REVIEW: Silver Linings Playbook – in 250 Words

Oscar winning and widespread acclaim are generally not associated with the genre of romantic comedy, however every now and then one pops up that surprises everyone and surpasses all expectations; ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ is this decade’s ‘As Good As It Gets’.

(L-R) Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

Pat Jr (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental health facility after eight months of treatment for bipolar disorder and moves back home to live with his parents Pat Sr and Dolores (Robert De Niro; Jacki Weaver). Pat Jr is determined to reconcile with his wife and in the process, he meets troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who recently lost her husband and her job and they agree to help each other in achieving their goals.

The single thing that one has to praise about this film is the acting and characters. They are portrayed so well and the entire cast really put in a performance, even Chris Tucker! Cooper proves his worth and versatility as an actor and De Niro puts in the performance which proves he’s back on form. Lawrence’s Oscar-winning performance is well deserved for such a challenging character. It’s evident Tiffany has troubles of her own and the emotions she goes through are ever changing making the friendship between herself and Pat all the more engaging. You find yourself really rooting for the characters.

Whilst the final third of the film stumbles to the end and is quite clichéd, there are few faults with the film. The drama and comedy are well balanced and just work.

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REVIEW: Platoon – in 250 Words

Directed by Oliver Stone and released in 1986, ‘Platoon’ is set in 1967 during the Vietnam War. A number of actors received their break thanks to ‘Platoon’ including Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Keith David and even more minor characters like Johnny Depp. It’s regarded as a classic by many and often compared with Kubrick’s ‘Full Metal Jacket’.

Charlie Sheen in “Platoon’

Chris Taylor (Sheen) is introduced as a wealthy, young soldier who doesn’t really need to be in Vietnam as he dropped out of college and volunteered for combat duty. However, it becomes evident that he is way out of his comfort zone and struggles to adapt to the difficult living conditions.  The film follows himself and the rest of the platoon carrying out operations near the Cambodian border.

‘Platoon’ does feature a fair bit of emotionally charged action, but the characters are so brilliantly portrayed you have to praise Stone’s direction. Sheen and Dafoe in particular give sensational performances and the development of soldier Taylor throughout the film is well portrayed. The cinematography is also something that has to receive recognition as it makes ‘Platoon’ great viewing.  In particular, one scene with Dafoe is one of the most emotionally engaging pieces of filmmaking ever made.

Although ‘Platoon’ is highly thought provoking with a great message, it doesn’t quite match up the hype surrounding it; this could simply be down to how far war films have come in 27 years. That said, it’s a great film worthy of the widespread acclaim.

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