6: Silver Linings Playbook
It sets its bar lower than just about anyone else on this list, but there’s something commendable about a film that knows it’s a crowd-pleaser, and executes on those expectations almost flawlessly. The telltale signs of awards-bait are there: you’ve got a first-rate cast being led by a respected director, and the Oscar-friendly mental health angle sure doesn’t hurt either.
Thankfully, Silver Linings Playbook doesn’t weigh itself down with pretensions of being anything more than a really, really good romantic comedy, and once you accept it for what it is, it’s effortlessly charming. Bradley Cooper has never been better, and Jennifer Lawrence adds a nasty energy to what could have been a fairly typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl part. And De Niro must have popped a laxative before shooting: this is the first shit he’s given in a decade.
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