Review: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Has Troubled Love & Dark Laughs

Both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have had plenty of success in various arenas. While Lawrence’s career skyrocketed after an Academy Award nominated turn in Winter’s Bone and led to the lead in The Hunger Games, Cooper has been a sought after talent for years jumping around from comedies like The Hangover to action flicks like The A-Team, and more recently, dramas like The Words. But when it comes to Silver Linings Playbook, both on-screen talents step into uncharted territory as two unstable counterparts, each coming to terms with life and all the pitfalls thrown their way. The film is darkly funny, harrowing tale of love overcoming obstacles in the face of emotional immaturity and mental insecurity. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, fresh out of a stint in the mental hospital following a violent fit of rage upon finding his wife Nikki in the shower with one of her university colleagues. Despite …