I've wanted to watch Silver Linings Playbook ever since I first saw the trailer. I just kept putting it off until I finally decided to watch it this time around. I cannot believe that I waited so long to watch it. I must admit that the movie is extremely eccentric and unrealistic but that's what makes me love the movie. It's not really good of a movie, but it's become one of my favorites. There's just something about the actors that makes you fall in loves with the characters. Robert De Niro himself made me fall in love with his character, Pat Sr.
I have to admit that it the first half of the film, I absolutely felt like De Niro's character was just... there. He did not really seem to play a huge part in the film. I felt like all he was there for was to fill in the gap of the main character, Pat Solatino. Also, it took me a while to really understand what his character was like. I soon realized that his personality is revealed by other characters. For example, I realized that he believed in "football juju," making sure he did certain things while watching football. I learned this through Pat's character, for he called out his father for his unnecessary actions. I learned that he kind of has a gambling problem, especially against his friend, Randy.
I felt that it was odd whenever Pat Sr. tried to act fatherly against his son. I don't know if it's De Niro himself or if it's the character. Then again, maybe it's slightly awkward because he's a father that's supposedly not acted the way a father should have. Pat definitely seems to have some resentment against his father and it's obvious, especially because his portrait wasn't hung up that way his brother's portrait was. Yet again, De Niro managed to accomplish his acting part rather well. Honestly, if I had to act like a concerned father towards a son that I never really took care of, I never would have pulled it off.
Despite being such a crazy film, I really thought that Silver Linings Playbook had its serious moments. However, I felt like De Niro was usually involved in the more silly parts of the film. Whenever he tried to act serious towards his "son," it just always felt fake, given their broken father-son relationship.
If I'm going to be honest, I do not think that De Niro will win the award. It just seems like anyone else could have done a better job. I'm not saying that De Niro isn't a good actor. I just feel like a different film deserves the honor more. If anything, De Niro was probably just a sub-in, simply because Silver Linings Playbook was also nominated for Best Picture. Nevertheless, the film has still become one of my favorites, whether or not they win an Oscar.
Jachelle great blog ! I agree with you on how in the first part of the film De Niro's character was just another simple character. Overall he did a good job. Lets see who wins.
ReplyDeleteWoah we did the same movie! *wink wink, nudge nudge*
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last statement, the film has also become a favorite of mine (it made me feel fuzzy inside with its weird-ness).
I believe that De Niro's character was important to the film because it proved that Bradley Cooper's character, Pat, was like any ordinary person living in a small town. Since the movie was unrealistic at times, De Niro's character acted like a rock for normalcy because he was the concerned father which is only to be expected considering his son's marriage felt apart and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Overall, I agree with Patricia; I now love the movie, not in spite of its silliness, but because of its silliness. :)
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