David O. Russell draws up a winning "Playbook"

Review: "Silver Linings Playbook"

David O. Russell’s "Silver Linings Playbook" is a love story of two mentally delicate lovers. Each has experienced loss and is seeking to fill the void. The movie’s greatness relies on the actors portraying its three central roles. Mr. Russell has pulled out several brilliant performances from his actors. Led by Bradley Cooper the story focuses on Pat Solitano Jr. who is bipolar. He is being released from a mental health facility after reacting violently to his wife cheating. He devises a plan to get his life back in order- a silver lining playbook. He wants to win his wife back, a high school teacher of English, so he dedicates himself to reading the novels on her syllabus. He takes up running to keep in shape. One hitch in the plan is his distaste for the medication he is supposed to take for his bipolar disorder. That doesn’t sit well with the family. Mr. Cooper plays Pat Jr. like a pot of popcorn kernels sitting on high heat. His words shoot out in rapid fire succession as he bounces around trying frantically to stay one step ahead of his disorder. But Mr. Cooper also gives Pat a soul which commands our sympathy while doing everything he can to repel us.

Doing their best to keep him from going over the cliff again are his parents Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro). Ms. Weaver is a natural as the distressed mother trying to recapture the tranquility that existed before Pat Jr.’s incarceration. She also does a nice job of balancing the toughness of a mother trying to get her son to take his meds while also spoiling him. Teaming with Pat Sr. they play good cop bad cop when Pat Jr. acts out; Dolores showing unlimited patience while Pat Sr.’s evaporates before our eyes. But Pat Sr. is one of the more complex and compelling characters you’ll see in the movies. He is a blue collar man who isn’t afraid to throw his fists and is hostile toward shows of emotion. But Pat Jr.’s incarceration has an effect on Pat Sr. He harbors a bit of guilt that he might be responsible for his son’s disorder; that he might not have paid enough attention to him while he was growing up. He tries to make up for his short comings by giving his son the attention he didn’t have time to give and opens himself up emotionally. It is the best performance by an actor of the year. It is a role made to be played by one of the best American actors. Mr. De Niro, with a reservoir of untapped ability, is too often typecast or used to spoof his earlier successes as a criminal or heavy. It is a deep and emotional performance that lays bare both the character and actor and is enjoyable to behold.

The foil to Pat Jr.’s plan is Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Tiffany is fighting her own guilt over the death of her husband. Her marriage, according to her husband, lacked intimacy. She has tried to over compensate by having sex with everyone, everywhere, since his death. She puts up a wall of defense keeping emotional intimacy out. Yet at the same time she yearns for someone she can trust emotionally. She doesn’t want to be judged for her past behavior so a candidate like Pat Jr. with his reputation as a nut seems the perfect candidate to start a romance. Tiffany and Pat Jr. meet at a dinner party hosted by Pat’s friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife, Tiffany’s sister, Veronica (Julia Stiles). Both Mr. Ortiz, who plays a fun loving husband whose wife has put the clamps on him and Ms. Stiles, whose character oozes privilege and is dripping contempt for her deranged sister, give two performances that are delicious. Tiffany and Pat Jr. swing away from dinner conversation etiquette and connect over a dialogue about their favorite and least favorite meds. A spark ignites and Tiffany pursues it even through Pat is reluctant. Ms. Lawrence and Mr. Cooper’s performances meld together flawlessly. Some of the pleasure of watching "Silver Linings Playbook" comes from their jousting.

Overall it’s a wonderful movie but there are several roadblocks that get in the way. After a fight at an Eagles football game the group comes home to explain what happened to Pat Sr. Included in the group is Pat Jr.’s psychologist which was distracting since I couldn’t imagine a psychologist going to his client’s house after being involved in a brawl. It turned out his presence was a gimmick to explain what a parlay is to the non-betting members of the audience. At the same time the device of a parlay- the doubling down on the first bet Pat Sr. lost into the next game and score of Tiffany and Pat Jr.’s dance competition- is a beautiful redirection of the action. Some would think it totally unrealistic or against the laws of common sense but if you’ve had the chance to attend a football game you learn that such qualities do not exist among football fans. Unfortunately another problem in the script is the character of Danny, played by Chris Tucker, who befriends Pat Jr. in the mental health facility. The Danny character shows up three times after Pat Jr. is released and in each time destroys the momentum of the story of which he doesn’t contribute.

Mr. Russell’s direction does a nice job at building the fire that consumes Tiffany and Pat Jr. He starts the movie with many quick cuts to get us inside Pat Jr.’s head on the day of his release. He then shows us the chaos that establishes itself within the Solitano’s home when he moves in. But he takes his time with the Pat Jr. and Tiffany characters letting them feel each other out as a romance between these two emotionally struggling individuals begins to blossom. "Silver Linings Playbook" is an unconventional love story of whose kind I wish would come around more often.

Helen Hunt makes "The Sessions" worth taking.

Review: “The Sessions”

                “The Sessions,” based on the autobiographical essay by Mark O’Brien- who was paralyzed from the neck down from polio- is about his attempt to rid himself of his virginity. Written and directed by Ben Lewin, it is a simple tale of a Herculean chore. Watching a character look for sex is not in itself interesting but when that character can only get around in a gurney, has no movement from the neck down and is an observant Catholic it becomes intriguing.

                Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes), a writer and poet, has a climatic accident while being washed by a female nurse. This embarrassing moment validates that his part is in working order. So along the typical thinking of most healthy men he decides he wants to experience the ultimate act of pleasure with a female. Being a practicing Catholic and unmarried, however, is the first road block. Looking for God’s blessing Mark seeks the council of his parish’s priest, Father Brendan (William H. Macy). Timing is everything. Being a child of the sixties Father Brendan is willing to grapple with ideas that do not adhere to the orthodoxy.  When asked by Mark if God will bless his act Father Brendan allows his humanity to over rule Church protocol. After what God did to his body, why would He deny Mark sexual pleasure? Father Brendan gives Mark God’s blessing.

                Mark enlists the services of Cheryl Cohen Greene (Helen Hunt) a professional sex surrogate. Unlike a prostitute who is paid for the sexual act itself, a sex surrogate explores the sensual feelings of the whole body and eases any psychological barricades that may prevent a client from enjoying sexual pleasure. Mrs. Cohen Greene is a professional who outlines the boundaries for Mark and informs him that six sessions will be the limit. The goal by the sixth visit should be full penetration and climax. During those sessions, however, Mark begins to take to Ms. Cohen Greene’s care and attention. As poets do when charmed he writes her a love poem.  Mrs. Cohen Greene- a professional but not one without compassion- is touched by his affections. But she is also worried they might have crossed a line. She ends their sessions before the sixth but not before they achieve their goals.

                Mr. Hawkes’ choices are limited but it’s important that Mark is likable or else the movie doesn’t work. He twists his limbs uncomfortably which is a convincing visual image of a useless body. Mark’s use of his poet’s charm helps him navigate around his disabilities. Mr. Hawkes’ facial expressions and voice fluctuations successfully supply his words with feelings and power. Mr. Hawkes has created a character who is both sweet and unpretentious with a characteristic that is attractive to both females and movie audiences alike: a sense of humor.

                Mr. Macy is a top flight character actor. When he gets his hands on a character he not only brings him to life but gives him depth. He’s able to convey the conflict being waged inside Father Brendan when he hears of Mark’s moral dilemma.  But we’re also never in doubt of the wisdom lurking within his geniality. Affable, light hearted and with a sense of humanity Mr. Macy doesn’t look like he’s working hard but that’s because he’s so good. Unfortunately, Mr. Lewin resorts to gimmicks to get across the fact that Father Brendan is a priest from the sixties.  It would have been just enough to show Father Brendan with his hair down to his shoulders. In one scene he waits outside of Mark’s house smoking a cigarette and in another he takes a beer when offered.  Both scenes felt forced. It was unnecessary since Mr. Macy’s performance told you all you need to know about Father Brendan’s character.

                Ms. Hunt is brilliant. I’m not a fan of Ms. Hunt’s acting. There is something too “Helen Hunt” about it. Nothing changes from role to role whether it’s out chasing tornadoes or jostling with Jack Nicholson. As Mrs. Cohen Greene I was able to forget about “Helen Hunt.” Ms. Hunt creates a character focused on professionalism and her client’s needs. What makes this a brilliant portrayal is the evenness of the performance. When she first introduces herself to Mark she is empty of emotion; just as a doctor is during a first time check-up with a five year old. She explains the procedure and the rules and guides her patient through it. Her behavior is consistent even while nude- which is through all of the sessions. Ms. Hunt allows a little bit of emotion to break through when she finds out that Mark has written her a love poem. Ms. Hunt doesn’t let melodrama to slip into the performance. Instead it’s a case where a professional is touched by the moment but doesn’t forget her responsibilities to her profession. She is the same character when the movie ends as when we first see her. But we know there is more to her then just a dedicated professional.

                Mr. Lewin does a nice job directing “The Sessions.” Just as Mr. Hawkes is boxed in while trying to bring his character to life, Mr. Lewin is limited by having to make scenes comical and worth watching while his main character is stuck on a gurney. At times he uses that to his advantage. He does a good job of extracting the emotion out of each scene and it helps that he and his actors are on the same page. He doesn’t have any artistic style as a director but his story is entertaining enough that he can just let his camera roll it picks up what his actors do best.

Movie Review: "A Late Quartet"

 

Review: "A Late Quartet"

One wouldn’t think that personal drama could penetrate the structured and disciplined lives of professional string musicians. Maybe it’s going to work in evening clothes that create the perception. Director Yarin Zilberman’s "A Late Quartet" dispels the myth. Mr. Zilberman and his co-writer Seth Grossman have written a rich complex story that comes across as a simple tale of what happens to the lives of professional musicians when the coherence of their group is threatened. They have written characters that all actors dream of and Mr. Zilberman has cast his film with some wily veterans.

Mr. Zilberman opens his film with the quartet at concert in black tie and evening dress- a picture of professionalism. The dominos begin to fall when their cellist and senior member Peter Mitchell (Christopher Walken) is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and announces his retirement. The second violinist, Robert Gelbart (Philip Seymour Hoffman) sees a chance at sharing the duties of the first violinist after twenty-five years. The first violinist, Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir), and the violist, Juliette Gelbart (Catherine Keener) are conformists. Daniel, with an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is not keen on his rituals being disrupted and Juliette is so comfortable within the cocoon of the group that she fails to see why Peter has to retire.

"A Late Quartet" is a character study. The plot revolves around whether or not the group should find a replacement for Peter. But what makes the film enjoyable is watching these actors create characters who have a hard time dealing with the sudden disruption of their routines. The performances are subtle but textured. You can feel Mr. Zilberman holding the reins on his actors with a firm grip. Mr. Walken sets the tone. Mr. Walken, so often cast for his outrageousness, plays Peter with quiet elegance. The performance is subtle but also emotionally resounding. Mr. Walken does nothing when Peter is told he might have Parkinson’s yet we see his world collapsing. There is no over reaching but the denial is clear while attending a support group as is his relentlessness at keeping the group he founded going- brushing aside suicidal feelings as well as old friendships that might get in the way of retaining a well renowned cellist.

The violin is Daniel’s singular obsession. He knows the biographies of the composers he plays and tries to understand why they composed their works. He inscribes directions for the group on his sheet music and refuses to play without it even though they’ve played the same piece for twenty-five years. He even travels to the country for horse hair so he can make his own bows. Mr. Ivanir is a weighty presence on film. He lends Daniel a seriousness while making him as emotionally engaging as a piece of granite. Juliette’s dedication to music has kept her from being a full participant in motherhood and marriage. Scared or just not willing to take on the responsibilities the shake-up forces her to face her failures. Ms. Keener is wonderful as the strong and focused Juliette. She’s just as convincing when Juliette goes into a fog when confronted with the effects her neglect has on those around her. Mr. Hoffman’s Robert is likeable but passive. Unlike Daniel he is open to a performance-to-performance interpretation of the music. When he recommends they play without sheet music relying only on intuition he is rejected. He has put his own ambitions on the shelf for the sake of the group but his confidence in his playing- even Daniel admits that his playing is better when Robert backs him up- gives him the courage to ask for a new role when the opportunity opens up. His sense of betrayal when Juliette won’t back him leads to a night of adultery and a break down in their marriage.

Alexandra (Imogen Poots) is Robert and Juliette’s daughter. Ms. Poots gives a raw performance of a young woman who has left childhood behind but has yet to reach adulthood. Daniel is Alexandra’s private violin instructor and his complete dedication to the instrument they both love is a major allure. She follows her feelings and initiates an affair. She soon realizes that Daniel’s emotional tank is empty. He plays the violin with technical precision but forgets that emotion is what makes the music great. The same can be said about his relationships. Alexandra learns this and Daniel does not. She collects a piece of experience and ends the affair. She is also a tool in the screenplay showing the consequence of unrelenting dedication. Her mother wants to treat her as a daughter but Alexandra feels she’s lost that right after being absent for most her life giving performances.

Mr. Zilberman tells his story among some of the artistic landmarks of New York City- the reservoir at Central Park, The Frick museum and The Time Warner building. It’s a nice touch to watch musical artists grapple with crisis surrounded by artistic monuments. He also knows he has a strong screenplay so all he has to do is point the camera toward his actors and watch them bring it to life. There is no melodrama or outrageous brouhahas (except for one scene where the impact jumps out among the subtly), only intellectual people having to confront their mistakes like, well, intellectual people. He ends his film the same way he began it with the group in concert. But this time there is a disruption- just as in their lives- and we learn that the group will go on. They will go on perhaps better then they were before- better as musicians and better as people.