Consider this situation as the starting point of a love story: a man who was just released from a mental institute with bipolar disorder is stalked by a psychotic widow who tricks him into being her dance partner. If this were a romantic film by Nicholas Sparks, you might expect to find all the over-the-top mushy gushy relationship stuff. It would include the typical break-up and  make-up in the middle followed by a very unrealistic ending that always results in one of the lovers dying. However, Silver Linings Playbook trumps (or rather confounds) the Sparks stereotypes in protagonists and conflict. The film is far from heartwarming. Taking viewers on a roller coaster of emotions, it leaves them clenching their teeth as characters experience frequent outbursts that make a potential relationship seem impossible. The recipient of over 90 national and international awards for impeccable acting and screenplay, Silver Linings Playbook is two hours well-spent.
           

The 2012 film, written and directed by David O. Russell, is led by a talented cast of Hollywood's best, including Academy Award winners Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Lawrence plays Tiffany, a young woman thrown into psychosis after the untimely death of her husband, while Cooper is cast as Pat, a man who goes off the deep-end after finding his wife in the arms of another man. Jennifer Lawrence gives a performance so convincing that viewers race to Google to find out whether or not she actually is psychotic. In the same way, Cooper's spontaneous outbursts and inappropriate bluntness create a reality that remains with the audience long after the credits have rolled.
            

One of the best features of the film had nothing to do with the actors or the screenplay, but with the camera angles. While cinematography is not the typical movie feature that has audiences raving on social media, the sporadic motion of the camera lets viewers step into the chaotic mind of a person with mental illness.
            

If there is an aspect of the film that might distract moviegoers from the intensity of the plot, it would be the unnecessary overuse of foul language. The profanity is often misplaced and adds no realism to the situation.
           

Overall, with the exception of being family-friendly, the effort in the making and production of Silver Linings Playbook makes it an enjoyable film for mature audiences and earns it five stars. Silver Linings Playbook, although perhaps not its original intention, is a romantic film that significantly surpasses the sappy "love" stories that always saturate the media and gives audiences a new look at a romantic comedy (tragedy?) beyond the mainstream Romeo and Juliet storyline.