#3 - Helmet to Helmet, on the Defense, 15 Yards, Automatic First Down

3 – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: I have a more personal relationship with this one because a close relative of mine is bi-polar who also suffers from depression.  So mental illness is extremely relatable for me, and while my relative doesn’t go manic to the degree that Bradley Cooper’s character Pat does, I thought that it captured the essence of the disease very well.   Jennifer Lawrence is irresistible as Tiffany, a fellow damaged soul dealing with death of her husband.  This is at its heart a romantic comedy, and it was a nice change to see two people being completely, sometimes brutally, honest with another.   These two lay the hammer down on each other repeatedly in epic confrontations.  This is contrasted excellently by the delusions they each cling to, and by how hard it can be to separate reality from what you want the world to be like. (continues after the jump)

Where can I sign up for the hunger games? 

De Niro is awesome, portraying the old fashioned father struggling to deal with a son who he has trouble connecting with.  Chris Tucker brightens every scene he’s in as Pat’s amigo from the mental health hospital.  This is an inspiring, funny story reminding us that it’s not how you fall, but how you get up, especially when the odds are stacked against you.  Family dynamics, the nuances of romance, and sports obsessions are all explored, but the movie is best when its two main characters butt heads and the fireworks fly.  David O. Russell has outdone himself again, and if you are interested in psychology or mental illness this is one well worth your time.