and someone else isn’t. And in many ways for this particular film, it’s going to come down to how good Les Miserables is. Right now, I think the nominees will be Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Hopkins, Joaquin Phoenix, and either John Hawkes or Hugh Jackman.

I don’t know if Silver Linings Playbook is going to win but here’s what it has going for it:
1) Every movie that wins has to become more than a movie. It has to be an event. The name of it has to conjure sensation that the title evokes. “Oh, it’s The Artist!” “Oh, it’s Slumdog Millionaire!” That’s this film. Which is to say, it will become immediately overrated.
2) If Les Miserables is as good as it needs to be, then Silver Linings Playbook will start the season off at a disadvantage because it could lose the Golden Globe for Picture and Actor Musical or Comedy. I’d be stunned if it didn’t pick up honors for Actress and Screenplay, so it’s not a total wash. However, it’ll pick up the New York Film Critic’s Circle Award and possibly a Screenplay sweep as well as many awards for Actress and Supporting Actor. So, the season will still be pretty solid. And there are two ways in which Les Miserables will be as good as it needs to be: as good as it needs to be to win at the Golden Globes and as good as it needs to be to actually be a good movie.
3) If Les Miserables just isn’t very good, then Silver Linings Playbook is in an incredible position to possibly win. It’ll win the Globes for Picture, Actor, Actress Musical or Comedy, and Screenplay and likely end the night as the big winner. It will have picked up a few critics awards. And it’s going to be a modest enough hit. It’s a more artistically accomplished film than Sideways and Up in the Air, but it’s also funnier and more accessible. So, it’s going to make probably a little more money than them. But at this point with the Oscars, money really isn’t an issue.
4) At the Guilds, it’s going to win the WGA for Adapted Screenplay of course. The Screen Actor’s Guild Ensemble Award is in the cards, although it has to fend off Argo, Lincoln, and Les Miserables…which honestly, it can do. The acting in Argo and Lincoln is pretty great, but SLP is just as good on more human level which boded very well for Sideways and Little Miss Sunshine. So, it could win there. All of a sudden, Silver Linings Playbook has momentum! Will it win the PGA and/or the DGA? It’s possible. Maybe not both. This is a very “Directed” comedy so that helps David O. Russell’s chance at the DGA. The Weinsteins are involved. And likely on Oscar morning, it will have at least seven nominations – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and Film Editing. And if Danny Elfman’s score is nominated as well, then we’re looking at eight nominations. Which is more than any of the “human comedies” I mentioned before got close to. It kinda looks like a winner at this point.

Do I think it would win Best Picture if these factors weren’t in play? If there was another film that was just a sensation? Not a chance. Same with Jennifer Lawrence, which does the best work of her young career in this film. If Silver Linings Playbook is going to win (and honestly, I'm starting to think it could), it’s going to be by plurality.
"How's the despair?"
mlrg
Associate
Posts: 1747
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:19 am
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by mlrg »

Sabin wrote:Saw this yesterday. A much longer post forthcoming, but as my career eats up more and more of my moviegoing time and I see fewer and fewer each year, there's a more than reasonable chance that Silver Linings Playbook will end up being my favorite movie of the year. It's not a great movie. Some would argue that it really couldn't. I don't agree. What's so winning about this film is how it winningly integrates the most formulaic of rocom plot machinations into the narrative. He does this by taking these truly manic individuals and placing a foundation of extreme conflict in each scene, whether extreme conflict is warranted or not. And stylistically, Russell's handling of an ensemble has never been stronger as well as his handling of the camera. What he tried to do with Huckabees and Flirting with Disaster, he pulls off here. There are times where it seems like he is physically hurling the camera at his performers. A few bogey shots excepting, it's a brilliantly shot comedy that keeps a note-perfect pace. Danny Elfman's score is my favorite of the year and quite atypical of him. Only near the end of the film do the plot machinations feel less like amusing behavior and more like calculated script-writing, none of which have anything to do with the decision to stage the finale as a dance off, which Russell pulls off better than he has any reason to.

Like Up in the Air and Sideways, the "Unnecessary Human Relationship Comedy Backlash" is due to arrive any moment. Shame.
Interesting post Sabin!

How was the acting overall? What are the best chances for oscar nominations?
Sabin
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10747
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 12:52 am
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Sabin »

Saw this yesterday. A much longer post forthcoming, but as my career eats up more and more of my moviegoing time and I see fewer and fewer each year, there's a more than reasonable chance that Silver Linings Playbook will end up being my favorite movie of the year. It's not a great movie. Some would argue that it really couldn't be. I don't agree. What's so winning about this film is how it winningly integrates the most formulaic of rocom plot machinations into the narrative. He does this by taking these truly manic individuals and placing a foundation of extreme conflict in each scene, whether extreme conflict is warranted or not. And stylistically, Russell's handling of an ensemble has never been stronger as well as his handling of the camera. What he tried to do with Huckabees and Flirting with Disaster, he pulls off here. There are times where it seems like he is physically hurling the camera at his performers. A few bogey shots excepting, it's a brilliantly shot comedy that keeps a note-perfect pace. Danny Elfman's score is my favorite of the year and quite atypical of him. Only near the end of the film do the plot machinations feel less like amusing behavior and more like calculated script-writing, none of which have anything to do with the decision to stage the finale as a dance off, which Russell pulls off better than he has any reason to.

Like Up in the Air and Sideways, the "Unnecessary Human Relationship Comedy Backlash" is due to arrive any moment. Shame.
Last edited by Sabin on Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"How's the despair?"
User avatar
rolotomasi99
Professor
Posts: 2108
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2003 4:13 pm
Location: n/a
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by rolotomasi99 »

Sabin wrote:3) What hasn't been seen yet? Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty. If I'm missing one let me know. Not betting much on The Guilt Trip. Not betting much more on Django Unchained. Three previous Oscar-winning directors (Bigelow, Hooper, and Spielberg) will unveil soon enough. I know they say don't write off anything but I'm just going to write off Django Unchained at having a chance at winning. Allow me that one concession...

...the least that Argo, Les Miserables, and Silver Linings Playbook have to do is wait out the eventual "lemon"-ing of at least one of them. I look at these three films and I think if one of these films turns out to be a sensation. Like, a true "Doesn't happen very often" sensation", then the race is likely over. I think at this point, most sensible people had Memoirs of a Geisha on their lists. And these three films kinda need to be sensations in order to win. Am I right? Lincoln can't just be pretty good and win. Zero Dark Thirty can't just be pretty good and win. I do think that Les Miserables (much in the fashion of Chicago and to a degree The Artist) can just get away with being pretty good and win because of the proximity of its release to the voting process.

Because the bar is set so much higher for those three releases and there is nothing that has been released thus far this year (The Artist was rearing its had and was a real charmer at Cannes), I think that bodes increasingly well for what we already know about Argo, Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook.
I think of the films you listed, LES MISERABLES has the best chance of really connecting with audiences. The play is one of those productions that even non-musical audiences often enjoy. There are so many big songs that connect with people emotionally. It is the only film that could match LINCOLN's number of nominations. Also, it has from what I have seen in clips two very strong performances from Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. In fact, they are my very early predictions for winning Lead Actor and Supporting Actress respectively. Jackman has been working in Hollywood for sometime in both blockbusters and smaller dramas, and from what I hear folks really like him as a person. Plus, he did host the Oscars. Now that I think about it, the exact same thing can be said of Hathaway -- blockbusters and small dramas, nice person, hosted the Oscars. Also, I think much like Jennifer Hudson she has one of those musical moments that steals the show and people will remember her over everyone else in her category.

LINCOLN will definitely be nominated for Best Picture whether it is successful with audiences or critics. Much like GANGS OF NEW YORK, some films are just too big to ignore. Plus, if Spielberg's name alone can earn WAR HORSE (a film I actually like) a Best Picture nomination, I doubt it will fail him here. However, much like GANGS OF NEW YORK, it could easily go home empty handed. Its best chance seems to be in the make-up category.

ZERO DARK THIRTY is the film I am must nervous about. The trailer looks good, but will the Academy nominate it after giving the big prize to a very similar film from the same writer and director? One thing the film does have in its favor is that it and its director have become collateral damage in an attack against Obama. Killing Bin Laden is one of the President's greatest accomplishments, and the Republicans are trying to take that away from him by saying he gave classified information to Bigelow. As the election draws closer and the Republicans get more desperate, these attacks could intensify. If so, it could help draw attention to the film at a time when voters will be very busy attending screenings or watch DVDs. Even without Republican attacks, Obama himself will probably be using Bin Laden's death as an argument for re-election. Win or lose in November, I suspect some will see nominating the film as a show of support for Obama. As for wins, while I think the film itself probably will not take the top prize, Bigelow still has a better chance of a second win than Tom Hooper. If Oliver Stone can win a second Oscar a few years later covering very similar material, Bigelow can too.

LIFE OF PI looks amazing. I agree with you Sabin, LIFE OF PI seems very similar to HUGO in that it will be nominated for its spectacle. Much like HUGO, I think LIFE OF PI will win for its cinematography. The last three winners in that category have incorporated a great deal of special effects (and 3D in two cases). LIFE OF PI seems like the type of film folks will remember over all others in that category.

I never thought I would write these words, but it seems Ben Affleck could very well be an Oscar nominated Director. Many people regarded his win for writing as a fluke, and not much in the subsequent ten years changed people's perception of him as someone not to be taken too seriously. He impressed with his directorial debut, and earned both great reviews and box-office clout with his follow-up. ARGO could very well be his breakthrough with the Academy. The film has earned high marks and it has the potential to do quite well with folks looking for something intelligent to watch at the multiplex. It could very well surprise us and win Best Picture. I am certainly not writing it off, but it certainly faces some tough competition.

DJANGO UNCHAINED, on the other hand, seems like a lost cause. I agree with Sabin that it just does not seem like the type of film the Academy goes for, especially with so many other options. It seems more KILL BILL than INGLORIOUS BASTERDS. However, like the latter film, I would look out for a possible Supporting Actor win for Leo DiCaprio's villainous slave owner. If this were Harvey Weinstein's only film, he may have been able to use his dark magic to secure a Best Picture nomination. Unfortunately for Tarantino, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is the safer bet, and despite being a lost cause Harvey will probably still push for THE MASTER out of a some sort of pride.

With all this being said, something could come out of nowhere to knock down all these front runners (a term I use very loosely). I still am putting my money on LES MISERABLES, but as DREAMGIRLS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SWEENEY TODD, and NINE have shown us, musicals have to have something special to connect with the Academy. We shall see if it has what it takes to go all the way.
"When it comes to the subject of torture, I trust a woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."
-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow
Big Magilla
Site Admin
Posts: 19318
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 3:22 pm
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Big Magilla »

The film doesn't strike me as a Best Picture winner for either the National Board f Review or the Academy. The Broadcast Critics maybe, but even there I'm skeptical.

The one award the pundits seem to have made up their mind on is Best Actress but even there I have my doubts. When I first saw the trailer I thought Jennifer Lawence's performance was going to be along the lines of Amy Adams' in The Fighter, but the clip of the scene on Wells' website the other day makes it look more like Adams' performance in Junebug or Anne Hathaway's in Rachel Getting Married. If that's the case, it will have its supporters, but everything else this year will have to fall short of expectations for a win.
Sabin
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10747
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 12:52 am
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by Sabin »

(POST GOT BIG: I think that Silver Linings Playbook is a good bet to win The National Board of Review. The only reason that means it's "Over" is because The Social Network and Up in the Air lost, which excludes the fact that Slumdog Millionaire and No Country for Old Men won.)

We're talking about a film that hasn't opened yet, but everybody who has seen it seems to at least really like it. Even those who don't love it seem to like it. We'll obviously have to wait until it opens to see if a Sideways "What's the big deal?" backlash takes hold, but because Silver Linings is opening up a little bit later in the year into a more comfortable November nook, I think that bodes a little bit better for it. It could fall into the Descendants/Up in the Air human story niche that is hit or miss but certainly registers strongly, or it's the crowd-pleaser that makes everybody happy and wins. We haven't had one of those in a bit. I think Slumdog or The Artist came the closest and both of those had an exoticism to them that helped.

Here's how I view Silver Linings Playbook at this point:
1) There's nothing that has been released this year so far that could win. I would have said the same thing about The Hurt Locker in 2009 likely, but I think we can agree that Beasts of the Southern Wild or Moonrise Kingdom ain't gonna take it.

2) There is a small handful of films that have been seen that people also seem to like such as Argo and Life of Pi that could pose a threat. It's hard for me to envision a political thriller like Argo posing much of a threat. And Life of Pi is a giant question mark that because of its budget will have to do much better than Silver Linings will to be considered the box office success that can win. Silver Linings has to do well. If it tops $100 mil over the course of MONTHS, it could win. Like The Aviator and Hugo (or any recent Scorsese film), Life of Pi cost so damn much that it's required to just do better. They're different kinds of films for sure, but films in a similar budgetary bracket that have won in the past ten years is resigned solely to The Departed. The Academy has for the most part honored a bunch of increasingly antiquated "mid-sized productions" ranging from $20 to $40 mil. Which makes them somewhat hypocritical in honoring/endorsing a species that they do not put as much effort into really making. But regardless, Life of Pi has a couple of small things against it: likely no acting nominations, largely spectacle, needs to do better than a few other films. This early in the game, I'll say from just looking at it that like Silver Linings, it certainly could win. But it seems less likely.

So before we go into Number Three, I think we can agree that there are three films that "could win", and they are Argo, Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook. I include Argo because, really, who knows? We know these are films of quality that will inevitably attract attention.

3) What hasn't been seen yet? Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty. If I'm missing one let me know. Not betting much on The Guilt Trip. Not betting much more on Django Unchained. Three previous Oscar-winning directors (Bigelow, Hooper, and Spielberg) will unveil soon enough. I know they say don't write off anything but I'm just going to write off Django Unchained at having a chance at winning. Allow me that one concession...

...the least that Argo, Les Miserables, and Silver Linings Playbook have to do is wait out the eventual "lemon"-ing of at least one of them. I look at these three films and I think if one of these films turns out to be a sensation. Like, a true "Doesn't happen very often" sensation", then the race is likely over. I think at this point, most sensible people had Memoirs of a Geisha on their lists. And these three films kinda need to be sensations in order to win. Am I right? Lincoln can't just be pretty good and win. Zero Dark Thirty can't just be pretty good and win. I do think that Les Miserables (much in the fashion of Chicago and to a degree The Artist) can just get away with being pretty good and win because of the proximity of its release to the voting process.

Because the bar is set so much higher for those three releases and there is nothing that has been released thus far this year (The Artist was rearing its had and was a real charmer at Cannes), I think that bodes increasingly well for what we already know about Argo, Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook.
"How's the despair?"
The Original BJ
Emeritus
Posts: 4312
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2003 8:49 pm

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by The Original BJ »

rolotomasi99 wrote:
I say if SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK wins the top prize from the National Board of Review, its hope for Best Picture is all over.
I have absolutely no idea how this event would automatically lead to this result.
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by OscarGuy »

I just looked it up:

Chariots of Fire
American Beauty
Slumdog Millionaire
The King's Speech

I'd say that actually plays better in Silver Linings' favor than against it. Considering two of those have been within the last 5 years. And Chariots trumped several strong year-end awards winners to take a surprise prize. But I'm still keeping my mind open.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by OscarGuy »

What 4 audience award winners? Have they mostly been recently?
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
rolotomasi99
Professor
Posts: 2108
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2003 4:13 pm
Location: n/a
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by rolotomasi99 »

OscarGuy wrote:You may also want to check those who are suggesting that and see what they are saying will win in its place and what their past support has been? A lot of times, people trying to push that kind of concept this early have another horse in the race that they are favoring and are looking for mitigating factors to shut down its chances.

Another factor here is that Alexander Payne had Oscars and Jason Reitman was seen as getting too big for his britches (and getting a tad bit arrogant), factors which may have contributed to that situation. And let's not forget they had George Clooney in them. ;)

I'm still waiting to see. I don't recall, did Descendants or Up in the Air win the Toronto audience award?
Their comment was in reaction to this post on AwardsDaily showing SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK moving up to 2nd place on the Gurus of Gold chart (after ARGO). At this same point in their respective years, THE DESCENDANTS and UP IN THE AIR were number 1 on the GG chart. In 2010 it was THE KING'S SPEECH, so the chart is not always wrong.

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/10 ... ones-game/

Also, many people know David O. Russell to be a violent asshole on the set. He obviously has his supporters in the Academy (so does Reitman), but if a movie can lose Best Picture due to animosity toward the director, then Russell's reputation could hurt his film's chances.

As for the Tornto audience award, since its creation in 1978, only four recipients have gone on to win Best Picture (and three of them were British films).

I say if SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK wins the top prize from the National Board of Review, its hope for Best Picture is all over. Jennifer Lawrence's chances howerver still look very good. Hot, young actress who balances huge blockbusters with smaller indie films. Plus she plays crazy, and we know how the Academy loves that.
"When it comes to the subject of torture, I trust a woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."
-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by OscarGuy »

You may also want to check those who are suggesting that and see what they are saying will win in its place and what their past support has been? A lot of times, people trying to push that kind of concept this early have another horse in the race that they are favoring and are looking for mitigating factors to shut down its chances.

Another factor here is that Alexander Payne had Oscars and Jason Reitman was seen as getting too big for his britches (and getting a tad bit arrogant), factors which may have contributed to that situation. And let's not forget they had George Clooney in them. ;)

I'm still waiting to see. I don't recall, did Descendants or Up in the Air win the Toronto audience award?
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
rolotomasi99
Professor
Posts: 2108
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2003 4:13 pm
Location: n/a
Contact:

Re: Silver Linings Playbook reviews

Post by rolotomasi99 »

Someone else said it on another Oscar site, but I think it is worth repeating: SILVER LINING'S PLAYBOOK looks to be this year's THE DESCENDANTS and UP IN THE AIR. Those two dramedies had high profile casts and directors, earned early buzz after impressing audiences and critics at film festivals, did well at the box-office, received several big wins from critics' awards, and even earned several major Oscar nominations including Best Picture. In the end, though, they were unable to win the big prize.

SILVER LINING'S PLAYBOOK seems to be following the same pattern at this point. The other two films, however, did not have Harvey Weinstein. If anyone can change this film's fate, it is the Dark Lord of Oscar.
"When it comes to the subject of torture, I trust a woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."
-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow
Post Reply

Return to “2012”