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Good visuals and a decent enough story make this worth watching

tt0442933

Beowulf is not the greatest film ever made. In fact, it is probably not the best 3D film ever made, but it sure was entertaining. The acting for the most part was rather good, and the 3D visuals were a pleasant surprise.Based very loosely on the ancient poem, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) must fight the monster Grendel who has been terrorizing a town and murdering people. Afterward, he must face Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie in an enticing role) and years later a dragon. This movie can be taken as a metaphor on life and many of the things we all go through at some point in our lives. One of the most prevalent involves the sins of the father and how those sins can lead to more dangerous things in the future.The story in the movie is not great, but it works well enough in a movie like Beowulf that is 100 percent computer graphic, and actually looks good. The characters, especially Anthony Hopkins as Hrothgar and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, were almost identical to the people playing them in real life. The scenery surrounding the characters was also splendid, and the creation of Grendel almost tops that of Gollum in Lord of The Rings. I really felt for Grendel (played perfectly by Crispin Glover). Instead of making Grendel the horrible beast that he was in the poem, the writers and director made him into a sort of tragic creature that we all pitied.Not much else to say. Beowulf is definitely a movie that entertains until the end. It may not be the best movie you'll see all year, but it definitely isn't the worst.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-246

ur4948347

title: Good visuals and a decent enough story make this worth watching review: Beowulf is not the greatest film ever made. In fact, it is probably not the best 3D film ever made, but it sure was entertaining. The acting for the most part was rather good, and the 3D visuals were a pleasant surprise.Based very loosely on the ancient poem, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) must fight the monster Grendel who has been terrorizing a town and murdering people. Afterward, he must face Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie in an enticing role) and years later a dragon. This movie can be taken as a metaphor on life and many of the things we all go through at some point in our lives. One of the most prevalent involves the sins of the father and how those sins can lead to more dangerous things in the future.The story in the movie is not great, but it works well enough in a movie like Beowulf that is 100 percent computer graphic, and actually looks good. The characters, especially Anthony Hopkins as Hrothgar and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, were almost identical to the people playing them in real life. The scenery surrounding the characters was also splendid, and the creation of Grendel almost tops that of Gollum in Lord of The Rings. I really felt for Grendel (played perfectly by Crispin Glover). Instead of making Grendel the horrible beast that he was in the poem, the writers and director made him into a sort of tragic creature that we all pitied.Not much else to say. Beowulf is definitely a movie that entertains until the end. It may not be the best movie you'll see all year, but it definitely isn't the worst.

Old English Poem Turned Into Full-On CGI Feature

tt0442933

Ray Winstone is turned into a semigod here, who would have believed that? Well, BEOWULF makes you believe. This is the adventure of Beowulf, a hero warrior that arrives to help King Hrothgar whose under attack from a hideous demon. This is a huge step forward for CGI-animated movies, as its ambitious scale helps the depth of this vision come through, there aren't any look-at-me-compositions here, only subtle choreography. The intimacy of the story is largely confined to three locations, and the plot revolves around terror-from-the-mountains, but all eyes are on Beowulf, as supposed to. And director Robert Zemeckis allows the third act of the movie to grow, giving it a true heart and soul, as we see Beowulf as the King of the Land he once came to save from monster Grendel's merciless attacks. Now, he ain't the man he was, he's filled with poignancy as he realizes what it really takes to be a true hero. BEOWULF is entertaining throughout, and it's off course candy for the eyes - still, at times its rather po-faced and too much for its own good. Apart from that, this is a rousing experience.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-421

ur1732001

title: Old English Poem Turned Into Full-On CGI Feature review: Ray Winstone is turned into a semigod here, who would have believed that? Well, BEOWULF makes you believe. This is the adventure of Beowulf, a hero warrior that arrives to help King Hrothgar whose under attack from a hideous demon. This is a huge step forward for CGI-animated movies, as its ambitious scale helps the depth of this vision come through, there aren't any look-at-me-compositions here, only subtle choreography. The intimacy of the story is largely confined to three locations, and the plot revolves around terror-from-the-mountains, but all eyes are on Beowulf, as supposed to. And director Robert Zemeckis allows the third act of the movie to grow, giving it a true heart and soul, as we see Beowulf as the King of the Land he once came to save from monster Grendel's merciless attacks. Now, he ain't the man he was, he's filled with poignancy as he realizes what it really takes to be a true hero. BEOWULF is entertaining throughout, and it's off course candy for the eyes - still, at times its rather po-faced and too much for its own good. Apart from that, this is a rousing experience.

boe_dye's scathing review of this ruined epic.

tt0442933

This movie, was by far the most awful trash i have ever had to sit through. it was terrible.Now, i will admit i have never actually read the original story, so understand that this is coming solely from a cinematic stand point.I like epic movies, i like stories and characters that are larger then life. all that i know about beowulf is just that. an epic tale of good vs evil, a struggle between powers. battles so huge that the very mention of them strikes fear into your soul. characters that legends are made out of.That sort of thing.This movie, however was so pathetic that within 90 seconds i wanted to leave.It (the film) was just screaming "good lord, why do i exist because the audience knows that this story is so much grander, and yet i am merely a sick sad portrayal of one of the oldest stories known to man."What really killed it was the CGI. now, i knew going into it, that it heavily relied on CGI. i am not going to be one of the snotty critics who thumb their noses at technology, it certainly has it's place. but this essentially made fun of the story.Grendel didn't look evil, he looked pathetic. he looked like a walking pile of burnt marshmallows and the mummy (from the mummy, 1999). and any emotion and inflection that the characters might have felt were all lost on the CGI.Try to imagine the LOTR trilogy trying to be serious if the whole thing was made to look like shrek or the polar express (and at times there were some scenes that made you think of shrek). Imagine frodo and his look of anguish and pain and desperation because of the burden of the ring being taken away because he looks like mr conductor, and that basically is what you get.Now what was done with polar express, i liked. it fit the story. this however is what destroyed the story. any cartoon character can ride a dragon and do unbelievable things, it's really nothing special. but seeing man. a real flesh and blood man kill a demon child, or a fire breathing dragon with his bare hands, that is the stuff of legends. yeah i understand that there needs to be CGI enhancement to make a human do certain things on screen, but not CGI with human enhancements. thats like an ugly woman putting on 3 inches of makeup and 10 gallons of perfume so that she looks beautiful....Oh, and angelina jolie looked AWFUL. nude or not nude, she looked ridiculous. imagine what lara croft really looks like in tomb raider and you get the idea......okay maybe not that bad but close......And to make matters worse, according to the other two film goers that were in the theatre (one of whom had actually read the original story), the ending was changed...This movie, to me, seemed to be desperately trying to ride on the coattails of 300. now yes, i know the script was being written in 97 and 300 (TPB) was written in 98. and regardless of which on was shot first, the point is, which one was released first. a lot can happen between here and now.300 is a perfect example of what this movie could have been.In the end, what the Hollywood trend seems to be following is this; let's try to copy what the real artists are doing and make our own version of it. kinda like what go-bots were to transformers. and while we are at it, let's make it so that the kids can see it too so instead of making it what it should be, lets water it down to pg13 and make more money out of it.I would suggest anyone wanting to see to simply not. it isn't even worth the time to watch online.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-132

ur15899300

title: boe_dye's scathing review of this ruined epic. review: This movie, was by far the most awful trash i have ever had to sit through. it was terrible.Now, i will admit i have never actually read the original story, so understand that this is coming solely from a cinematic stand point.I like epic movies, i like stories and characters that are larger then life. all that i know about beowulf is just that. an epic tale of good vs evil, a struggle between powers. battles so huge that the very mention of them strikes fear into your soul. characters that legends are made out of.That sort of thing.This movie, however was so pathetic that within 90 seconds i wanted to leave.It (the film) was just screaming "good lord, why do i exist because the audience knows that this story is so much grander, and yet i am merely a sick sad portrayal of one of the oldest stories known to man."What really killed it was the CGI. now, i knew going into it, that it heavily relied on CGI. i am not going to be one of the snotty critics who thumb their noses at technology, it certainly has it's place. but this essentially made fun of the story.Grendel didn't look evil, he looked pathetic. he looked like a walking pile of burnt marshmallows and the mummy (from the mummy, 1999). and any emotion and inflection that the characters might have felt were all lost on the CGI.Try to imagine the LOTR trilogy trying to be serious if the whole thing was made to look like shrek or the polar express (and at times there were some scenes that made you think of shrek). Imagine frodo and his look of anguish and pain and desperation because of the burden of the ring being taken away because he looks like mr conductor, and that basically is what you get.Now what was done with polar express, i liked. it fit the story. this however is what destroyed the story. any cartoon character can ride a dragon and do unbelievable things, it's really nothing special. but seeing man. a real flesh and blood man kill a demon child, or a fire breathing dragon with his bare hands, that is the stuff of legends. yeah i understand that there needs to be CGI enhancement to make a human do certain things on screen, but not CGI with human enhancements. thats like an ugly woman putting on 3 inches of makeup and 10 gallons of perfume so that she looks beautiful....Oh, and angelina jolie looked AWFUL. nude or not nude, she looked ridiculous. imagine what lara croft really looks like in tomb raider and you get the idea......okay maybe not that bad but close......And to make matters worse, according to the other two film goers that were in the theatre (one of whom had actually read the original story), the ending was changed...This movie, to me, seemed to be desperately trying to ride on the coattails of 300. now yes, i know the script was being written in 97 and 300 (TPB) was written in 98. and regardless of which on was shot first, the point is, which one was released first. a lot can happen between here and now.300 is a perfect example of what this movie could have been.In the end, what the Hollywood trend seems to be following is this; let's try to copy what the real artists are doing and make our own version of it. kinda like what go-bots were to transformers. and while we are at it, let's make it so that the kids can see it too so instead of making it what it should be, lets water it down to pg13 and make more money out of it.I would suggest anyone wanting to see to simply not. it isn't even worth the time to watch online.

Robert Zemeckis + Animation=Greatness

tt0442933

Set in a magical era veiled by the mists of time, replete with heroes and monsters, adventure and valor, gold and glory, one exceptional man emerges to save an ancient Danish kingdom from annihilation by an ungodly creature.After destroying the overpowering demon Grendel, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) incurs the undying wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother (Angelina Jolie), who will use any means possible to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle resonates throughout the ages, immortalizing the name of Beowulf. A great movie telling the tale of a classic fable. Beowulf 10/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-403

ur17119745

title: Robert Zemeckis + Animation=Greatness review: Set in a magical era veiled by the mists of time, replete with heroes and monsters, adventure and valor, gold and glory, one exceptional man emerges to save an ancient Danish kingdom from annihilation by an ungodly creature.After destroying the overpowering demon Grendel, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) incurs the undying wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother (Angelina Jolie), who will use any means possible to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle resonates throughout the ages, immortalizing the name of Beowulf. A great movie telling the tale of a classic fable. Beowulf 10/10

Turning one of the oldest stories in history to this centuries latest in pure action-adventure.

tt0442933

My Take: A thrilling summer movie blockbuster. BEOWULF is perhaps the oldest story that Hollywood still takes pride in making. Remember the very memorable battle between Beowulf, the monster Grendel and the monster's mother? And the moral that pride is the curse? Well, its Hollywood's proudest pleasure to give you the new BEOWULF, the new motion-capture animated baby from the father of the craft (or at least the one who uses it the most), Robert Zemeckis. Although BEOWULF still has those emotionless-eyed motion-capture drones and has a big dose of silly dialog, BEOWULF is an ideal model of an action-packed summer movie adventure. Filled with thrilling moments and heart-pounding battles, BEOWULF is an action fans playhouse, and if your home entertainment system's built for the job, this is a real killer on DVD! On the basis of script, however, Zemeckis still hasn't found the perfection. The dialog is made up of the cheesy old-English dialog that's bound the produce a giggle. Although there are real intentional humor in the film, some are still on the verge of camp. The scene where Beowulf fights with the monster evenly by being naked is still hilarious.On the action however, Zemeckis is one heck of a carnival barker. Moments of thrills and excitement are at an abundance. From the moment where Grendel breaks through a feast, entirely shot in darkness, is often chilling. Then of course there's Beowulf battling the monster and even a large dragon in the end (and this is a PG-13). That's pure Hollywood, and that's pure action entertainment.Ask for the actors, we have Ray Winstone as the brave but foolhardy Beowulf (with help from a macho model double), Anthony Hopkins plays the drunken mad Hrothgar, Robin Wright Penn is Wealthhow, Hrothgar's (and later Beowulf's) wife. But Angelina Jolie stills stands out above the rest, baring it all (well, his animation that is) as the monster Grendel's (voiced by Crispin Glover, by the way) mother, vowing vengeance when her monster child was killed (the scene where she emerges all gold, with high heels will just crack you up).The movie's a great example of how a cheesy old sword-and-sorcery flick can become the next best action movie coming out for the summer. It's a lot of fun and I doubt you'll be bored.Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-425

ur14080241

title: Turning one of the oldest stories in history to this centuries latest in pure action-adventure. review: My Take: A thrilling summer movie blockbuster. BEOWULF is perhaps the oldest story that Hollywood still takes pride in making. Remember the very memorable battle between Beowulf, the monster Grendel and the monster's mother? And the moral that pride is the curse? Well, its Hollywood's proudest pleasure to give you the new BEOWULF, the new motion-capture animated baby from the father of the craft (or at least the one who uses it the most), Robert Zemeckis. Although BEOWULF still has those emotionless-eyed motion-capture drones and has a big dose of silly dialog, BEOWULF is an ideal model of an action-packed summer movie adventure. Filled with thrilling moments and heart-pounding battles, BEOWULF is an action fans playhouse, and if your home entertainment system's built for the job, this is a real killer on DVD! On the basis of script, however, Zemeckis still hasn't found the perfection. The dialog is made up of the cheesy old-English dialog that's bound the produce a giggle. Although there are real intentional humor in the film, some are still on the verge of camp. The scene where Beowulf fights with the monster evenly by being naked is still hilarious.On the action however, Zemeckis is one heck of a carnival barker. Moments of thrills and excitement are at an abundance. From the moment where Grendel breaks through a feast, entirely shot in darkness, is often chilling. Then of course there's Beowulf battling the monster and even a large dragon in the end (and this is a PG-13). That's pure Hollywood, and that's pure action entertainment.Ask for the actors, we have Ray Winstone as the brave but foolhardy Beowulf (with help from a macho model double), Anthony Hopkins plays the drunken mad Hrothgar, Robin Wright Penn is Wealthhow, Hrothgar's (and later Beowulf's) wife. But Angelina Jolie stills stands out above the rest, baring it all (well, his animation that is) as the monster Grendel's (voiced by Crispin Glover, by the way) mother, vowing vengeance when her monster child was killed (the scene where she emerges all gold, with high heels will just crack you up).The movie's a great example of how a cheesy old sword-and-sorcery flick can become the next best action movie coming out for the summer. It's a lot of fun and I doubt you'll be bored.Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.

Creative but unfaithful

tt0442933

Beowulf is a magical piece of literature. And it's a good idea to keep some of the Anglo-Saxon original text. The director tries all he can to make the setting and costumes and psyche of these people realistic for the fifth and sixth centuries after Christ when Denmark was still believing in the Nordic Gods, Odin first of all, and before the arrival of Christianity at the beginning, after its arrival at the end. Interesting too to change the tale slightly to make the two half into one logic, the second half being the sequence of the first. Interesting too to use the magic of these old days and hence have some supernatural beings and events. It is true Grendel, his mother and the dragon were supernatural alright. But instead of making explicit the references to the giants and pre-human species surviving in total exclusion, instead of making explicit the reference to the runes brought to human beings by Odin himself, the director chooses a sexual line, from beginning to end. Then the monster is the son of the local Danish king and the mother who does not have a name but is a gorgeous woman disguising some kind of witch, a sorceress who has little difficulty mesmerizing the local king with promises of power into providing her with a son who will eventually be the scourge of the country and will have to be killed. Hence Grendel is the "son" of the local king when Beowulf arrives in Denmark and the dragon will be the "son" of Beowulf himself. He will kill Grendel, then tame the mother by giving her a son, and finally kill that very son, the dragon. This addition kills something in the tale. Beowulf is the obvious Christianization of traditional Nordic tales and sagas in Anglo-Saxon territory in the seventh to ninth centuries. This is present in the film, but the sexual dimension of these monsters goes against this Christianization since it states that every generation will have to live under the menace of a monster produced by the fornication of the previous king with the supernatural woman, as if such pagan facts could survive in front of the Christian faith. This rewriting of the tale is thus for a modern audience, what's more for a young audience. This is quite clear in the electronic and computer game conception of the fights. And this young audience does not care for all these religious things, including Christianity, and they can very easily imagine Christ having dinner with a dragon and being served by some unicorn. Dropping that dimension of believing and even faith that the saga originally had transforms the story into some kind of post-modern fantasy for a world that does not believe in anything and where believing has been transformed into some kind of personal private matter whereas it was a public communion with the whole society through its common rites and fears and hopes. Then the end of the film is the promise of a third monster, whereas the end of the saga was a final stop to the existence of all monsters.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, CEGID

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-475

ur3836774

title: Creative but unfaithful review: Beowulf is a magical piece of literature. And it's a good idea to keep some of the Anglo-Saxon original text. The director tries all he can to make the setting and costumes and psyche of these people realistic for the fifth and sixth centuries after Christ when Denmark was still believing in the Nordic Gods, Odin first of all, and before the arrival of Christianity at the beginning, after its arrival at the end. Interesting too to change the tale slightly to make the two half into one logic, the second half being the sequence of the first. Interesting too to use the magic of these old days and hence have some supernatural beings and events. It is true Grendel, his mother and the dragon were supernatural alright. But instead of making explicit the references to the giants and pre-human species surviving in total exclusion, instead of making explicit the reference to the runes brought to human beings by Odin himself, the director chooses a sexual line, from beginning to end. Then the monster is the son of the local Danish king and the mother who does not have a name but is a gorgeous woman disguising some kind of witch, a sorceress who has little difficulty mesmerizing the local king with promises of power into providing her with a son who will eventually be the scourge of the country and will have to be killed. Hence Grendel is the "son" of the local king when Beowulf arrives in Denmark and the dragon will be the "son" of Beowulf himself. He will kill Grendel, then tame the mother by giving her a son, and finally kill that very son, the dragon. This addition kills something in the tale. Beowulf is the obvious Christianization of traditional Nordic tales and sagas in Anglo-Saxon territory in the seventh to ninth centuries. This is present in the film, but the sexual dimension of these monsters goes against this Christianization since it states that every generation will have to live under the menace of a monster produced by the fornication of the previous king with the supernatural woman, as if such pagan facts could survive in front of the Christian faith. This rewriting of the tale is thus for a modern audience, what's more for a young audience. This is quite clear in the electronic and computer game conception of the fights. And this young audience does not care for all these religious things, including Christianity, and they can very easily imagine Christ having dinner with a dragon and being served by some unicorn. Dropping that dimension of believing and even faith that the saga originally had transforms the story into some kind of post-modern fantasy for a world that does not believe in anything and where believing has been transformed into some kind of personal private matter whereas it was a public communion with the whole society through its common rites and fears and hopes. Then the end of the film is the promise of a third monster, whereas the end of the saga was a final stop to the existence of all monsters.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, CEGID

"Beowulf" - Zemeckis-style...

tt0442933

Admittedly, 2007's "Beowulf," the latest adaptation of the classic Old English epic poem with no known author (and is very often required reading in high school), is not a film I paid very much attention to when it was first released two years ago. Home video has been very kind to this picture, however, since it received mixed reviews but was a huge box office success (it earned well over $150 million during its theatrical run) when it was released, due in no small part to its groundbreaking performance-capture CGI technology - improved significantly from director Robert Zemeckis's earlier "The Polar Express" (2004).But let's be honest with ourselves: this is not your father's "Beowulf." I don't remember the exact details of the epic poem from English 12 my senior year in high school five years ago, but I do not recall that it was a dark, uber-sexy, ultra-bloody affair and treatise on the dangers of pride (this review is based on the unrated director's cut of the film, not the "PG-13" theatrical version). Differences aside - major and minor - Zemeckis's "Beowulf" is not a bad film, but a different one from what most of us are probably used to reading about, whether in school or for pleasure. In fact, "Beowulf" is a ridiculously entertaining film, even if it is prone to slowing down during its quieter moments, and the performance-captured animation is nothing short of beautiful and breathtaking.In 6th-century Denmark, King Hrothgar's (Anthony Hopkins) kingdom of Heorot is being terrorized on a nightly basis by the hideous demon Grendel (a frighteningly effective Crispin Glover). To the rescue is the fearless Geat hero Beowulf (Ray Winstone) to battle Grendel and restore peace & tranquility to Hrothgar's kingdom. (Winstone's Beowulf is significantly different from the one in the poem; he's no longer the perfect "hero," but is instead flawed and is much more believably human. He's also prone to strong lapses in judgment when he lets his pride get the better of him.) Those who know the story know the rest of the film's events - Beowulf eventually slays Grendel, and does battle with his mother (Angelina Jolie) and becomes king of Heorot himself, now married to Queen Wealtheow (Robin Wright Penn). And lastly, there is the costly battle with the dragon that comes to terrorize his kingdom a few years later down the road."Beowulf" is a breathtaking action-adventure fantasy epic. It looks fabulous, and is appropriately dark, violent and sexy, everything a revved-up Hollywood adaptation of an ancient work of classical literature should be. The animation is advanced enough that it does allow for the characters to express believable amounts of emotion and even display facial expressions. And it's easy to tell who's playing who, since the characters do somewhat resemble the actors playing them, except of course the frightening, hideous monster that is Grendel. That was a brave performance by Crispin Glover, I'll tell you, who manages to make such a ravenous creature sympathetic by making him appear as a misunderstood outsider who is disturbed by the noises coming from King Hrothgar's mead hall and only goes there in an attempt at trying to get some peace & quiet. He's no longer the soulless, evil monster that we might remember from the epic poem, but simply a misunderstood monster-child who's trying to get some sleep, but the greedy, noisy humans who live nearby won't let him. I'm quite surprised that Crispin Glover hasn't gotten better work over the years.And there is also a healthy dose of sex appeal to be enjoyed by members of both sexes. Considering that Ray Winstone looks nothing like his animated on-screen counterpart, the film's animators can be forgiven with taking some creative liberties with the actors. (And Angelina Jolie, presumably the sexiest woman in Hollywood, is certainly enjoying the you-know-what out of her 10-minute cameo here as the seductive, ultra-sexy Mother of Grendel, who eventually manages to seduce Our Hero Beowulf. The movie is certainly worth the ticket price alone just to see her in the nude, with gold body paint covering up her most private of parts, about an hour into the picture. Does anybody know for sure if she was really naked in this movie?)Considering the movie was co-written by comic book artist Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, I expected the script to be a little bit better. And what I mean is the tendency of the film to slow down toward the middle. Some of the changes that they made to the story can also be forgiven, but it also gives the viewer the impression of how much they were trying inject modern-day religious (read: Christian) themes into the story, which I can't even remember being hinted at in the original epic poem (but then again it's been a while since high school). The character Unferth (John Malkovich) becomes a vocal proponent of the then-new Christian faith and his suggestion early in the picture that King Hrothgar and others pray to the new Roman god is just one prime example of this. It goes to show the viewer the type of modern-day slant the filmmakers were trying to put on the picture.Robert Zemeckis is still one of Hollywood's most valued dealers in groundbreaking special effects-laden spectacles. Even if his "Beowulf" is a mixed bag - but a significant upgrade from "The Polar Express" five years ago - it is an entertaining film, a ridiculously entertaining and ultra-sexy/ultra-bloody film. If you can, I'd highly recommend watching Zemeckis's director's cut. With this version of the film at least, even though it's got more bloody violence and greater sex appeal, you get the feeling that this is the complete film, and the real story that Zemeckis was really trying to tell, short of the ratings restrictions on the picture.You'll either really love it or really hate it; I think I'm somewhere in the middle.7/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-488

ur0892646

title: "Beowulf" - Zemeckis-style... review: Admittedly, 2007's "Beowulf," the latest adaptation of the classic Old English epic poem with no known author (and is very often required reading in high school), is not a film I paid very much attention to when it was first released two years ago. Home video has been very kind to this picture, however, since it received mixed reviews but was a huge box office success (it earned well over $150 million during its theatrical run) when it was released, due in no small part to its groundbreaking performance-capture CGI technology - improved significantly from director Robert Zemeckis's earlier "The Polar Express" (2004).But let's be honest with ourselves: this is not your father's "Beowulf." I don't remember the exact details of the epic poem from English 12 my senior year in high school five years ago, but I do not recall that it was a dark, uber-sexy, ultra-bloody affair and treatise on the dangers of pride (this review is based on the unrated director's cut of the film, not the "PG-13" theatrical version). Differences aside - major and minor - Zemeckis's "Beowulf" is not a bad film, but a different one from what most of us are probably used to reading about, whether in school or for pleasure. In fact, "Beowulf" is a ridiculously entertaining film, even if it is prone to slowing down during its quieter moments, and the performance-captured animation is nothing short of beautiful and breathtaking.In 6th-century Denmark, King Hrothgar's (Anthony Hopkins) kingdom of Heorot is being terrorized on a nightly basis by the hideous demon Grendel (a frighteningly effective Crispin Glover). To the rescue is the fearless Geat hero Beowulf (Ray Winstone) to battle Grendel and restore peace & tranquility to Hrothgar's kingdom. (Winstone's Beowulf is significantly different from the one in the poem; he's no longer the perfect "hero," but is instead flawed and is much more believably human. He's also prone to strong lapses in judgment when he lets his pride get the better of him.) Those who know the story know the rest of the film's events - Beowulf eventually slays Grendel, and does battle with his mother (Angelina Jolie) and becomes king of Heorot himself, now married to Queen Wealtheow (Robin Wright Penn). And lastly, there is the costly battle with the dragon that comes to terrorize his kingdom a few years later down the road."Beowulf" is a breathtaking action-adventure fantasy epic. It looks fabulous, and is appropriately dark, violent and sexy, everything a revved-up Hollywood adaptation of an ancient work of classical literature should be. The animation is advanced enough that it does allow for the characters to express believable amounts of emotion and even display facial expressions. And it's easy to tell who's playing who, since the characters do somewhat resemble the actors playing them, except of course the frightening, hideous monster that is Grendel. That was a brave performance by Crispin Glover, I'll tell you, who manages to make such a ravenous creature sympathetic by making him appear as a misunderstood outsider who is disturbed by the noises coming from King Hrothgar's mead hall and only goes there in an attempt at trying to get some peace & quiet. He's no longer the soulless, evil monster that we might remember from the epic poem, but simply a misunderstood monster-child who's trying to get some sleep, but the greedy, noisy humans who live nearby won't let him. I'm quite surprised that Crispin Glover hasn't gotten better work over the years.And there is also a healthy dose of sex appeal to be enjoyed by members of both sexes. Considering that Ray Winstone looks nothing like his animated on-screen counterpart, the film's animators can be forgiven with taking some creative liberties with the actors. (And Angelina Jolie, presumably the sexiest woman in Hollywood, is certainly enjoying the you-know-what out of her 10-minute cameo here as the seductive, ultra-sexy Mother of Grendel, who eventually manages to seduce Our Hero Beowulf. The movie is certainly worth the ticket price alone just to see her in the nude, with gold body paint covering up her most private of parts, about an hour into the picture. Does anybody know for sure if she was really naked in this movie?)Considering the movie was co-written by comic book artist Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, I expected the script to be a little bit better. And what I mean is the tendency of the film to slow down toward the middle. Some of the changes that they made to the story can also be forgiven, but it also gives the viewer the impression of how much they were trying inject modern-day religious (read: Christian) themes into the story, which I can't even remember being hinted at in the original epic poem (but then again it's been a while since high school). The character Unferth (John Malkovich) becomes a vocal proponent of the then-new Christian faith and his suggestion early in the picture that King Hrothgar and others pray to the new Roman god is just one prime example of this. It goes to show the viewer the type of modern-day slant the filmmakers were trying to put on the picture.Robert Zemeckis is still one of Hollywood's most valued dealers in groundbreaking special effects-laden spectacles. Even if his "Beowulf" is a mixed bag - but a significant upgrade from "The Polar Express" five years ago - it is an entertaining film, a ridiculously entertaining and ultra-sexy/ultra-bloody film. If you can, I'd highly recommend watching Zemeckis's director's cut. With this version of the film at least, even though it's got more bloody violence and greater sex appeal, you get the feeling that this is the complete film, and the real story that Zemeckis was really trying to tell, short of the ratings restrictions on the picture.You'll either really love it or really hate it; I think I'm somewhere in the middle.7/10

Nicely told story despite its visual flaws

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A monster Grendel is terrorizing the kingdom of king Hogarth. The vile beast must be slain and lo and behold, Beowulf, the great hero, comes with his men and he slays the monster by ripping its arm off. But the monster has a mother and as it also wants to revenge the death of her offspring, Beowulf must kill her as well.Beowulf is well written and well told story. It has a solid soundtrack and some pretty bad ass action scenes as well some nicely twisted sense of humour. Yet I can't give it more than 7 out of 10.The main reason for this is the way the movie has been made. The CGI looks great and the the makers have managed to bring a great deal of atmosphere to Denmark. But the characters seem lifeless and the animation seem very awkward in some places and there are even a couple of scenes in which the animation is plain bad. Ray Winstone does a good voice job, but there are some characters whose voice acting is plain and uninspired. Yes, I'm talking about John Malkovich here. And Anthony Hopkins ain't in his A game here either.But as I said it is very well told and written story. I especially liked what they had done with Grendel. He's not just some brainless monster, but a pathetic, twisted shell, who is in constant pain. Even though he does terrible things you can't but to feel sorry for him because of the sins of his parents.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-492

ur1941835

title: Nicely told story despite its visual flaws review: A monster Grendel is terrorizing the kingdom of king Hogarth. The vile beast must be slain and lo and behold, Beowulf, the great hero, comes with his men and he slays the monster by ripping its arm off. But the monster has a mother and as it also wants to revenge the death of her offspring, Beowulf must kill her as well.Beowulf is well written and well told story. It has a solid soundtrack and some pretty bad ass action scenes as well some nicely twisted sense of humour. Yet I can't give it more than 7 out of 10.The main reason for this is the way the movie has been made. The CGI looks great and the the makers have managed to bring a great deal of atmosphere to Denmark. But the characters seem lifeless and the animation seem very awkward in some places and there are even a couple of scenes in which the animation is plain bad. Ray Winstone does a good voice job, but there are some characters whose voice acting is plain and uninspired. Yes, I'm talking about John Malkovich here. And Anthony Hopkins ain't in his A game here either.But as I said it is very well told and written story. I especially liked what they had done with Grendel. He's not just some brainless monster, but a pathetic, twisted shell, who is in constant pain. Even though he does terrible things you can't but to feel sorry for him because of the sins of his parents.

One Hardcore Film That Was Unnecessarily Converted to CG...

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To say that it was a ridiculous decision to make Beowulf into a motion-capture CG film is an understatement. With the technology we have today, this could've made for a grand live-action feature, and I bet it would've had Robert Zemeckis not been involved. The mere notion that this wasn't gonna be live-action turned me off from seeing it in theaters, and had a friend not brought the DVD over, I would've never seen this film. However, after viewing it, I actually appreciated it more, but that's not to say it isn't without its flaws.The CG is very good. From a long distance, the characters look like Shrek -- not a good thing. However, when at a close distance of a few feet, the characters are astonishingly life-like. The dragon was a great beast, and so was Grendel's mother. Yet the horses were poorly done, and some of the fight sequences were less than spectacular.To those concerned about how violent or extreme this film is, it's perhaps best to say: this is the most hardcore PG-13 film made of the decade. There's quite a bit of nudity and vulgarities (mainly the inappropriate actions of Hrothgar's people and Beowulf's soldiers). The violence is way over board. Our title hero is slicing open sea monsters and their intestines and blood fly all over the place. Grendel's arm is ripped from its socket, and people are squeezed of their blood as Grendel drains them into his mouth. Way too much for a young audience, in fact, I highly recommend only children of 14-years or older watch this film.The screenplay is actually quite well done. The gaps in text are nicely spruced up for the film, and the themes of "lies coming back to haunt you" and "the rising power of Christianity" are realized, even if the latter is very subtle.Alan Silvestri's score is a disappointment. It only sweeps a few times, and the vocals by Robin Wright Penn aren't very flattering. There's a few themes throughout, primarily Beowulf's bombastic one, the Hero Comes Home, and the twinkling of Grendel and his mother.Ray Winstone is very good as the title character, and so is Anthony Hopkins, and Brendan Gleeson. John Malkovich is god awful in his role, and says his lines as if he were a 1st-grader reading in front of the class: very slow and dull.All in all, I was quite pleased to see Beowulf on DVD. As hardcore as it was in vision, the story as a whole is beautiful. The writers captured what needed to be told, and what could stay in the poem. From the acting to the CGI, it's pretty satisfying, and I recommend it to the fans of 300 and Troy.** SEEING THIS FILM DOES NOT JUSTIFY NOT READING THE POEM FOR SCHOOL.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-453

ur19814891

title: One Hardcore Film That Was Unnecessarily Converted to CG... review: To say that it was a ridiculous decision to make Beowulf into a motion-capture CG film is an understatement. With the technology we have today, this could've made for a grand live-action feature, and I bet it would've had Robert Zemeckis not been involved. The mere notion that this wasn't gonna be live-action turned me off from seeing it in theaters, and had a friend not brought the DVD over, I would've never seen this film. However, after viewing it, I actually appreciated it more, but that's not to say it isn't without its flaws.The CG is very good. From a long distance, the characters look like Shrek -- not a good thing. However, when at a close distance of a few feet, the characters are astonishingly life-like. The dragon was a great beast, and so was Grendel's mother. Yet the horses were poorly done, and some of the fight sequences were less than spectacular.To those concerned about how violent or extreme this film is, it's perhaps best to say: this is the most hardcore PG-13 film made of the decade. There's quite a bit of nudity and vulgarities (mainly the inappropriate actions of Hrothgar's people and Beowulf's soldiers). The violence is way over board. Our title hero is slicing open sea monsters and their intestines and blood fly all over the place. Grendel's arm is ripped from its socket, and people are squeezed of their blood as Grendel drains them into his mouth. Way too much for a young audience, in fact, I highly recommend only children of 14-years or older watch this film.The screenplay is actually quite well done. The gaps in text are nicely spruced up for the film, and the themes of "lies coming back to haunt you" and "the rising power of Christianity" are realized, even if the latter is very subtle.Alan Silvestri's score is a disappointment. It only sweeps a few times, and the vocals by Robin Wright Penn aren't very flattering. There's a few themes throughout, primarily Beowulf's bombastic one, the Hero Comes Home, and the twinkling of Grendel and his mother.Ray Winstone is very good as the title character, and so is Anthony Hopkins, and Brendan Gleeson. John Malkovich is god awful in his role, and says his lines as if he were a 1st-grader reading in front of the class: very slow and dull.All in all, I was quite pleased to see Beowulf on DVD. As hardcore as it was in vision, the story as a whole is beautiful. The writers captured what needed to be told, and what could stay in the poem. From the acting to the CGI, it's pretty satisfying, and I recommend it to the fans of 300 and Troy.** SEEING THIS FILM DOES NOT JUSTIFY NOT READING THE POEM FOR SCHOOL.

A story of heroic ambiguity

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It's hard to push animated movies for the older crowd, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within's abysmal box office performance made producers stray away from these types of productions. Enter Robert Zemeckis, who after Polar Express, takes another shot at this complex genre.Set in a non-specific a.c. time, the movie tells the tale of one Beowulf, a hero sent to a land where king Hrotgar and his people are plagued by a (really)horrific monster named Grendel who begins attacking the townspeople because he is upset by their loud music and dancing.For a PG-13 movie, I must say it really stretches that rating with sexual innuendo,nudity, 300 style violence and bestiality.Visually, it's nice to see, but sometimes the animations are not too perfect, making it look like a video game. Performance-wise, the movie's only two flaws are John Malkovich who uses the same accent from Eragon, a movie which will likely haunt him to this very day and Angelina Jolie's terrible accent. Everybody else does good, though sometimes you'll notice the voices are not entirely matching the action on screen.Another downside, is that even for a 100 or so minute movie, it feels very slow, some pieces kinda take forever to end, of course when it gets to the action bit it's all good.The story strikes me as odd, because of how it's more a cyclical tale of moral ambiguity and lust for power, which leads a man to it's ultimate demise, then the heroic, sarcasm-free and perfect hero Beowulf slaying all that dare challenge him, be it monster or a human foe.This Beowulf character can defeat anyone, but apparently he can't kill Grendel's mother, but her offspring(product of interspecies breeding) can be decimated. I never understood why...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-312

ur5611897

title: A story of heroic ambiguity review: It's hard to push animated movies for the older crowd, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within's abysmal box office performance made producers stray away from these types of productions. Enter Robert Zemeckis, who after Polar Express, takes another shot at this complex genre.Set in a non-specific a.c. time, the movie tells the tale of one Beowulf, a hero sent to a land where king Hrotgar and his people are plagued by a (really)horrific monster named Grendel who begins attacking the townspeople because he is upset by their loud music and dancing.For a PG-13 movie, I must say it really stretches that rating with sexual innuendo,nudity, 300 style violence and bestiality.Visually, it's nice to see, but sometimes the animations are not too perfect, making it look like a video game. Performance-wise, the movie's only two flaws are John Malkovich who uses the same accent from Eragon, a movie which will likely haunt him to this very day and Angelina Jolie's terrible accent. Everybody else does good, though sometimes you'll notice the voices are not entirely matching the action on screen.Another downside, is that even for a 100 or so minute movie, it feels very slow, some pieces kinda take forever to end, of course when it gets to the action bit it's all good.The story strikes me as odd, because of how it's more a cyclical tale of moral ambiguity and lust for power, which leads a man to it's ultimate demise, then the heroic, sarcasm-free and perfect hero Beowulf slaying all that dare challenge him, be it monster or a human foe.This Beowulf character can defeat anyone, but apparently he can't kill Grendel's mother, but her offspring(product of interspecies breeding) can be decimated. I never understood why...

a masterfully crafted CG epic

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I didn't really expect much out of this one - I mainly watched it cause there was nothing better to see in the cinema that week - and was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it isn't very accurate compared to the original work, but tells a great legend of its own. The movie is not a typical Hollywood flick - not too many clichés, not too much romance - which I find very refreshing and totally appropriate for the theme. The movie isn't very ambitious in its scope and doesn't take itself too seriously, but still succeeds in creating proper setting and atmosphere. This is very much helped by the language Grendel uses - I don't know if it's actual Old Norse (or Old English), but at least the distorted pronunciation is really fitting. The CG itself is, of course, top-notch and, quite surprisingly, very realistic looking. Believe me, the trailer doesn't make this one justice - it's not only flashy action sequences and doesn't look that cartoony. Highly recommended.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-291

ur16421668

title: a masterfully crafted CG epic review: I didn't really expect much out of this one - I mainly watched it cause there was nothing better to see in the cinema that week - and was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it isn't very accurate compared to the original work, but tells a great legend of its own. The movie is not a typical Hollywood flick - not too many clichés, not too much romance - which I find very refreshing and totally appropriate for the theme. The movie isn't very ambitious in its scope and doesn't take itself too seriously, but still succeeds in creating proper setting and atmosphere. This is very much helped by the language Grendel uses - I don't know if it's actual Old Norse (or Old English), but at least the distorted pronunciation is really fitting. The CG itself is, of course, top-notch and, quite surprisingly, very realistic looking. Believe me, the trailer doesn't make this one justice - it's not only flashy action sequences and doesn't look that cartoony. Highly recommended.

Finally a great fantasy film. I could have done without the CGI, though.

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If you haven't seen it, you should. It is a brutal hero story, one that does justice to the ways of old (as I can only imagine them), when Christian morality was something that was just emerging in Northern Europe and the glory was that of the warrior heroes, living through and for their skill. The plot is also more like the original Beowulf than most adaptations I've seen. It even beats The Thirttens Warrior (The Death Eaters) in darkness and quality.The CGI, while clearly well done and cool technically, was a bit of a distraction and for that only I was prepared to rate it with an 8. Until I realised who the actor that played Beowulf was and I understood the subtle ploy of the whole computer generated actors. If you don't know who the lead actor is yet, please try not to find out until you finish seeing the film.Bottom line: a must see!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-401

ur3146136

title: Finally a great fantasy film. I could have done without the CGI, though. review: If you haven't seen it, you should. It is a brutal hero story, one that does justice to the ways of old (as I can only imagine them), when Christian morality was something that was just emerging in Northern Europe and the glory was that of the warrior heroes, living through and for their skill. The plot is also more like the original Beowulf than most adaptations I've seen. It even beats The Thirttens Warrior (The Death Eaters) in darkness and quality.The CGI, while clearly well done and cool technically, was a bit of a distraction and for that only I was prepared to rate it with an 8. Until I realised who the actor that played Beowulf was and I understood the subtle ploy of the whole computer generated actors. If you don't know who the lead actor is yet, please try not to find out until you finish seeing the film.Bottom line: a must see!

Technology is the Star Here

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I watched this spectacular movie completely in mind-blowing 3D and IMAX! I think this is the only way to watch this movie, and I do not regret the money I paid for it.This is one of those movies where the technology is the star, not the story, the script nor the actors. The movie is completely computer generated. The artwork was excellent in the architecture, the landscape and the male characters, especially Beowulf himself. The 3D effect multiplies the grandiosity and excitement of everything in the film several-fold. The action sequences were really top notch in 3D, most especially the climactic battle of Beowulf and the Dragon. I certainly cannot imagine how this movie would look and feel in 2D.Ray Winstone's Beowulf looks every inch a hero, but the story makes him flawed, thus more realistic. I did not know who Winstone was before this movie. He has a grand time looking heroic, with his stances, poses and braggadocio. He was totally naked during his battle with Grendel, and the way his manhood was hidden by various other props can be quite amusing, which distracts from the great action somewhat.I was a bit off-put by the strange over-the-top rendering of Grendel's monstrosity. I did not expect such extremely grotesque interpretation, with a mishmash of deformed human features. The script did imbue Grendel with much drama and tragedy, much enhanced courtesy of Crispin Glover's acting.Angelina Jolie was depicted in gorgeous elaborate artwork as Grendel's mother. All the scenes involving Jolie were really very well done. She does well in looking both beautiful and sinister at the same time. Her costume is very remarkable as well. Unfortunately, aside from her, the other female characters were not very well rendered, particularly Robin Wright Penn's Queen.Overall I would really recommend watching "Beowulf". But please watch it in 3D. I cannot avoid comparing this movie with a similarly-themed movie shown earlier this year, "300". I liked "300" much better because of the live actors involved. (I read that 300 was also available in 3D IMAX format, but I am not sure if they showed this locally. I don't think so.) I gave "300" a 5-star rating despite seeing it only in 2D. "Beowulf" could have been an average movie, but it gets an extra star because I saw it in 3D.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-271

ur4294858

title: Technology is the Star Here review: I watched this spectacular movie completely in mind-blowing 3D and IMAX! I think this is the only way to watch this movie, and I do not regret the money I paid for it.This is one of those movies where the technology is the star, not the story, the script nor the actors. The movie is completely computer generated. The artwork was excellent in the architecture, the landscape and the male characters, especially Beowulf himself. The 3D effect multiplies the grandiosity and excitement of everything in the film several-fold. The action sequences were really top notch in 3D, most especially the climactic battle of Beowulf and the Dragon. I certainly cannot imagine how this movie would look and feel in 2D.Ray Winstone's Beowulf looks every inch a hero, but the story makes him flawed, thus more realistic. I did not know who Winstone was before this movie. He has a grand time looking heroic, with his stances, poses and braggadocio. He was totally naked during his battle with Grendel, and the way his manhood was hidden by various other props can be quite amusing, which distracts from the great action somewhat.I was a bit off-put by the strange over-the-top rendering of Grendel's monstrosity. I did not expect such extremely grotesque interpretation, with a mishmash of deformed human features. The script did imbue Grendel with much drama and tragedy, much enhanced courtesy of Crispin Glover's acting.Angelina Jolie was depicted in gorgeous elaborate artwork as Grendel's mother. All the scenes involving Jolie were really very well done. She does well in looking both beautiful and sinister at the same time. Her costume is very remarkable as well. Unfortunately, aside from her, the other female characters were not very well rendered, particularly Robin Wright Penn's Queen.Overall I would really recommend watching "Beowulf". But please watch it in 3D. I cannot avoid comparing this movie with a similarly-themed movie shown earlier this year, "300". I liked "300" much better because of the live actors involved. (I read that 300 was also available in 3D IMAX format, but I am not sure if they showed this locally. I don't think so.) I gave "300" a 5-star rating despite seeing it only in 2D. "Beowulf" could have been an average movie, but it gets an extra star because I saw it in 3D.

one of the best film adaptation for a long time

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This was a great movie and I would say one of the best of the year. This is a great addition to already great year for the movies. I think the Oscars will have a tough decision for best picture. The acting is very well done and I say it's the best acting in an animated film of all time. The screenplay is very well done and the directing is pretty good. This film does have a slow pace but that kinda fits with the story. I saw this movie in 3-d and that made the movie a little more fascinating and I think you should see it in 3-D. All and all this was a really good movie one of my favorite's and I am kinda shock with the low rating is, don't trust the rating see this movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-70

ur16927896

title: one of the best film adaptation for a long time review: This was a great movie and I would say one of the best of the year. This is a great addition to already great year for the movies. I think the Oscars will have a tough decision for best picture. The acting is very well done and I say it's the best acting in an animated film of all time. The screenplay is very well done and the directing is pretty good. This film does have a slow pace but that kinda fits with the story. I saw this movie in 3-d and that made the movie a little more fascinating and I think you should see it in 3-D. All and all this was a really good movie one of my favorite's and I am kinda shock with the low rating is, don't trust the rating see this movie.

Flat, cold take on a classic story.

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Beowulf - From the maker of Polar Express Roger Zemeckis and writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery (who I'm still sore at for sinking the Silent Hill movie), we have Beowulf, a hero archetype come to life, well sort of. Everyone is layered densely in CGI, and the film exploits the usual weaknesses and strengths of CGI. It's awesome when used to show sea monsters being slaughtered (highly reminiscent of the God of War video game, and if a movie is made of that too, this is likely the formula that will be used) in some fairly cool bloody ways, but just cannot show human emotion as well as the real thing.A monster Grendal (name inspires terror doesn't it?) whose sole power is being bat-s*** hideous (not scary, just really ugly) looking and sole-weakness is slightly stupider that that of the aliens in Signs, comes to town and wreaks havoc in an apparent desire to make the story interesting. Beowulf stops him relatively easily in a pretty cool fight scene, and the rest of the time we have to listen to some mildly boring dialog and some awkward character decisions. Best line? "There have been many a brave soldier come to taste my husband's mead." John Malkovich's character beats a cripple at least twice with a stick and repeating in a monotone that the boy is spilling mead, in a scene I'm pretty sure was meant to be comical but comes off as cruel. Why? I didn't really sympathize with anyone. It's too cold in this fantasy world. The CGI gimmick kinda worked against them there. Robin Wright Penn was pretty bland as both eye-candy and in acting. Anthony Hopkins fans should avoid this as his character is frankly embarrassing. Crispin Glover "plays" Grendal the same way that Hugo Weaving did a voice-over for Megatron in the Transformers movie earlier this year; completely unrecognizable through a mask of effects to the point where anyone could've played the part. The only person well cast (typecast?) was Brendan Gleeson, as Beowulf's sidekick. Oh, and Angelina Jolie, as seduction itself in as close to a nude-scene as fanboys will get now that she's got all her kids going to see her films.It's got a cool bit with a dragon at the end, but what does it all really matter when I don't care about the characters? Beowulf has an interesting story and one or two decent action scenes, but is mostly forgettable. a C+

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-199

ur4788588

title: Flat, cold take on a classic story. review: Beowulf - From the maker of Polar Express Roger Zemeckis and writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery (who I'm still sore at for sinking the Silent Hill movie), we have Beowulf, a hero archetype come to life, well sort of. Everyone is layered densely in CGI, and the film exploits the usual weaknesses and strengths of CGI. It's awesome when used to show sea monsters being slaughtered (highly reminiscent of the God of War video game, and if a movie is made of that too, this is likely the formula that will be used) in some fairly cool bloody ways, but just cannot show human emotion as well as the real thing.A monster Grendal (name inspires terror doesn't it?) whose sole power is being bat-s*** hideous (not scary, just really ugly) looking and sole-weakness is slightly stupider that that of the aliens in Signs, comes to town and wreaks havoc in an apparent desire to make the story interesting. Beowulf stops him relatively easily in a pretty cool fight scene, and the rest of the time we have to listen to some mildly boring dialog and some awkward character decisions. Best line? "There have been many a brave soldier come to taste my husband's mead." John Malkovich's character beats a cripple at least twice with a stick and repeating in a monotone that the boy is spilling mead, in a scene I'm pretty sure was meant to be comical but comes off as cruel. Why? I didn't really sympathize with anyone. It's too cold in this fantasy world. The CGI gimmick kinda worked against them there. Robin Wright Penn was pretty bland as both eye-candy and in acting. Anthony Hopkins fans should avoid this as his character is frankly embarrassing. Crispin Glover "plays" Grendal the same way that Hugo Weaving did a voice-over for Megatron in the Transformers movie earlier this year; completely unrecognizable through a mask of effects to the point where anyone could've played the part. The only person well cast (typecast?) was Brendan Gleeson, as Beowulf's sidekick. Oh, and Angelina Jolie, as seduction itself in as close to a nude-scene as fanboys will get now that she's got all her kids going to see her films.It's got a cool bit with a dragon at the end, but what does it all really matter when I don't care about the characters? Beowulf has an interesting story and one or two decent action scenes, but is mostly forgettable. a C+

Easily one of the most male centered movies I've ever seen

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And I loved it. The creators of this little gem have far more potent imaginations than I and I envy them that. What a rousing movie! I picked it up in DVD to fill up an evening while my wife was away and what a pleasure it was to get engrossed in this brilliantly told tale of courage and adventure. It took me about 30 seconds to get used to the animation. It will take you longer to get used to the idea that this movie actually does a better job evoking a bygone time than the literature on which it's based. That's amazing to me. Another surprise was that Ms Jolie's much ballyhooed nude scenes were more disappointing than I had expected. I found myself more entranced with Robin Wright Penn's Wealthow who is undeservedly undervalued as an indispensable part of this film's magical weave. Ray Winstone rings more true in the lead than anyone had any right to hope for, in my opinion. And then there's Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, both adding bits of irrepressible humanity to the mix. This is in sum a thoroughly enjoyable film and I don't hesitate to recommend it, but especially to guys who will have a richer appreciation of it all than I would expect the usual woman will.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-369

ur1493052

title: Easily one of the most male centered movies I've ever seen review: And I loved it. The creators of this little gem have far more potent imaginations than I and I envy them that. What a rousing movie! I picked it up in DVD to fill up an evening while my wife was away and what a pleasure it was to get engrossed in this brilliantly told tale of courage and adventure. It took me about 30 seconds to get used to the animation. It will take you longer to get used to the idea that this movie actually does a better job evoking a bygone time than the literature on which it's based. That's amazing to me. Another surprise was that Ms Jolie's much ballyhooed nude scenes were more disappointing than I had expected. I found myself more entranced with Robin Wright Penn's Wealthow who is undeservedly undervalued as an indispensable part of this film's magical weave. Ray Winstone rings more true in the lead than anyone had any right to hope for, in my opinion. And then there's Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, both adding bits of irrepressible humanity to the mix. This is in sum a thoroughly enjoyable film and I don't hesitate to recommend it, but especially to guys who will have a richer appreciation of it all than I would expect the usual woman will.

Win Beowulf's money

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There come times when tales are retold for modern audiences. Not only that, but to tell it in a way that it is almost a new story. And that is the result here in the CGI 2007 version of Beowulf.The story was changed in such a way that the original hero Beowulf loses his edge. Instead of killing Grendel's mother, Beowulf spares her and gives her a son. Much like the king, that Beowulf came to save, did before him. And so he lies about it the rest of his life. Which makes the character less interesting because it doesn't stick to the epic.The CGI is rather well done. The action was good as well as the acting. However, the story and direction weakened so it doesn't get the marks a great film would get. "B-"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-368

ur18271419

title: Win Beowulf's money review: There come times when tales are retold for modern audiences. Not only that, but to tell it in a way that it is almost a new story. And that is the result here in the CGI 2007 version of Beowulf.The story was changed in such a way that the original hero Beowulf loses his edge. Instead of killing Grendel's mother, Beowulf spares her and gives her a son. Much like the king, that Beowulf came to save, did before him. And so he lies about it the rest of his life. Which makes the character less interesting because it doesn't stick to the epic.The CGI is rather well done. The action was good as well as the acting. However, the story and direction weakened so it doesn't get the marks a great film would get. "B-"

So Close... Yet So Beowulf

tt0442933

"I am Beowulf!" yells Beowulf.Five minutes later, he full-throats again, "I am Beowulf!" for those arriving late, we presume… Divebombing into a raging sea of serpents, sword slashing on bloodied sinew, warrior man-meat glistening with sev-- "I am Beowulf!" – Okay dude, now you're just feeding some deep-rooted insecurity complex… "Beowulf" is the oldest known English epic poem (Anonymous author), one of the first pieces to be transcribed from its oral tradition to manuscript (somewhere between 700 and 1000 AD.) That's a pretty awesome pedigree, with a hundred modern media incarnations shouldering their claim-space, so to tackle another incarnation one needs to bring something pretty extraordinary to the table. And Robert Zemeckis's BEOWULF is definitely extraordinary – in one sense. And definitely mediocre in all others… The extraordinary aspect of this 2007 incarnation is its 3D-motion-capture method. Pioneering this "realistic" method on THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004), Zemeckis now hones it to breath-defying proportions. Nothing is real, but it is obviously emulating reality through sensors on actors' faces and bodies, and the zenith of "3D-cartoon" technology. At first, those bi-color glasses suck all the joy out of the movie-going experience; then once you get used to them, you marvel at the whizbang technique itself, even though many action passages threaten to incite ocular myasthenia; after all the 3D wonder has dissipated, you can sit back to enjoy the movie on its movie merits, but by then, you've figured out it has sacrificed most of those merits for the sake of whizbang and annoying glasses.Now that was a whole lotta something for a whole lotta nothing. But I'd already paid for the parking, so I guess I was obligated… In this Ye Olde English tale (set in Denmark and Sweden), lush lech King Hrothgar (voiced by Anthony Hopkins) and his reveling court are regularly terrorized by the ugliest person/creature in the world, with an oversensitive external eardrum, named Grendel (Crispin Glover, whose main dialog outbursts consist of the word "Raaaargh!"). From across the treacherous seas (we imagine Zep's The Immigrant Song accompanying him) comes Beowulf (voiced by Ray Winstone) and his merry men, borne only with the desire to accrue glory in slaying Grendel. A tacit bonus prize is Hrothgar's nubile queen, Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn), whom Beowulf wastes no time in showing off his pecs to.In the Great Mead Hall, Hrothgar's manservant, Unferth (John Malkovich), pooh-poohs Beowulf's tall tales (causing more unnecessary proclamations from Beowulf about being Beowulf) and Hrothgar unveils a gleaming chalice as a prize for Beowulf were he to defeat Grendel. Beowulf illogically figures that to beat Grendel, he must strip naked. That, and to give the queen a no-hands "wassup." In response to Beowulf's men roaring ribald drinking songs into the night, Grendel appears at the Mead Hall and kills almost everyone, before his arm is ripped off by a nude Beowulf with artfully-obscured genitalia. (It irks me that our society still giggles whenever male genitalia are scantily-hidden by foreground objects – it's a juvenile practice for juvenile viewers and pulls you out of the story quite forcefully.) Beowulf's liege, Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson), survives the attack, to fight and make running gags another day.Grendel retreats to his dank subterranean domicile, mortally wounded; a poignant moment when we realize this "monster" is only a pathetic wretch with oversensitive hearing who, like many young garage bands will attest, only wanted the neighbors to "turn down that damn noise." His most powerful witch mother (who looks like Angelina Jolie, only hotter), cradles him in her lullaby arms sadly, at which point Grendel whispers another gratuitous "Beowulf!" and dies (thereby promoting the second-ugliest person in the world to first place), which sends his mother into a dragon vendetta against the man so named.There are plot twists which depart from the original tale, but this movie ties all the familial threads together very intriguingly: We discover that Hrothgar had "relations" with the witch to spawn Grendel – his son! When Beowulf enters the dank chamber to finish off the witch, she seduces him by simply turning up as Angelina Jolie. Years later we will discover that the dragon that firestorms Beowulf's castle and causes the sacrifice of his arm and life is, in fact, the spawn of Beowulf from his union with the witch. It's all very DAYS OF OUR LIVES and kept pretty succinct, whereas the original legend rambles on with trysts hither and thither complicating things... and that Olde English doesn't help… There is minimal exploration of other themes, but they seem forced at best: Beowulf's lament of his legend growing greater than he ever was; of his age precluding him from iron-thewed battles, etc. but the movie itself knows that there is not much to itself, except its grandiloquent Things That Come At You From The Screen.Though some viewers had trouble adjusting to the eyes of the characters, it all seemed quite realis-- "I am Beowulf!" Oh, give it a rest!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-330

ur2446936

title: So Close... Yet So Beowulf review: "I am Beowulf!" yells Beowulf.Five minutes later, he full-throats again, "I am Beowulf!" for those arriving late, we presume… Divebombing into a raging sea of serpents, sword slashing on bloodied sinew, warrior man-meat glistening with sev-- "I am Beowulf!" – Okay dude, now you're just feeding some deep-rooted insecurity complex… "Beowulf" is the oldest known English epic poem (Anonymous author), one of the first pieces to be transcribed from its oral tradition to manuscript (somewhere between 700 and 1000 AD.) That's a pretty awesome pedigree, with a hundred modern media incarnations shouldering their claim-space, so to tackle another incarnation one needs to bring something pretty extraordinary to the table. And Robert Zemeckis's BEOWULF is definitely extraordinary – in one sense. And definitely mediocre in all others… The extraordinary aspect of this 2007 incarnation is its 3D-motion-capture method. Pioneering this "realistic" method on THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004), Zemeckis now hones it to breath-defying proportions. Nothing is real, but it is obviously emulating reality through sensors on actors' faces and bodies, and the zenith of "3D-cartoon" technology. At first, those bi-color glasses suck all the joy out of the movie-going experience; then once you get used to them, you marvel at the whizbang technique itself, even though many action passages threaten to incite ocular myasthenia; after all the 3D wonder has dissipated, you can sit back to enjoy the movie on its movie merits, but by then, you've figured out it has sacrificed most of those merits for the sake of whizbang and annoying glasses.Now that was a whole lotta something for a whole lotta nothing. But I'd already paid for the parking, so I guess I was obligated… In this Ye Olde English tale (set in Denmark and Sweden), lush lech King Hrothgar (voiced by Anthony Hopkins) and his reveling court are regularly terrorized by the ugliest person/creature in the world, with an oversensitive external eardrum, named Grendel (Crispin Glover, whose main dialog outbursts consist of the word "Raaaargh!"). From across the treacherous seas (we imagine Zep's The Immigrant Song accompanying him) comes Beowulf (voiced by Ray Winstone) and his merry men, borne only with the desire to accrue glory in slaying Grendel. A tacit bonus prize is Hrothgar's nubile queen, Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn), whom Beowulf wastes no time in showing off his pecs to.In the Great Mead Hall, Hrothgar's manservant, Unferth (John Malkovich), pooh-poohs Beowulf's tall tales (causing more unnecessary proclamations from Beowulf about being Beowulf) and Hrothgar unveils a gleaming chalice as a prize for Beowulf were he to defeat Grendel. Beowulf illogically figures that to beat Grendel, he must strip naked. That, and to give the queen a no-hands "wassup." In response to Beowulf's men roaring ribald drinking songs into the night, Grendel appears at the Mead Hall and kills almost everyone, before his arm is ripped off by a nude Beowulf with artfully-obscured genitalia. (It irks me that our society still giggles whenever male genitalia are scantily-hidden by foreground objects – it's a juvenile practice for juvenile viewers and pulls you out of the story quite forcefully.) Beowulf's liege, Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson), survives the attack, to fight and make running gags another day.Grendel retreats to his dank subterranean domicile, mortally wounded; a poignant moment when we realize this "monster" is only a pathetic wretch with oversensitive hearing who, like many young garage bands will attest, only wanted the neighbors to "turn down that damn noise." His most powerful witch mother (who looks like Angelina Jolie, only hotter), cradles him in her lullaby arms sadly, at which point Grendel whispers another gratuitous "Beowulf!" and dies (thereby promoting the second-ugliest person in the world to first place), which sends his mother into a dragon vendetta against the man so named.There are plot twists which depart from the original tale, but this movie ties all the familial threads together very intriguingly: We discover that Hrothgar had "relations" with the witch to spawn Grendel – his son! When Beowulf enters the dank chamber to finish off the witch, she seduces him by simply turning up as Angelina Jolie. Years later we will discover that the dragon that firestorms Beowulf's castle and causes the sacrifice of his arm and life is, in fact, the spawn of Beowulf from his union with the witch. It's all very DAYS OF OUR LIVES and kept pretty succinct, whereas the original legend rambles on with trysts hither and thither complicating things... and that Olde English doesn't help… There is minimal exploration of other themes, but they seem forced at best: Beowulf's lament of his legend growing greater than he ever was; of his age precluding him from iron-thewed battles, etc. but the movie itself knows that there is not much to itself, except its grandiloquent Things That Come At You From The Screen.Though some viewers had trouble adjusting to the eyes of the characters, it all seemed quite realis-- "I am Beowulf!" Oh, give it a rest!

A must see, but only in 3D

tt0442933

Went to see this movie in a regular theater without 3D and it was really bad, so I went to the customer service center and asked them if my wife and I could pay the extra and go to the 3D IMAX. We paid the extra $4.00 each and got the glasses and sat down just as the movie was starting. WOW what a difference. It was like we were watching a completely different movie. It was really great. The story was the same but the visual experience was completely different. This was by far the best 3D movie we have ever seen. My wife kept grabbing my arm as spears and blood and guts kept flying at us. If you are going to pay money to see this movie in a theater, then you have to see it in 3D. Otherwise don't waste your money. They should have never let this movie be released without 3D. Without 3D this film is just like a bad Saturday morning cartoon. But with the 3D the movie comes alive; it has new depth and excitement that made it very entertaining.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-218

ur0638297

title: A must see, but only in 3D review: Went to see this movie in a regular theater without 3D and it was really bad, so I went to the customer service center and asked them if my wife and I could pay the extra and go to the 3D IMAX. We paid the extra $4.00 each and got the glasses and sat down just as the movie was starting. WOW what a difference. It was like we were watching a completely different movie. It was really great. The story was the same but the visual experience was completely different. This was by far the best 3D movie we have ever seen. My wife kept grabbing my arm as spears and blood and guts kept flying at us. If you are going to pay money to see this movie in a theater, then you have to see it in 3D. Otherwise don't waste your money. They should have never let this movie be released without 3D. Without 3D this film is just like a bad Saturday morning cartoon. But with the 3D the movie comes alive; it has new depth and excitement that made it very entertaining.

Director's Cut Review

tt0442933

In 507, a monstrous troll wrecks havoc in the mead hall of the Danish king, Hrothgar. He offers rewards for the death of Grendel, so Beowulf, a great and boastful Geet warrior, arrives with his thanes. Beowulf sets aside his armor and awaits the monster; a fierce battle ensues that leads to Beowolf's entering the watery lair of Grendel's mother, where a devil's bargain awaits. Beowulf returns to Herot, the castle, and becomes king. Jump ahead many years, and the sins of the father are visited upon Beowulf and his kingdom. The hero must face his weakness and be heroic once again. Is the age of demons over?Note: I saw this film on a small TV screen with no 3D glasses. First of all, I did not find this movie exhilarating and fun as many people put it out to be. It's probably because they saw it in a movie theater with 3D glasses! Oh, how I would kill to watch this movie in IMAX 3D! However, I didn't so it didn't really get me.Second, the story wasn't at all interesting. It's just basically a hero trying to kill monsters. Wow....so exciting. Third, the movie wasn't as entertaining and fun as I thought it would be. The action scene are decent at best. Fourth, this whole motion capture thing is good, but animation still do not look as real as the real thing. In some moments, I believed some things were real while in others, I thought it was complete crappy animation so that kind of took me out of the movie.Fifth, I've seen so many other movies before this that uses the same action scenes used in this film, like 300 and Alexander. In the end, I thought the film was decent for what it was. I've never read the play or was familiar with anything from Beowulf, but as an outsider, I guess it would be okay to kill 117 minutes...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-406

ur8334868

title: Director's Cut Review review: In 507, a monstrous troll wrecks havoc in the mead hall of the Danish king, Hrothgar. He offers rewards for the death of Grendel, so Beowulf, a great and boastful Geet warrior, arrives with his thanes. Beowulf sets aside his armor and awaits the monster; a fierce battle ensues that leads to Beowolf's entering the watery lair of Grendel's mother, where a devil's bargain awaits. Beowulf returns to Herot, the castle, and becomes king. Jump ahead many years, and the sins of the father are visited upon Beowulf and his kingdom. The hero must face his weakness and be heroic once again. Is the age of demons over?Note: I saw this film on a small TV screen with no 3D glasses. First of all, I did not find this movie exhilarating and fun as many people put it out to be. It's probably because they saw it in a movie theater with 3D glasses! Oh, how I would kill to watch this movie in IMAX 3D! However, I didn't so it didn't really get me.Second, the story wasn't at all interesting. It's just basically a hero trying to kill monsters. Wow....so exciting. Third, the movie wasn't as entertaining and fun as I thought it would be. The action scene are decent at best. Fourth, this whole motion capture thing is good, but animation still do not look as real as the real thing. In some moments, I believed some things were real while in others, I thought it was complete crappy animation so that kind of took me out of the movie.Fifth, I've seen so many other movies before this that uses the same action scenes used in this film, like 300 and Alexander. In the end, I thought the film was decent for what it was. I've never read the play or was familiar with anything from Beowulf, but as an outsider, I guess it would be okay to kill 117 minutes...

Spectacular CGI Show

tt0442933

Beowulf (Winstone) comes to King Hrothgar's (Hopkins) lands to fight the monster Grendel.Here's the thing. If you need to take a test on Beowulf, you best read the entire epic poem, or at the very least, find the Classic Comic Book (if it's still around) because Hollywood has done it again by deviating from the epic poem. So you will find very few answers in here. Yes, Woody Allen did tell Diane Keaton in Annie Hall that she should never take a course that makes you read Beowulf, but he should have also added "or watch a movie that is historically incorrect."So what are we left with? Why the CGI, silly. And wasn't this what it was all about? Some even saw it in 3-D. Imagine that. I wasn't so lucky and had to watch the old fashioned way on a DVD without 3-D. Poor me. The real winner here is the CGI. And, it was spectacular to say the very least. Yes, the acting was very good too, but the CGI was all of Oscar Worthiness. The cinematography rivaled Sin City, Bram Stoker's Dracula and the war scenes in Atonement. And, it must be assumed also that no CGI horses were harmed in any way in the filming of this movie. Now for the flaw in the Hollywood version of the story. Grendel's Mother (Jolie) lets Beowulf rule for 50 years and then pulls everything away. Why? What did Beowulf do to have that happen to him? What was his sin? It was never explained. Of course, in the real epic poem, Grendel's Mother was defeated by Beowulf at the time Grendel was defeated so there was never anything given to Beowulf by Grendel's Mother. See? (There must be a Classic Comic around somewhere, maybe on Ebay.)Yes, there was more cleavage going around than outright nudity in here. Angelina Jolie may have been fully naked, but there was nothing erotic about her. She was covered in a paint of some kind that had me looking to see what kind of paint was used. And, that could explain why the PG-13 rating.Enjoy the CGI with or without the 3-D glasses. That is what it was all about. And, they are spectacular (with apologies to Seinfeld).Violence: Yes, Sex: Not really, Nudity: Yes, but not erotic, Language: No, did they know any language in the 500s?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-410

ur15857362

title: Spectacular CGI Show review: Beowulf (Winstone) comes to King Hrothgar's (Hopkins) lands to fight the monster Grendel.Here's the thing. If you need to take a test on Beowulf, you best read the entire epic poem, or at the very least, find the Classic Comic Book (if it's still around) because Hollywood has done it again by deviating from the epic poem. So you will find very few answers in here. Yes, Woody Allen did tell Diane Keaton in Annie Hall that she should never take a course that makes you read Beowulf, but he should have also added "or watch a movie that is historically incorrect."So what are we left with? Why the CGI, silly. And wasn't this what it was all about? Some even saw it in 3-D. Imagine that. I wasn't so lucky and had to watch the old fashioned way on a DVD without 3-D. Poor me. The real winner here is the CGI. And, it was spectacular to say the very least. Yes, the acting was very good too, but the CGI was all of Oscar Worthiness. The cinematography rivaled Sin City, Bram Stoker's Dracula and the war scenes in Atonement. And, it must be assumed also that no CGI horses were harmed in any way in the filming of this movie. Now for the flaw in the Hollywood version of the story. Grendel's Mother (Jolie) lets Beowulf rule for 50 years and then pulls everything away. Why? What did Beowulf do to have that happen to him? What was his sin? It was never explained. Of course, in the real epic poem, Grendel's Mother was defeated by Beowulf at the time Grendel was defeated so there was never anything given to Beowulf by Grendel's Mother. See? (There must be a Classic Comic around somewhere, maybe on Ebay.)Yes, there was more cleavage going around than outright nudity in here. Angelina Jolie may have been fully naked, but there was nothing erotic about her. She was covered in a paint of some kind that had me looking to see what kind of paint was used. And, that could explain why the PG-13 rating.Enjoy the CGI with or without the 3-D glasses. That is what it was all about. And, they are spectacular (with apologies to Seinfeld).Violence: Yes, Sex: Not really, Nudity: Yes, but not erotic, Language: No, did they know any language in the 500s?

Brilliantly bloody visuals do not automatically mean an amazing movie

tt0442933

Beowulf.Everyone, or most people at least, remember encountering it in a high school English class. A lot remember the main story, and some, like me, slept right through most of the readings, and cannot fathom any idea about the story other than recalling the fight between the heroic Beowulf and the monster Grendel.So in a way, it really does not help my case that the new film, tinkers and reinvents the legendary poem into something a little clearer and more tangible. While the key events are present within the film, it does change quite a few things within the mythical poem, but does stay fairly within the realm of the idea of what happens to Beowulf (Ray Winstone) after he fights Grendel (Crispin Glover).Looking beyond the fact that the film is based on material written originally in Old English, the film stands out as a bit of a mishmash of ideas and concepts based in the initial text, but also based around the style of epic film-making. For one, it really brings a sense of age to the screen. The viewer can easily get a sense of similarity between this film and the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, even the recent 300. It just does not feel entirely fresh in the aspect of it staying within the ancient European epic genre. It also falters in the dialogue. It frequently shifts between using Old English style wordings, to normal modern wordings, to just throwing in random pieces of comedy for no reason (and sequences designed specifically to incite laughter alongside them). The material is clearly brooding with darkness and cynicism, was there really a reason to make light jokes at the expense of the kids watching it? Do the majority ruling adults have no say? It jumps around for the entirety of the running time in this manner, and at times, becomes downright bothersome (hell, Grendel only speaks in Old English).There has been plenty of publicity about Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary's long road to getting the film made, and it really brings to light the reasoning behind the ill-placed light hearted sequences. It just does not feel like it is a fully cohesive piece. The tone is never steady, and if it is not trying to catch some laughs, the dialogue comes off at times as being ridiculously overacted and silly. How can anyone assume they are in for a hell of ride if you cannot even get past some of the horrible deliveries? Continuing on that same idea, the characters themselves are not much better. With the exception of Beowulf, Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and maybe Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie), none of the characters are fully described or are even given some sort of backstory. We are subjected to this over and over, and never does it seem like the film is making a genuine attempt at even trying to cloak the idea that the characters are written so poorly. Some are given small doses of influence and motivation (like Grendel and even Unferth (John Malkovich)), but even then the characters seem very grounded in their ideas and style. It even gets to the point that when they talk, they just bring the entire movie down into sheer boredom (even with the stunning credit list of supporting actors). Incite and intrigue seemed to be the last thing on anyone's mind when they were actually creating the film. For the most part, the actors do look like they are trying, it just does not look like they are doing too much.Winstone, as the lead, is a lot like the tone and design of the writing on the film. He truly shows off his talents as an actor in one scene, and then wavers into an uncontrollable mess of a character in the next. There is no balance whatsoever when he appears on screen in these scenes, and it brings to mind the question of how a true hero really should act. Winstone nails the lines, and the body language, but he just does not have the zest to carry the film in the direction it needs to go.What does carry are the visuals. Absolutely immaculate in their design and near flawless, these are some of the best CGI scenes ever put to celluloid. By using motion capture technology, director Robert Zemeckis and his crew have put together characters that look, move and sound like the real thing. You can see the shade in all of the characters (and mythical creatures) that suggests that they are animated, but every other moment it is a bit more difficult to notice that the actors are animated.. The most minuscule physical details are corrected meticulously for every character, even the disgustingly deformed Grendel (who looks astonishingly realistic, and may just be the ticket to an Oscar come February). Just examining the beard Beowulf has exhibits millions of tiny hairs and blazingly realistic wrinkles. No CGI character (save for Gollum, Kong and Jar Jar) has ever been so completely and minutely realistic as the characters are in this film. I just wish liquids looked nearly as good as the actors and the backgrounds.What is also interesting is the aging and weight loss given during the film. Winstone is a big guy, but you would never know because he is rather chiselled and athletic in this movie. And when he ages by fifty years, you can see no difference in the character other than the age. It is absolutely awestriking to watch and if for any reason to see the movie immediately, it would be that.The film is not perfect by any means, but Beowulf is a valiant try at capturing an epic poem that is practically untranslatable. See it for the visuals, not the incomplete story.7/10.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-84

ur1622466

title: Brilliantly bloody visuals do not automatically mean an amazing movie review: Beowulf.Everyone, or most people at least, remember encountering it in a high school English class. A lot remember the main story, and some, like me, slept right through most of the readings, and cannot fathom any idea about the story other than recalling the fight between the heroic Beowulf and the monster Grendel.So in a way, it really does not help my case that the new film, tinkers and reinvents the legendary poem into something a little clearer and more tangible. While the key events are present within the film, it does change quite a few things within the mythical poem, but does stay fairly within the realm of the idea of what happens to Beowulf (Ray Winstone) after he fights Grendel (Crispin Glover).Looking beyond the fact that the film is based on material written originally in Old English, the film stands out as a bit of a mishmash of ideas and concepts based in the initial text, but also based around the style of epic film-making. For one, it really brings a sense of age to the screen. The viewer can easily get a sense of similarity between this film and the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, even the recent 300. It just does not feel entirely fresh in the aspect of it staying within the ancient European epic genre. It also falters in the dialogue. It frequently shifts between using Old English style wordings, to normal modern wordings, to just throwing in random pieces of comedy for no reason (and sequences designed specifically to incite laughter alongside them). The material is clearly brooding with darkness and cynicism, was there really a reason to make light jokes at the expense of the kids watching it? Do the majority ruling adults have no say? It jumps around for the entirety of the running time in this manner, and at times, becomes downright bothersome (hell, Grendel only speaks in Old English).There has been plenty of publicity about Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary's long road to getting the film made, and it really brings to light the reasoning behind the ill-placed light hearted sequences. It just does not feel like it is a fully cohesive piece. The tone is never steady, and if it is not trying to catch some laughs, the dialogue comes off at times as being ridiculously overacted and silly. How can anyone assume they are in for a hell of ride if you cannot even get past some of the horrible deliveries? Continuing on that same idea, the characters themselves are not much better. With the exception of Beowulf, Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and maybe Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie), none of the characters are fully described or are even given some sort of backstory. We are subjected to this over and over, and never does it seem like the film is making a genuine attempt at even trying to cloak the idea that the characters are written so poorly. Some are given small doses of influence and motivation (like Grendel and even Unferth (John Malkovich)), but even then the characters seem very grounded in their ideas and style. It even gets to the point that when they talk, they just bring the entire movie down into sheer boredom (even with the stunning credit list of supporting actors). Incite and intrigue seemed to be the last thing on anyone's mind when they were actually creating the film. For the most part, the actors do look like they are trying, it just does not look like they are doing too much.Winstone, as the lead, is a lot like the tone and design of the writing on the film. He truly shows off his talents as an actor in one scene, and then wavers into an uncontrollable mess of a character in the next. There is no balance whatsoever when he appears on screen in these scenes, and it brings to mind the question of how a true hero really should act. Winstone nails the lines, and the body language, but he just does not have the zest to carry the film in the direction it needs to go.What does carry are the visuals. Absolutely immaculate in their design and near flawless, these are some of the best CGI scenes ever put to celluloid. By using motion capture technology, director Robert Zemeckis and his crew have put together characters that look, move and sound like the real thing. You can see the shade in all of the characters (and mythical creatures) that suggests that they are animated, but every other moment it is a bit more difficult to notice that the actors are animated.. The most minuscule physical details are corrected meticulously for every character, even the disgustingly deformed Grendel (who looks astonishingly realistic, and may just be the ticket to an Oscar come February). Just examining the beard Beowulf has exhibits millions of tiny hairs and blazingly realistic wrinkles. No CGI character (save for Gollum, Kong and Jar Jar) has ever been so completely and minutely realistic as the characters are in this film. I just wish liquids looked nearly as good as the actors and the backgrounds.What is also interesting is the aging and weight loss given during the film. Winstone is a big guy, but you would never know because he is rather chiselled and athletic in this movie. And when he ages by fifty years, you can see no difference in the character other than the age. It is absolutely awestriking to watch and if for any reason to see the movie immediately, it would be that.The film is not perfect by any means, but Beowulf is a valiant try at capturing an epic poem that is practically untranslatable. See it for the visuals, not the incomplete story.7/10.

A decent adaptation, dragged down by Zemeckis' choices.

tt0442933

"Beowulf" is the classic work of Old English literature, but, truth be told, it really isn't much of a story, when viewed in a modern sense; Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon, winning in each case simply because he can, dying in the final combat, which is completely disconnected from the previous two parts. Tolkien forgive me, but that is my view of the story. Here, Gaiman and Avary solve the structural problem of the disconnect between the first two acts and the third; at the same time the story changes rather dramatically, and is no longer a straightforward heroic tale, but a story about a flawed hero perpetrating a lie and having to face the consequences. Devotees of the classic will take issue with this, but I don't. I find this story a lot more interesting.The major problem with this film is the way Robert Zemeckis chooses to film it. Zemeckis has always been very interested in pushing technical achievement in his film; "Forrest Gump", for example made virtuoso use of editing and CGI to insert Tom Hanks into 40 years of American TV footage. However, in the last little while, his new project as become creating totally photo-real CGI, and he's lost the human element in the process. I am not saying that CGI cannot be used for human characters; Pixar has done so quite successfully; but attempts to completely replicate real actors simply have not worked yet, and, as detailed by the "Uncanny Valley" effect, the closer they look to real, the more apparent the flaws in the technology become. The stylized humans in "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" were much more fully realized as characters. Zemeckis should either have shot this in live action, or animated it in a more animated fashion where such matters aren't important.Nevertheless, and interesting production.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-277

ur3109921

title: A decent adaptation, dragged down by Zemeckis' choices. review: "Beowulf" is the classic work of Old English literature, but, truth be told, it really isn't much of a story, when viewed in a modern sense; Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon, winning in each case simply because he can, dying in the final combat, which is completely disconnected from the previous two parts. Tolkien forgive me, but that is my view of the story. Here, Gaiman and Avary solve the structural problem of the disconnect between the first two acts and the third; at the same time the story changes rather dramatically, and is no longer a straightforward heroic tale, but a story about a flawed hero perpetrating a lie and having to face the consequences. Devotees of the classic will take issue with this, but I don't. I find this story a lot more interesting.The major problem with this film is the way Robert Zemeckis chooses to film it. Zemeckis has always been very interested in pushing technical achievement in his film; "Forrest Gump", for example made virtuoso use of editing and CGI to insert Tom Hanks into 40 years of American TV footage. However, in the last little while, his new project as become creating totally photo-real CGI, and he's lost the human element in the process. I am not saying that CGI cannot be used for human characters; Pixar has done so quite successfully; but attempts to completely replicate real actors simply have not worked yet, and, as detailed by the "Uncanny Valley" effect, the closer they look to real, the more apparent the flaws in the technology become. The stylized humans in "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" were much more fully realized as characters. Zemeckis should either have shot this in live action, or animated it in a more animated fashion where such matters aren't important.Nevertheless, and interesting production.

This is the beginning of a new era in Cinema!

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OK, let me start by saying that I knew nothing of the Beowolf poem/legend, etc. going in. From reading the reviews here, I guess that was a good thing. Most fans of the story are not liking this adaptation.But from a simply cinematic position, this movie is stunning! The story (and I won't go into it here, enough of the others will fill you in) is just so,so. Ordinary, shallow dialog that's often hard to understand. The performances are fine, but then they are basically CGI/animated, so what can you expect. The facial expressions and movements are stiff and the eyes, although better than Polar Express, are still lifeless.But again, the visuals are stunning. The 3D version is the ONLY one to watch. I think those who have panned this movie so badly must have seen it in 2D. I can't even imagine how boring and flat that must have been. The movie is always and only about the new 3D. This is the first (not really the first, but the first in wide spread normal theaters that have been updated with new digital screens and projectors) in what I think will be a steady staple of great 3D pictures in the future. (one of the previews was for the first-ever live action 3D... coming soon... looks great!). In the first few scenes there's a bit too much of things coming at you as the director is showing off his new toy, but then the movie settles in for a great cinematic visual experience. It's actually so good, that there are few things that really stick in your mind as you leave the theater. It all is visually stunning, not just a scene or 2. The "RealD" 3D glasses are much better than the old style, yet not up to Imax quality yet. And they have a tendency to make the entire film seem too dark ( a few times I peeked above the glasses and it was far brighter) but overall it was very enjoyable to watch. Angelina looks especially good naked and in 3D! As I said, the movie is just so so for acting, story and dialog. But it gives us a glimpse into the future of the 3D cinematic experience that is coming. Within the next few years, something will come along completing the rest of the equation and we will see a movie that is stunning in every aspect in this amazing new format.7 out of 10 for the pioneering of a relatively new format!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-74

ur0464713

title: This is the beginning of a new era in Cinema! review: OK, let me start by saying that I knew nothing of the Beowolf poem/legend, etc. going in. From reading the reviews here, I guess that was a good thing. Most fans of the story are not liking this adaptation.But from a simply cinematic position, this movie is stunning! The story (and I won't go into it here, enough of the others will fill you in) is just so,so. Ordinary, shallow dialog that's often hard to understand. The performances are fine, but then they are basically CGI/animated, so what can you expect. The facial expressions and movements are stiff and the eyes, although better than Polar Express, are still lifeless.But again, the visuals are stunning. The 3D version is the ONLY one to watch. I think those who have panned this movie so badly must have seen it in 2D. I can't even imagine how boring and flat that must have been. The movie is always and only about the new 3D. This is the first (not really the first, but the first in wide spread normal theaters that have been updated with new digital screens and projectors) in what I think will be a steady staple of great 3D pictures in the future. (one of the previews was for the first-ever live action 3D... coming soon... looks great!). In the first few scenes there's a bit too much of things coming at you as the director is showing off his new toy, but then the movie settles in for a great cinematic visual experience. It's actually so good, that there are few things that really stick in your mind as you leave the theater. It all is visually stunning, not just a scene or 2. The "RealD" 3D glasses are much better than the old style, yet not up to Imax quality yet. And they have a tendency to make the entire film seem too dark ( a few times I peeked above the glasses and it was far brighter) but overall it was very enjoyable to watch. Angelina looks especially good naked and in 3D! As I said, the movie is just so so for acting, story and dialog. But it gives us a glimpse into the future of the 3D cinematic experience that is coming. Within the next few years, something will come along completing the rest of the equation and we will see a movie that is stunning in every aspect in this amazing new format.7 out of 10 for the pioneering of a relatively new format!

A legendary story suffers a legendary butchering

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I'd like to start of and say that the film gets 3 stars for the visuals, and 1 star for Angelina Jolie being naked the whole time she's on screen (a whopping 10 minutes at most). Everything else makes this incredible epic look incredibly bad. Whether it be horrible thick accents, tiresome dialog, undeveloped characters, or the horrible translation from story to screen, Beowulf takes the cake as the most disappointing film of 2007.We all know the legendary tale: Beowulf answers the call of King Hrothgar to kill the monstrous Grendel, only to incur the wrath of Grendel's mother.The plot itself is weak. It suffers from boring scene after boring scene, each revering Beowulf as a saint, though this movie transforms the epic work in a way that makes Grendel more likable. Kudos to Crispin Glover for creating a wonderful Grendel. His cries are so real and full of emotion. You're going to feel Grendel's pain. Glover and Angelina Jolie, who plays his mother, give the best performances. Jolie's accent is a little weird, but it works and she's definitely one of the better villains of 2007. I liked Ray Winstone as Beowulf, it worked, but his performance is underminded by the royal screwing his character gets in the script. Anthony Hopkins is really entertaining as the drunk Hrothgar. I hated John Malkovich in this film. How can such a fine actor become so annoying? His accent was horrible. There were no Danish accents in the entire film. There's Scottish, Welsh, and even Greek, but no Danish. In a movie set in Denmark. Nice one, Zemeckis.The visual effects are definitely wonderful. No doubt about it. Zemeckis is the master of this kind of animation, but he forgot to add a plot. I liked the finale, and the landscapes were beautiful. Beowulf deserved an Oscar nod for this department. However, the big problem I had was that the movie tried too hard to make the audience remember it's in 3D. We know it's in 3D. We're wearing these stupid glasses. Zemeckis, you failed. You've succeeded, however, in turning a literary masterpiece into a cinematic disaster.4/10 --spy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-82

ur4506876

title: A legendary story suffers a legendary butchering review: I'd like to start of and say that the film gets 3 stars for the visuals, and 1 star for Angelina Jolie being naked the whole time she's on screen (a whopping 10 minutes at most). Everything else makes this incredible epic look incredibly bad. Whether it be horrible thick accents, tiresome dialog, undeveloped characters, or the horrible translation from story to screen, Beowulf takes the cake as the most disappointing film of 2007.We all know the legendary tale: Beowulf answers the call of King Hrothgar to kill the monstrous Grendel, only to incur the wrath of Grendel's mother.The plot itself is weak. It suffers from boring scene after boring scene, each revering Beowulf as a saint, though this movie transforms the epic work in a way that makes Grendel more likable. Kudos to Crispin Glover for creating a wonderful Grendel. His cries are so real and full of emotion. You're going to feel Grendel's pain. Glover and Angelina Jolie, who plays his mother, give the best performances. Jolie's accent is a little weird, but it works and she's definitely one of the better villains of 2007. I liked Ray Winstone as Beowulf, it worked, but his performance is underminded by the royal screwing his character gets in the script. Anthony Hopkins is really entertaining as the drunk Hrothgar. I hated John Malkovich in this film. How can such a fine actor become so annoying? His accent was horrible. There were no Danish accents in the entire film. There's Scottish, Welsh, and even Greek, but no Danish. In a movie set in Denmark. Nice one, Zemeckis.The visual effects are definitely wonderful. No doubt about it. Zemeckis is the master of this kind of animation, but he forgot to add a plot. I liked the finale, and the landscapes were beautiful. Beowulf deserved an Oscar nod for this department. However, the big problem I had was that the movie tried too hard to make the audience remember it's in 3D. We know it's in 3D. We're wearing these stupid glasses. Zemeckis, you failed. You've succeeded, however, in turning a literary masterpiece into a cinematic disaster.4/10 --spy

Beowulf is an epic of a movie as epic of a poem

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So we've all read Beowulf in school at some point, and whether you loved it or hated it I think we can all agree it was given to us to read for its historical significance. It is the definitive hero's tale that is just as importantly about its anonym...(read more)ous authorship as its classic action/adventure arch-typical story. The fact that it is author-less gives strong support it is a myth that has echoed through the ages and passed on through oral tradition. In this way Beowulf is held sacred for its straightforward and rudimentary mythology, not for having an elaborate plot.The movie holds onto this logic, yet drastically improves on it, and if I seem like I am gloating, it's because I am; this movie is great. Although I strongly recommend seeing this movie in IMAX 3D, its overall impact should serve the same in a regular theater (just not in 3D). Now it seems that there are two major arguments against the film; 1) the complete and exclusive reliance on CGI. 2) The adaptation and deviation from the poem. I can strongly say the CGI doesn't for a second take anything away from the film, and if anything it gains momentum from it. Robert Zemeckis's action sequences are breathtaking, and perfectly fitting for the epic nature of the story, and although I am in no way an advocate for entirely CGI films ("Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" anyone?), it seems this time they really did get it right.The adaptation from epic poem to epic film was no different, and Beowulf the film was going to need a stronger narrative backbone to work, which thankfully the script successfully gave it. The problem of course is when you have a story as prolific as Beowulf there will always be purists and literary historians that expect it to stay loyal to its origins. However what writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery had done was provide a new emotional depth and a stronger moralistic center that the original Beowulf had only hinted at. The major themes in Beowulf have always been about pride and reputation, and the ability to rise above them. These were problems Beowulf discreetly dealt with in the original poem, but in the movie everything is extremely focused around them. In doing so Gaiman and Avery deemed it necessary to change Beowulf persona from fearless hero, to flawed boaster, who although is still heroic, is now exclusively ruled by pride and recognition. This also changed the role of Beowulf three villains, who instead of being basic foes become metaphoric specters of a hero's heavy conscious. Every change made was done with delicacy and appreciation for the original tale, and I applaud Gaiman's and Avery's writing depth and ability.However what is most important to note about the films CGI and deviated narrative structure is it carries on the oral tradition that supposedly birthed Beowulf in the first place. If it really is true that Beowulf was passed on orally from generation to generation as all ancient myth's had, then Gaiman and Avery script is just another addition to the extension of this tradition, and the CGI was another way of emphasizing the epic proportions that once could only be imagined through spoken word. This movie not only succeeds in doing this, but does so in gigantic strides. It is a great achievement, and a milestone in our tradition of inspired moralistic storytelling.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-228

ur5957416

title: Beowulf is an epic of a movie as epic of a poem review: So we've all read Beowulf in school at some point, and whether you loved it or hated it I think we can all agree it was given to us to read for its historical significance. It is the definitive hero's tale that is just as importantly about its anonym...(read more)ous authorship as its classic action/adventure arch-typical story. The fact that it is author-less gives strong support it is a myth that has echoed through the ages and passed on through oral tradition. In this way Beowulf is held sacred for its straightforward and rudimentary mythology, not for having an elaborate plot.The movie holds onto this logic, yet drastically improves on it, and if I seem like I am gloating, it's because I am; this movie is great. Although I strongly recommend seeing this movie in IMAX 3D, its overall impact should serve the same in a regular theater (just not in 3D). Now it seems that there are two major arguments against the film; 1) the complete and exclusive reliance on CGI. 2) The adaptation and deviation from the poem. I can strongly say the CGI doesn't for a second take anything away from the film, and if anything it gains momentum from it. Robert Zemeckis's action sequences are breathtaking, and perfectly fitting for the epic nature of the story, and although I am in no way an advocate for entirely CGI films ("Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" anyone?), it seems this time they really did get it right.The adaptation from epic poem to epic film was no different, and Beowulf the film was going to need a stronger narrative backbone to work, which thankfully the script successfully gave it. The problem of course is when you have a story as prolific as Beowulf there will always be purists and literary historians that expect it to stay loyal to its origins. However what writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery had done was provide a new emotional depth and a stronger moralistic center that the original Beowulf had only hinted at. The major themes in Beowulf have always been about pride and reputation, and the ability to rise above them. These were problems Beowulf discreetly dealt with in the original poem, but in the movie everything is extremely focused around them. In doing so Gaiman and Avery deemed it necessary to change Beowulf persona from fearless hero, to flawed boaster, who although is still heroic, is now exclusively ruled by pride and recognition. This also changed the role of Beowulf three villains, who instead of being basic foes become metaphoric specters of a hero's heavy conscious. Every change made was done with delicacy and appreciation for the original tale, and I applaud Gaiman's and Avery's writing depth and ability.However what is most important to note about the films CGI and deviated narrative structure is it carries on the oral tradition that supposedly birthed Beowulf in the first place. If it really is true that Beowulf was passed on orally from generation to generation as all ancient myth's had, then Gaiman and Avery script is just another addition to the extension of this tradition, and the CGI was another way of emphasizing the epic proportions that once could only be imagined through spoken word. This movie not only succeeds in doing this, but does so in gigantic strides. It is a great achievement, and a milestone in our tradition of inspired moralistic storytelling.

A great achievement

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Usually, I don't like very much animated films, and also, all the previous adaptations of the Beowulf poem into the big screen have been horrible(Like for example, that horrible movie starring Christopher Lambert) However, this movie managed to be both interesting and enjoyable,also having incredible special effects and CGI. The story and the characters in this movie were quite interesting, and unlike the other previous "Beowulf" films, the main character was very well developed, with a realistic and fascinating personality.I don't know why this movie gets so much hate: It is easily much better than the CGI rubbish animated films that are released every year, and even when the CGI is not so good as the CGI used in films like "Avatar" of James Cameron, it was still pretty good.This is a underrated masterpiece, and it is a great achievement for animation in general.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-512

ur23853088

title: A great achievement review: Usually, I don't like very much animated films, and also, all the previous adaptations of the Beowulf poem into the big screen have been horrible(Like for example, that horrible movie starring Christopher Lambert) However, this movie managed to be both interesting and enjoyable,also having incredible special effects and CGI. The story and the characters in this movie were quite interesting, and unlike the other previous "Beowulf" films, the main character was very well developed, with a realistic and fascinating personality.I don't know why this movie gets so much hate: It is easily much better than the CGI rubbish animated films that are released every year, and even when the CGI is not so good as the CGI used in films like "Avatar" of James Cameron, it was still pretty good.This is a underrated masterpiece, and it is a great achievement for animation in general.

Great attempt to eliminate boundary between animation and real-person movie, although didn't surpass God of War.

tt0442933

This is a great attempt to eliminate boundary between animation and real-person movie. Note that the movie's budget is 70,000,000 dollars which is way lower compared to early movies like "Final Fantasy"(2001). However, "Final Fantasy"(2001) is a failure for a movie, especially one everyone was expecting to deliver some real material. Beowulf is highlighted as it's violent and gory, as alluring as the beauties animated.Earlierly, the definition of 3D cartoon movies was almost a copyright of Disney(Pixar). The characters are all comically simple, and their movements are all cartooned jerks convincing in the imagined world of the makers(remember the movements of humans in Incredibles and Rattatoulie). All the others withing this genre also avoid to be realistic. Instead, the emphasis would be jokes which is predominantly a theme for American-style CGI cartoons. Now in Beowulf, all the humans are in normal size and figures, winding the swords and axes humanly instead of comically. To realize the natural interactions of hundreds of different roles isn't a piece of cake for any studio, not even anyone in Pixar. And, don't you think it's a great idea to make something for grown-ups only to change the concept of 3D cartoon? Feel the lights and shadows on Beowulf and Angelina Jolie's skins.Plus, Beowulf is not simply some video-game alike slaughtering fast-food movie, although a lot of people expected it to be(I was one of them). Note that more than half of the movie was about the dramatical main role Beowulf's conversation with other people(or demons), therefore the hardship to overcome in making could be the detailed, sometimes implied expressions and feelings of the characters. Every movement of faces can be considered as a single piece of art, not to mention the tragic fates combined with North Europe's severe climate. If you concentrate on humanity drama of Beowulf, you won't be disappointed for sure.But, Beowulf is not perfect. although I sincerely appreciate the effort Robert Zemeckis took to make this superb reality-approximating animation, I have to point out the weakness lies within the PACE. If you've ever played the PS2 game "God of War", you would surely be expecting Beowulf for some non-stop fighting sequences shot in the harsh, bloody myth style seasoned with cool lines. Don't worry the movie surely contains all these elements, but they fell apart. All these elements are not combined efficiently enough to make your blood boil. Every time, the battle finished too fast after our hero enters his full-loaded fighting status. If the director could put all 3 sequences of fighting together and edit them to be like in "God of War", we will surely be awed by it. Stated in general, Beowulf is not equipped with enough exciting moments.Simply there are no twists in the movie, the theme is simple and 90% of the story can be predicted. But if you are interested in seeing the best real-human-size animated drama so far, you should go to cinema now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-60

ur10348311

title: Great attempt to eliminate boundary between animation and real-person movie, although didn't surpass God of War. review: This is a great attempt to eliminate boundary between animation and real-person movie. Note that the movie's budget is 70,000,000 dollars which is way lower compared to early movies like "Final Fantasy"(2001). However, "Final Fantasy"(2001) is a failure for a movie, especially one everyone was expecting to deliver some real material. Beowulf is highlighted as it's violent and gory, as alluring as the beauties animated.Earlierly, the definition of 3D cartoon movies was almost a copyright of Disney(Pixar). The characters are all comically simple, and their movements are all cartooned jerks convincing in the imagined world of the makers(remember the movements of humans in Incredibles and Rattatoulie). All the others withing this genre also avoid to be realistic. Instead, the emphasis would be jokes which is predominantly a theme for American-style CGI cartoons. Now in Beowulf, all the humans are in normal size and figures, winding the swords and axes humanly instead of comically. To realize the natural interactions of hundreds of different roles isn't a piece of cake for any studio, not even anyone in Pixar. And, don't you think it's a great idea to make something for grown-ups only to change the concept of 3D cartoon? Feel the lights and shadows on Beowulf and Angelina Jolie's skins.Plus, Beowulf is not simply some video-game alike slaughtering fast-food movie, although a lot of people expected it to be(I was one of them). Note that more than half of the movie was about the dramatical main role Beowulf's conversation with other people(or demons), therefore the hardship to overcome in making could be the detailed, sometimes implied expressions and feelings of the characters. Every movement of faces can be considered as a single piece of art, not to mention the tragic fates combined with North Europe's severe climate. If you concentrate on humanity drama of Beowulf, you won't be disappointed for sure.But, Beowulf is not perfect. although I sincerely appreciate the effort Robert Zemeckis took to make this superb reality-approximating animation, I have to point out the weakness lies within the PACE. If you've ever played the PS2 game "God of War", you would surely be expecting Beowulf for some non-stop fighting sequences shot in the harsh, bloody myth style seasoned with cool lines. Don't worry the movie surely contains all these elements, but they fell apart. All these elements are not combined efficiently enough to make your blood boil. Every time, the battle finished too fast after our hero enters his full-loaded fighting status. If the director could put all 3 sequences of fighting together and edit them to be like in "God of War", we will surely be awed by it. Stated in general, Beowulf is not equipped with enough exciting moments.Simply there are no twists in the movie, the theme is simple and 90% of the story can be predicted. But if you are interested in seeing the best real-human-size animated drama so far, you should go to cinema now.

How the horrendous can also be beautiful

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The epic poem called Beowulf was probably written in the 8th century in Anglo-Saxon dialect and it tells the story and prodigious adventures of the hero of that name, King of the Geats of Jutland. These adventures are narrated now in this good movie in an admirable way full of powerful and beautiful images (even if sometimes horrendous) and movement. The story is told more by images than words and some of them are really breath-taking. The legendary atmosphere of tales of High Middle Ages is very well presented. This story of heroes, monsters, warriors, witches and ordinary men is very well told indeed in all its aspects. One of the best movies of this kind.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-266

ur1046460

title: How the horrendous can also be beautiful review: The epic poem called Beowulf was probably written in the 8th century in Anglo-Saxon dialect and it tells the story and prodigious adventures of the hero of that name, King of the Geats of Jutland. These adventures are narrated now in this good movie in an admirable way full of powerful and beautiful images (even if sometimes horrendous) and movement. The story is told more by images than words and some of them are really breath-taking. The legendary atmosphere of tales of High Middle Ages is very well presented. This story of heroes, monsters, warriors, witches and ordinary men is very well told indeed in all its aspects. One of the best movies of this kind.

"What we need is a hero."

tt0442933

Anyone remember reading 'Beowulf' in high school? That was a long time ago for me but I'm pretty sure this film was nothing like it. It took me only a little while to figure out that this was a CGI generated picture, I didn't know that going in. Too many times the human characters actually looked real, but at others, like ones from those better animated computer games. Which tells me that the technology is geometrically developing to the point where someday we'll be watching deceased actors and other entertainers performing once again through the wonders of this type of animation.There's some pretty grotesque stuff here, not for little kids. A sword to the eyeball comes to mind, along with Beowulf ripping the heart out of a dragon. At times the picture approximated a horror film instead of action/adventure, and Grendel could have been one of those monsters in a house by the lake if you know what I mean. For me it was a little weary.But the animation is magnificent, if not overdone most of the time. It's also probably why I didn't recognize Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich as the characters they were supposed to be, but Angelina Jolie I did. This probably appeals to the younger movie going crowd who live much more rapidly than my generation ever did. What I might do is go pick up a copy of Beowulf and see how it reads today.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-526

ur2707735

title: "What we need is a hero." review: Anyone remember reading 'Beowulf' in high school? That was a long time ago for me but I'm pretty sure this film was nothing like it. It took me only a little while to figure out that this was a CGI generated picture, I didn't know that going in. Too many times the human characters actually looked real, but at others, like ones from those better animated computer games. Which tells me that the technology is geometrically developing to the point where someday we'll be watching deceased actors and other entertainers performing once again through the wonders of this type of animation.There's some pretty grotesque stuff here, not for little kids. A sword to the eyeball comes to mind, along with Beowulf ripping the heart out of a dragon. At times the picture approximated a horror film instead of action/adventure, and Grendel could have been one of those monsters in a house by the lake if you know what I mean. For me it was a little weary.But the animation is magnificent, if not overdone most of the time. It's also probably why I didn't recognize Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich as the characters they were supposed to be, but Angelina Jolie I did. This probably appeals to the younger movie going crowd who live much more rapidly than my generation ever did. What I might do is go pick up a copy of Beowulf and see how it reads today.

Don't waste your money on the 2-D version, this has 3-D written all over it!

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I have never had the experience of seeing a 3-D movie before on the cinema, the only experience I have had with a 3-d film, only courtesy of some 3-d glasses coming free with a DVD, was Spy Kids 3-D, a movie while mildly entertaining isn't exactly the best film every to display the greatness of 3-d. So Beowulf today was my first 3-d experience, I went in expecting something good because of the 3-d, but I didn't expect the movie itself to be superb. Part of my reasoning behind this was because of the one and only experience I had had with Zemeckis and his new way of making movies. That movie was unfortunately the Polar Express, a supposedly happy tail that actually freaked me out more than most horror movies! So what an absolute delight to say that Beowulf not only works because of it being in 3-D (more on that brilliant factor later) but also the movie is a genuinely brilliant movie anyway. The motion capture isn't remotely creepy this time round and actually it seemed to make sense in some bizarre way as to why they did the movie like this. The actors surprised me big time, Ray Winstone delivering actually one of his best performances in a long while, Angelina Jolie playing the slinky seductress to perfection and Anthony Hopkins being a joy to watch on screen. Beowulf is an action packed, well written and entertaining piece of popcorn cinema. Just watch the dragon sequence near the end, every single person in my cinema was on the edges of their seat and looked in awe. The action sequences just amaze, and the dialogue sequences surprisingly really work as well. Unfortunately however if you see this movie in 2-D then you will not be experiencing Beowulf in my eyes, take off the 3-D this is a 9/10 movie, with the 3-D it gets the 10/10 rating with a blink of an eye.As I've previously said the acting in the movie really caught me off guard. Ray Winston obviously is not the first actor who comes to mind when playing an ancient warrior. However when you see the movie and see the performance you understand why Winstone was cast. Sure his cockney acting at first seems a bit bizarre coming from the character, but after a while you see the subtlety of the performance and come the final half hour you realise he's quite possibly the best thing in the movie. He delivers a heartfelt and genuinely brilliant performance. Anthony Hopkins not only looks real in the movie, but he too delivers a performance truly worthy of Anthony Hopkins. Sometimes Hopkins can do a role for a sake of a role (see Mission Impossible 2), but here he seems to be having a blast as Hrothgar and he has some superb moments in the movie. Angelina Jolie plays the most interesting character of the movie, Grendell's Mother, alas she appears very briefly. But her few scenes stick firmly in memory, and her entry scene is one of the most beautifully pieces of cinema I have seen when watched in 3-D. Crispin Glover too has brief screen time as Grendell, but he delivers a heartfelt performance, in fact I felt genuine sympathy with Grendell. Glover might not be recognisable, but his performance shines through in the early scenes. John Malkovich and Robin Wright Penn too deserve considerably praise, as does a brilliant cast Brendan Gleeson.So as I've said the 3-D really makes the movie have a cherry on top of an already beautiful cake. After they filmmaker get over the gimmick of chucking things at the screen the 3-D is used less prominently, until any action sequences, and when the action sequences begin I doubt you will draw a single breath. Grendell's attack on a beer hall is the opening action sequence, and it is surprisingly violent for a 12a and also amazing to behold. But its the dragon sequence and late battle sequence that stick firmly in mind. I shall not spoil them, but those sequences really did make me wish that every action movie ever made from now will be in 3-D. The problem with the 3-D being so good is that the 2-D version seems like a cash in, in fact the movie relies so much on the 3-D at times that I doubt the 2-D version is worth watching. Swords pointed at screens, the camera pans through trees, the multi layered effect it gives off, in 2-d it just won't work as well, so my advice is to find a cinema that does play it in 3-d, you'll get much more for your money if you do. The storyline and film making is also extremely effective. The subtle dialogue scenes, especially the stuff between Winstone and Jolie really are some of the highlights. Also the relationship between Beowulf and his queen is touching.So are their any faults? As I've mentioned the 2-D version just won't be as good, but also the movie doesn't seem like it'll be that good at the start. In fact at the beginning, for five minutes, I was expecting to be bitterly disappointed. Thankfully that little slouch at the beginning is livened up with the arrival of Grendell, and from that point onwards you will adore the movie. This is Zemeckis' best movie since Back to the Future and definitely one of my favourite films of the year. Go and watch in 3-D and pray that more movies will be made like this in the near future.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-32

ur13849221

title: Don't waste your money on the 2-D version, this has 3-D written all over it! review: I have never had the experience of seeing a 3-D movie before on the cinema, the only experience I have had with a 3-d film, only courtesy of some 3-d glasses coming free with a DVD, was Spy Kids 3-D, a movie while mildly entertaining isn't exactly the best film every to display the greatness of 3-d. So Beowulf today was my first 3-d experience, I went in expecting something good because of the 3-d, but I didn't expect the movie itself to be superb. Part of my reasoning behind this was because of the one and only experience I had had with Zemeckis and his new way of making movies. That movie was unfortunately the Polar Express, a supposedly happy tail that actually freaked me out more than most horror movies! So what an absolute delight to say that Beowulf not only works because of it being in 3-D (more on that brilliant factor later) but also the movie is a genuinely brilliant movie anyway. The motion capture isn't remotely creepy this time round and actually it seemed to make sense in some bizarre way as to why they did the movie like this. The actors surprised me big time, Ray Winstone delivering actually one of his best performances in a long while, Angelina Jolie playing the slinky seductress to perfection and Anthony Hopkins being a joy to watch on screen. Beowulf is an action packed, well written and entertaining piece of popcorn cinema. Just watch the dragon sequence near the end, every single person in my cinema was on the edges of their seat and looked in awe. The action sequences just amaze, and the dialogue sequences surprisingly really work as well. Unfortunately however if you see this movie in 2-D then you will not be experiencing Beowulf in my eyes, take off the 3-D this is a 9/10 movie, with the 3-D it gets the 10/10 rating with a blink of an eye.As I've previously said the acting in the movie really caught me off guard. Ray Winston obviously is not the first actor who comes to mind when playing an ancient warrior. However when you see the movie and see the performance you understand why Winstone was cast. Sure his cockney acting at first seems a bit bizarre coming from the character, but after a while you see the subtlety of the performance and come the final half hour you realise he's quite possibly the best thing in the movie. He delivers a heartfelt and genuinely brilliant performance. Anthony Hopkins not only looks real in the movie, but he too delivers a performance truly worthy of Anthony Hopkins. Sometimes Hopkins can do a role for a sake of a role (see Mission Impossible 2), but here he seems to be having a blast as Hrothgar and he has some superb moments in the movie. Angelina Jolie plays the most interesting character of the movie, Grendell's Mother, alas she appears very briefly. But her few scenes stick firmly in memory, and her entry scene is one of the most beautifully pieces of cinema I have seen when watched in 3-D. Crispin Glover too has brief screen time as Grendell, but he delivers a heartfelt performance, in fact I felt genuine sympathy with Grendell. Glover might not be recognisable, but his performance shines through in the early scenes. John Malkovich and Robin Wright Penn too deserve considerably praise, as does a brilliant cast Brendan Gleeson.So as I've said the 3-D really makes the movie have a cherry on top of an already beautiful cake. After they filmmaker get over the gimmick of chucking things at the screen the 3-D is used less prominently, until any action sequences, and when the action sequences begin I doubt you will draw a single breath. Grendell's attack on a beer hall is the opening action sequence, and it is surprisingly violent for a 12a and also amazing to behold. But its the dragon sequence and late battle sequence that stick firmly in mind. I shall not spoil them, but those sequences really did make me wish that every action movie ever made from now will be in 3-D. The problem with the 3-D being so good is that the 2-D version seems like a cash in, in fact the movie relies so much on the 3-D at times that I doubt the 2-D version is worth watching. Swords pointed at screens, the camera pans through trees, the multi layered effect it gives off, in 2-d it just won't work as well, so my advice is to find a cinema that does play it in 3-d, you'll get much more for your money if you do. The storyline and film making is also extremely effective. The subtle dialogue scenes, especially the stuff between Winstone and Jolie really are some of the highlights. Also the relationship between Beowulf and his queen is touching.So are their any faults? As I've mentioned the 2-D version just won't be as good, but also the movie doesn't seem like it'll be that good at the start. In fact at the beginning, for five minutes, I was expecting to be bitterly disappointed. Thankfully that little slouch at the beginning is livened up with the arrival of Grendell, and from that point onwards you will adore the movie. This is Zemeckis' best movie since Back to the Future and definitely one of my favourite films of the year. Go and watch in 3-D and pray that more movies will be made like this in the near future.

An excellent showcase of a epic tale!!!!

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Beowulf is a 2007 American motion capture computer-animated fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same nameThe cast includes Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, and Angelina JolieIn a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-552

ur28597523

title: An excellent showcase of a epic tale!!!! review: Beowulf is a 2007 American motion capture computer-animated fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same nameThe cast includes Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, and Angelina JolieIn a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

A remarkable gore fest.

tt0442933

All over the world, fans of the God of War games want a movie based on the adventures of Kratos, with all the specific elements: gore, vulgarity, nudity and battles. Bloody, bloody battles. Unfortunately there is no God of War movie. But Beowulf is closest thing we have.Beowulf is an old medieval poem about a Northern hero, Beowulf, who came to help the people get rid of menacing monsters. And that is pretty much the story here. Grendel (Crispin Glover), a demon with sensible ears, turns a grand feast into a blood bath. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) is in luck: a man who calls himself Beowulf (Ray Winstone) and his men arrive, claiming that they can defeat the demon. After a hard-earned success, Beowulf has to face an even greater challenge: Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie), while his influence and power grows.The plot has little to no subplots, is linear and very solid. That's not the problem of the movie. The problem is that it doesn't manage to impress. Yes, it's based on a legend, but that doesn't mean it could rival the Lord of the Rings. Certain elements are keeping Beowulf away from the 5 star milestone.First of all, the voice acting and acting are great, the actors are well-known, no complaints. BUT there still are two actors who stick out like a sore thumb - Malkovich and Jolie. John Malkovich plays Unferth, a Rasputin-like counselor of the king, who is at first sceptic about Beowulf. He's so stiff, I don't know where to begin... Then there's Jolie, but here it's not about acting, but about choice. She just isn't right as Grendel's mother, I couldn't buy it. I was like " Lara Croft is confronting Beowulf?". There are tons of actresses who could have had the role. By the way, since when do medieval demons wear modern-day shoes? But the most obvious oddity is the full CG. Everything is CG, from actors to landscapes, and honestly, it looks incredibly well - photo-realistic, superb effects, fabulous animation. But you still know that it's artificial. They went to such lengths to animate and create everything, when they could have just used the REAL actors and just made it live-action. Okay, this isn't a flaw, it's the director's style and whether you like it or not - it depends on taste.The movie is full of gore, nudity, epic music, great acting and marvellous effects. Unfortunately, the plot development, several flaws and two actors are pulling it down.Final Verdict: Awesome. The should make a game based on this...wait...Final Score: 3.5/5 or 7/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-477

ur21847497

title: A remarkable gore fest. review: All over the world, fans of the God of War games want a movie based on the adventures of Kratos, with all the specific elements: gore, vulgarity, nudity and battles. Bloody, bloody battles. Unfortunately there is no God of War movie. But Beowulf is closest thing we have.Beowulf is an old medieval poem about a Northern hero, Beowulf, who came to help the people get rid of menacing monsters. And that is pretty much the story here. Grendel (Crispin Glover), a demon with sensible ears, turns a grand feast into a blood bath. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) is in luck: a man who calls himself Beowulf (Ray Winstone) and his men arrive, claiming that they can defeat the demon. After a hard-earned success, Beowulf has to face an even greater challenge: Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie), while his influence and power grows.The plot has little to no subplots, is linear and very solid. That's not the problem of the movie. The problem is that it doesn't manage to impress. Yes, it's based on a legend, but that doesn't mean it could rival the Lord of the Rings. Certain elements are keeping Beowulf away from the 5 star milestone.First of all, the voice acting and acting are great, the actors are well-known, no complaints. BUT there still are two actors who stick out like a sore thumb - Malkovich and Jolie. John Malkovich plays Unferth, a Rasputin-like counselor of the king, who is at first sceptic about Beowulf. He's so stiff, I don't know where to begin... Then there's Jolie, but here it's not about acting, but about choice. She just isn't right as Grendel's mother, I couldn't buy it. I was like " Lara Croft is confronting Beowulf?". There are tons of actresses who could have had the role. By the way, since when do medieval demons wear modern-day shoes? But the most obvious oddity is the full CG. Everything is CG, from actors to landscapes, and honestly, it looks incredibly well - photo-realistic, superb effects, fabulous animation. But you still know that it's artificial. They went to such lengths to animate and create everything, when they could have just used the REAL actors and just made it live-action. Okay, this isn't a flaw, it's the director's style and whether you like it or not - it depends on taste.The movie is full of gore, nudity, epic music, great acting and marvellous effects. Unfortunately, the plot development, several flaws and two actors are pulling it down.Final Verdict: Awesome. The should make a game based on this...wait...Final Score: 3.5/5 or 7/10

A lot more disturbing, interesting, exciting, and better than The Polar express

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I was not a fan of 2004's The Polar express. I found it to be boring and not that exciting. Well, Robert Zemeckis has brought us his newest and most recent film, Beowulf. Beowulf is a ton more exciting, interesting, and better than The Polar express. If looks were everything, The Polar express would be a thumbs up. If looks were everything, Beoweulf would've been better anyways. Beowulf is a disturbing and awesome film that I give a lot of credit. It's as PG-13 as a film can get. Beowulf is a really disturbing movie that will scare some and amaze others. I actually had both effects happen to me. Everything about Beowulf is better than The Polar express. Better story, better visuals, better cast, better everything. Grendel looks like a bunch of raw meat stacked up to look like a person. But Grendel is not a person, he is a freak of f*cking nature. Beowulf is just a disturbing movie that I found better than The Polar express. You can disagree with me, but Beowulf is far more exciting.Beowulf:***1/2 out of ****

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-479

ur21821220

title: A lot more disturbing, interesting, exciting, and better than The Polar express review: I was not a fan of 2004's The Polar express. I found it to be boring and not that exciting. Well, Robert Zemeckis has brought us his newest and most recent film, Beowulf. Beowulf is a ton more exciting, interesting, and better than The Polar express. If looks were everything, The Polar express would be a thumbs up. If looks were everything, Beoweulf would've been better anyways. Beowulf is a disturbing and awesome film that I give a lot of credit. It's as PG-13 as a film can get. Beowulf is a really disturbing movie that will scare some and amaze others. I actually had both effects happen to me. Everything about Beowulf is better than The Polar express. Better story, better visuals, better cast, better everything. Grendel looks like a bunch of raw meat stacked up to look like a person. But Grendel is not a person, he is a freak of f*cking nature. Beowulf is just a disturbing movie that I found better than The Polar express. You can disagree with me, but Beowulf is far more exciting.Beowulf:***1/2 out of ****

Look at what we can do!

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I watched the Director's Cut version of this; I understand that the only real difference is in this not being censored. Nothing else is added or removed. I did not see this in 3D; I can imagine that portions of this are more impressive that way, but it also seemed to get excessive at points. That's the main problem with these things; those making them get carried away, forgetting that CGI is a tool(like numerous others available to film-makers), and show off the technology, and far too many reward them with "oohs" and "ahhs", neglecting to take into account if they remember how it was on the whole, afterwards. The camera flies and does tricks like a well-trained pet, and a good deal of them are superfluous to this. With that said, this does set and maintain moods, and it certainly is visually impressive. The eyes are dead, as has been pointed out. This has gorgeous "sets", art and design. It feels like a realistic depiction of the Vikings(*no horns* on their helmets, that was made up by Christians to demonize those not of the "right faith"), with plenty of crudeness and raunchy details(and yet it doesn't come off as hostile towards them... well, not only that). This uses old English words and phrases some, and even a little of what is apparently the actual language spoken at the time. Yes, the accents are pretty atrocious. I don't really know the legend, so I can't say how close this stays to it. This is a fun ride, and it makes sense to animate it, since it is an adventure(as opposed to A Christmas Carol, a story that was never "epic" or fast-paced). It is action-packed, and the fights are awesome. There is a bit of ego-stroking, which is logical enough for a myth taking place in that period and environment. That explains the eye-candy for both genders, as well(Jolie is *hawt*, whether it's literally "real" or not). The cinematography and editing are excellent. This has marvelous music and songs, too. It's engaging and thrilling, and doesn't overstay its welcome(certainly not by much). Dialog is well-written and well-delivered. All in all, I'd say at least a single viewing, if it appeals to you. There is a lot brutal, bloody and gory violence, occasional sexuality, infrequent moderate swearing and a little nudity in this. The 2-Disc DC DVD holds six featurettes(that I will review on their individual pages here on the site) and 11 and a half minutes of reasonable additional scenes(note: all in pre-vis state, not completed), and comes with a comic. I recommend this to anyone who can imagine enjoying it. 7/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-493

ur2093818

title: Look at what we can do! review: I watched the Director's Cut version of this; I understand that the only real difference is in this not being censored. Nothing else is added or removed. I did not see this in 3D; I can imagine that portions of this are more impressive that way, but it also seemed to get excessive at points. That's the main problem with these things; those making them get carried away, forgetting that CGI is a tool(like numerous others available to film-makers), and show off the technology, and far too many reward them with "oohs" and "ahhs", neglecting to take into account if they remember how it was on the whole, afterwards. The camera flies and does tricks like a well-trained pet, and a good deal of them are superfluous to this. With that said, this does set and maintain moods, and it certainly is visually impressive. The eyes are dead, as has been pointed out. This has gorgeous "sets", art and design. It feels like a realistic depiction of the Vikings(*no horns* on their helmets, that was made up by Christians to demonize those not of the "right faith"), with plenty of crudeness and raunchy details(and yet it doesn't come off as hostile towards them... well, not only that). This uses old English words and phrases some, and even a little of what is apparently the actual language spoken at the time. Yes, the accents are pretty atrocious. I don't really know the legend, so I can't say how close this stays to it. This is a fun ride, and it makes sense to animate it, since it is an adventure(as opposed to A Christmas Carol, a story that was never "epic" or fast-paced). It is action-packed, and the fights are awesome. There is a bit of ego-stroking, which is logical enough for a myth taking place in that period and environment. That explains the eye-candy for both genders, as well(Jolie is *hawt*, whether it's literally "real" or not). The cinematography and editing are excellent. This has marvelous music and songs, too. It's engaging and thrilling, and doesn't overstay its welcome(certainly not by much). Dialog is well-written and well-delivered. All in all, I'd say at least a single viewing, if it appeals to you. There is a lot brutal, bloody and gory violence, occasional sexuality, infrequent moderate swearing and a little nudity in this. The 2-Disc DC DVD holds six featurettes(that I will review on their individual pages here on the site) and 11 and a half minutes of reasonable additional scenes(note: all in pre-vis state, not completed), and comes with a comic. I recommend this to anyone who can imagine enjoying it. 7/10

Not entirely bad

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Once every few years the poem of Beowulf and Grendel is made into a film. Some get aired on television, some make it to the cinema, and some get edited so that they work well on the IMAX format. This one falls into that last category.The story is so old that it is known to almost everyone. It is the classical tale where a hero comes to save the day by defeating a demon that has been terrorizing the lands for some time. It's also the story of the hero that makes a most dreadful mistake.So, story wise there is nothing new here. What makes this Beowulf different from the others that have been out there is that this one features a few things that make it work well in IMAX theaters. It also differs from most others because it uses a sort of CGI acting method where real actors get smudged into the CGI instead of the other way around. It works out well enough, looking more or less like an adult animation film.Most of the effects are done well enough, only a few are of the toe curling bad stuff that makes for films like Jumanji All in all, not quite the worst to be in the cinemas this year.7 out of 10 demons from the other world

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-198

ur0023796

title: Not entirely bad review: Once every few years the poem of Beowulf and Grendel is made into a film. Some get aired on television, some make it to the cinema, and some get edited so that they work well on the IMAX format. This one falls into that last category.The story is so old that it is known to almost everyone. It is the classical tale where a hero comes to save the day by defeating a demon that has been terrorizing the lands for some time. It's also the story of the hero that makes a most dreadful mistake.So, story wise there is nothing new here. What makes this Beowulf different from the others that have been out there is that this one features a few things that make it work well in IMAX theaters. It also differs from most others because it uses a sort of CGI acting method where real actors get smudged into the CGI instead of the other way around. It works out well enough, looking more or less like an adult animation film.Most of the effects are done well enough, only a few are of the toe curling bad stuff that makes for films like Jumanji All in all, not quite the worst to be in the cinemas this year.7 out of 10 demons from the other world

Robert wants to show you his new toys

tt0442933

Robert Zemeckis has a new toy. Two new toys, actually. After fiddling with cartoons and archive footage in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Forrest Gump" respectively, he's now using motion capture digital technology rather than film. But he's done it before so this time he's going to use it with 3D. Unfortunately, I watched this at home. So the film is left to stand on its actual merits, rather than its gimmicks.That's a shame really, because watching the film I could sense that in full IMAX 3D this would have been bangs-for-your-bucks, jump out of your seat fun. Whenever he has the opportunity to, Zemeckis throws things at the camera and moves it in such an incredibly fluid manner that on a really, really big screen it would thrill. Unfortunately, all I was left with was the narrative.The film's problems start early on. The opening is garish and, without the benefit of the 3D, overblown. It sets the tone for the rest of the film rather well. The characters chew their way through the dialogue before the first attack from Grendel, which has so much violence that it puts Tarantino in the shade. It is a miracle that this film, with all of its blood and guts, not to mention essentially full on nudity, received a PG-13 in America and a 12A (it's British equivalent). Don't let anyone younger than 12 see this film.It is a full quarter of an hour before Beowulf arrives. He receives extremely little time for development, which is the same for all of the characters, but this film isn't really here for that. It's a cheap thrills picture, and Zemeckis delivers them by the barrelful. But, many of them, whilst grand on scale, have something wrong with them. Beowulf's first fight, for instance, is done as an Austin Powers gag, with the nude Beowulf's manhood being covered with helmets, spears and swords. What would Freud say? There are strong points. Winstone, in his CGI form, is very good as the lead, Angelina Jolie turns up as Angelina Jolie and does very well, whilst Sir An-TH-ony Hopkins seems to be enjoying himself a lot. However, the quality of the CGI is astonishing. There are a few things that look dodgy, such as the horses and the fire, but at times it is photo-real even if the artistry of the animation and the creation of the images are nowhere near those of "Ratatouille" which was released in the same year.However, there are weak points, most of all John Malkovich, who is so wooden that he is largely indistinguishable from the large cross he waves around. But the real problem with the film is that it isn't really a film. It is a bunch of gimmicks, designed to thrill rather than entertain, and now that it has passed away from the 3D screens it will not last.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-411

ur4309318

title: Robert wants to show you his new toys review: Robert Zemeckis has a new toy. Two new toys, actually. After fiddling with cartoons and archive footage in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Forrest Gump" respectively, he's now using motion capture digital technology rather than film. But he's done it before so this time he's going to use it with 3D. Unfortunately, I watched this at home. So the film is left to stand on its actual merits, rather than its gimmicks.That's a shame really, because watching the film I could sense that in full IMAX 3D this would have been bangs-for-your-bucks, jump out of your seat fun. Whenever he has the opportunity to, Zemeckis throws things at the camera and moves it in such an incredibly fluid manner that on a really, really big screen it would thrill. Unfortunately, all I was left with was the narrative.The film's problems start early on. The opening is garish and, without the benefit of the 3D, overblown. It sets the tone for the rest of the film rather well. The characters chew their way through the dialogue before the first attack from Grendel, which has so much violence that it puts Tarantino in the shade. It is a miracle that this film, with all of its blood and guts, not to mention essentially full on nudity, received a PG-13 in America and a 12A (it's British equivalent). Don't let anyone younger than 12 see this film.It is a full quarter of an hour before Beowulf arrives. He receives extremely little time for development, which is the same for all of the characters, but this film isn't really here for that. It's a cheap thrills picture, and Zemeckis delivers them by the barrelful. But, many of them, whilst grand on scale, have something wrong with them. Beowulf's first fight, for instance, is done as an Austin Powers gag, with the nude Beowulf's manhood being covered with helmets, spears and swords. What would Freud say? There are strong points. Winstone, in his CGI form, is very good as the lead, Angelina Jolie turns up as Angelina Jolie and does very well, whilst Sir An-TH-ony Hopkins seems to be enjoying himself a lot. However, the quality of the CGI is astonishing. There are a few things that look dodgy, such as the horses and the fire, but at times it is photo-real even if the artistry of the animation and the creation of the images are nowhere near those of "Ratatouille" which was released in the same year.However, there are weak points, most of all John Malkovich, who is so wooden that he is largely indistinguishable from the large cross he waves around. But the real problem with the film is that it isn't really a film. It is a bunch of gimmicks, designed to thrill rather than entertain, and now that it has passed away from the 3D screens it will not last.

" Nordic Sages which told of Men of Iron and Fire Breathing Dragons "

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From the far off lands of Ice and snow comes the fiery tale of a dark land, courageous men, sultry beautiful women and fierce monsters which assailed their cold barren world. This early fable arises in the 6th century A.D. and related a historical Saga of a time when a mythical monster called Grendal, terrorized the Land of The Vikings. Each night when the Danes would decide to celebrate with drinking, dancing, loud songs and boisterous merriment, a gigantic lake dwelling creature named Grendal would invade their Mead-Hall and began killing the men inside. The murderous spree would nightly reoccur until all the men were dead. A ghastly event which continued until the exasperated King finally offered his kingdom to any man who would kill the monster. This movie is called " Beowulf " and is based on that particular Nordic Saga. Ray Winstone plays Beowulf and is convincingly believable as the Icelandic hero. The film is a wondrous, action-pack movie and sure to entertain all who see it.. For those seeking excitement in a fantastic, dramatic and dark film, you've found it. It's got all the elements of a black legendary story complete with a fire-breathing dragon. This and a fine cast which includes Sir Anthony Hopkins. You can do no better. ****

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-530

ur3902771

title: " Nordic Sages which told of Men of Iron and Fire Breathing Dragons " review: From the far off lands of Ice and snow comes the fiery tale of a dark land, courageous men, sultry beautiful women and fierce monsters which assailed their cold barren world. This early fable arises in the 6th century A.D. and related a historical Saga of a time when a mythical monster called Grendal, terrorized the Land of The Vikings. Each night when the Danes would decide to celebrate with drinking, dancing, loud songs and boisterous merriment, a gigantic lake dwelling creature named Grendal would invade their Mead-Hall and began killing the men inside. The murderous spree would nightly reoccur until all the men were dead. A ghastly event which continued until the exasperated King finally offered his kingdom to any man who would kill the monster. This movie is called " Beowulf " and is based on that particular Nordic Saga. Ray Winstone plays Beowulf and is convincingly believable as the Icelandic hero. The film is a wondrous, action-pack movie and sure to entertain all who see it.. For those seeking excitement in a fantastic, dramatic and dark film, you've found it. It's got all the elements of a black legendary story complete with a fire-breathing dragon. This and a fine cast which includes Sir Anthony Hopkins. You can do no better. ****

Cheap thrills from the digital demon dollar tree

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Reviewers rave about dolly shots impossible in live action, groundbreaking motion capture technology and previously unseen surface texture, but what's the point? Everybody goes on about how difficult it was to make this movie, and what a technical achievement it is. How come nobody ever asks why you would want your movie to look like a video game in the first place? Flames don't look one bit like flames, and the sea doesn't even come close to the real thing, let alone the wooden expressions and clumsy moves of the characters. Even the blue demon fire looks fake, no small feat given it has no counterpart in the real world. But the similarity with video games doesn't stop there. "Beowulf" is one long string of teenage macho fantasy dripping with blood, sweat, semen and megabytes. Except maybe for John Malkovich as a misanthropical early Christian, recognizable only by his wailing voice, it's a disgrace for everyone involved. I guess they needed the money.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-161

ur12415200

title: Cheap thrills from the digital demon dollar tree review: Reviewers rave about dolly shots impossible in live action, groundbreaking motion capture technology and previously unseen surface texture, but what's the point? Everybody goes on about how difficult it was to make this movie, and what a technical achievement it is. How come nobody ever asks why you would want your movie to look like a video game in the first place? Flames don't look one bit like flames, and the sea doesn't even come close to the real thing, let alone the wooden expressions and clumsy moves of the characters. Even the blue demon fire looks fake, no small feat given it has no counterpart in the real world. But the similarity with video games doesn't stop there. "Beowulf" is one long string of teenage macho fantasy dripping with blood, sweat, semen and megabytes. Except maybe for John Malkovich as a misanthropical early Christian, recognizable only by his wailing voice, it's a disgrace for everyone involved. I guess they needed the money.

A supposedly great epic poem, becomes a juvenile cartoon

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Many years ago, I tried to read Beowulf, but had to give up on it because I had trouble understanding the 'olde' English prose it was in. I had troubles with Chaucer for same reason.Now the film I saw on DVD last night,I doubt it had much to do with the epic poem. This was more like a comic strip gone wild.Ray Winstone was good in the lead, as well as all the other well known actors,if you were able to make out who was who, (too many fat suits & bushy beards & makeup for me.Angelina Jolie is a beauty but was not believable, in her performance.Most of the blame goes to the director, who has made very few decent films, that I actually enjoyed. (his'Back to the Future'series was overly loud & excessively unfunny--he also made the atrocious all-star western {I forgot title},which was nothing but violence added on top of more violence.)He does the same thing hereI have no objection to violence in films. ( 300---Kill Bill & Grindhouse were excellently made, the violence was natural & normal for its stories. Here it was violence for the sake of more violence.& it became a big bore.ratings **1/2 (out of 4) 68 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-372

ur0495697

title: A supposedly great epic poem, becomes a juvenile cartoon review: Many years ago, I tried to read Beowulf, but had to give up on it because I had trouble understanding the 'olde' English prose it was in. I had troubles with Chaucer for same reason.Now the film I saw on DVD last night,I doubt it had much to do with the epic poem. This was more like a comic strip gone wild.Ray Winstone was good in the lead, as well as all the other well known actors,if you were able to make out who was who, (too many fat suits & bushy beards & makeup for me.Angelina Jolie is a beauty but was not believable, in her performance.Most of the blame goes to the director, who has made very few decent films, that I actually enjoyed. (his'Back to the Future'series was overly loud & excessively unfunny--he also made the atrocious all-star western {I forgot title},which was nothing but violence added on top of more violence.)He does the same thing hereI have no objection to violence in films. ( 300---Kill Bill & Grindhouse were excellently made, the violence was natural & normal for its stories. Here it was violence for the sake of more violence.& it became a big bore.ratings **1/2 (out of 4) 68 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

Beowulf

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was a good start to how realistic computer animation, and then director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump) gave us The Polar Express, using the "performance capture" technique, and Zemeckis followed with this. Basically, set in Denmark, 507 A.D., during the coming of Christianity, where the realm King Hrothgar (Sir Anthony Hopkins) lives in fear from the torment and attack from monstrously large troll Grendel (Crispin Glover). The King is offering a reward to whoever can kill the creature, and so arrives boastful and confident great warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone), and he awaits the beast to defeat him and claim the glory he longs for. Beowulf manages to fatally wound Grendel after discovering his weakness, the creature shrinks and eventually dies in the lair of his mother, and the warrior is welcomed into the kingdom with open arms. Next the warrior must face Grendel's supposedly fearsome Mother (Angelina Jolie), however he sees that she is gorgeous and she manages to seduce him, and Hrothgar realises this, being seduced himself, and after saying that he should become king when he dies, the ruler commits suicide. This instantly makes Beowulf king, meaning that he will sit beside queen Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn), and he is looked on closely by royal adviser Unferth (John Malkovich), but there are more challenges ahead. Next thing the kingdom faces is a dangerous large fire breathing dragon, but Beowulf of course manages to defeat this threat as well, and there are a few other things going on, before the end that sees Grendel's Mother trying to seduce him again, and it is unclear as to whether he gives into this or not. Also starring Brendan Gleeson as Wiglaf and Alison Lohman as Ursula. Winstone, Jolie, Hopkins and the other stars all give good voice and captured performances, the story is reasonably interesting being set in the 6th Century, but of course it is the animation that really keeps you watching, it is such high quality, especially how realistic Jolie looks, I was also surprised by the quality of it during violent and sexy scenes, and also that it is not a 15 certificate but a 12A, overall it is most watchable animated fantasy adventure. Very good!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-521

ur4248714

title: Beowulf review: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was a good start to how realistic computer animation, and then director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump) gave us The Polar Express, using the "performance capture" technique, and Zemeckis followed with this. Basically, set in Denmark, 507 A.D., during the coming of Christianity, where the realm King Hrothgar (Sir Anthony Hopkins) lives in fear from the torment and attack from monstrously large troll Grendel (Crispin Glover). The King is offering a reward to whoever can kill the creature, and so arrives boastful and confident great warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone), and he awaits the beast to defeat him and claim the glory he longs for. Beowulf manages to fatally wound Grendel after discovering his weakness, the creature shrinks and eventually dies in the lair of his mother, and the warrior is welcomed into the kingdom with open arms. Next the warrior must face Grendel's supposedly fearsome Mother (Angelina Jolie), however he sees that she is gorgeous and she manages to seduce him, and Hrothgar realises this, being seduced himself, and after saying that he should become king when he dies, the ruler commits suicide. This instantly makes Beowulf king, meaning that he will sit beside queen Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn), and he is looked on closely by royal adviser Unferth (John Malkovich), but there are more challenges ahead. Next thing the kingdom faces is a dangerous large fire breathing dragon, but Beowulf of course manages to defeat this threat as well, and there are a few other things going on, before the end that sees Grendel's Mother trying to seduce him again, and it is unclear as to whether he gives into this or not. Also starring Brendan Gleeson as Wiglaf and Alison Lohman as Ursula. Winstone, Jolie, Hopkins and the other stars all give good voice and captured performances, the story is reasonably interesting being set in the 6th Century, but of course it is the animation that really keeps you watching, it is such high quality, especially how realistic Jolie looks, I was also surprised by the quality of it during violent and sexy scenes, and also that it is not a 15 certificate but a 12A, overall it is most watchable animated fantasy adventure. Very good!

I AM (slightly let down by) BEOWULF!!!

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It seems we have a new cinematic fad coming into fashion... the genre of mythological action. It began with '300' (a film I really enjoyed), and the first that stands to benefit from 300's success is Beowulf. Beowulf is the newest film from Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis implements many of the same visual themes of his last project, the heart warming Polar Express, with varied success.Beowulf tells the story of the kingdom of King Hrothgar (a delightfully campy Anthony Hopkins)which is currently being terrorized by a monster named Grendel (Crispin Glover). Help comes in the form of mighty Beowulf (Ray Winstone), who arrives with an army of 14 men and his right hand man, Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson). It his his job to slay the monster. However, he must also deal with Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie). Beowulf is opposed by Unferth (John Malkovich), and has also been paying close attention to the king's wife, Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn).Perhaps the most surprising element of the film is its sly, wink and a nod, sense of humor. This can be viewed two ways. The first view is one of enjoyment and laughter. However, it is hard to comply when we are asked to feel or identify with these characters after so many scenes presenting them as mere caricatures.As expected, Beowulf is visually stunning. I'd argue it is the one category where this film bests 'Polar Express'. The 3-D photography is shockingly good. It is a film I wouldn't want to imagine in the traditional two dimension format. I strongly advise anyone who is going to see this to view the film in 3-D. Without it, the film would be borderline un enjoyable. The highlight is by far the final battle scene,which just begs you to forget the film's past misdeeds. Close, but no dice.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-24

ur4388114

title: I AM (slightly let down by) BEOWULF!!! review: It seems we have a new cinematic fad coming into fashion... the genre of mythological action. It began with '300' (a film I really enjoyed), and the first that stands to benefit from 300's success is Beowulf. Beowulf is the newest film from Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis implements many of the same visual themes of his last project, the heart warming Polar Express, with varied success.Beowulf tells the story of the kingdom of King Hrothgar (a delightfully campy Anthony Hopkins)which is currently being terrorized by a monster named Grendel (Crispin Glover). Help comes in the form of mighty Beowulf (Ray Winstone), who arrives with an army of 14 men and his right hand man, Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson). It his his job to slay the monster. However, he must also deal with Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie). Beowulf is opposed by Unferth (John Malkovich), and has also been paying close attention to the king's wife, Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn).Perhaps the most surprising element of the film is its sly, wink and a nod, sense of humor. This can be viewed two ways. The first view is one of enjoyment and laughter. However, it is hard to comply when we are asked to feel or identify with these characters after so many scenes presenting them as mere caricatures.As expected, Beowulf is visually stunning. I'd argue it is the one category where this film bests 'Polar Express'. The 3-D photography is shockingly good. It is a film I wouldn't want to imagine in the traditional two dimension format. I strongly advise anyone who is going to see this to view the film in 3-D. Without it, the film would be borderline un enjoyable. The highlight is by far the final battle scene,which just begs you to forget the film's past misdeeds. Close, but no dice.

Tragically Lovely

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The tale of Beowulf was told in an epic poem by an unknown 8th-11th century author. It tells of Beowulf, a Geat (Goth) hero of what is now known as Sweden, and his three equally epic battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother (known here and there as the Black Queen of Midguard), and an unnamed Dragon (thought by some to be the Midguard Serpent).While this film tells the tale somewhat differently than the author's original interpretation (the author, for instance, lays the hero to rest beneath a sacred mound), it tells Beowulf's story in a way never before told...with an obvious love of the tale itself, a love of the medium in which it is delivered, and a love of the artistry herein employed.This is a lovely Friday/Saturday night's viewing, as there is something for everyone: While some scenes are not suitable for children, they will be drawn by the awesome animation quality, men will (no doubt) enjoy the raucous behavior of the men and the monsters, and women should identify with the plight and innate dignity (even in the face of what some would consider shame) of the Queen. There is ample action herein to keep most fan-boys happy, and enough story to make what CAN be dry reading, a great adventure.It rates an easy 9/10 from...the Fiend :.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-263

ur2626332

title: Tragically Lovely review: The tale of Beowulf was told in an epic poem by an unknown 8th-11th century author. It tells of Beowulf, a Geat (Goth) hero of what is now known as Sweden, and his three equally epic battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother (known here and there as the Black Queen of Midguard), and an unnamed Dragon (thought by some to be the Midguard Serpent).While this film tells the tale somewhat differently than the author's original interpretation (the author, for instance, lays the hero to rest beneath a sacred mound), it tells Beowulf's story in a way never before told...with an obvious love of the tale itself, a love of the medium in which it is delivered, and a love of the artistry herein employed.This is a lovely Friday/Saturday night's viewing, as there is something for everyone: While some scenes are not suitable for children, they will be drawn by the awesome animation quality, men will (no doubt) enjoy the raucous behavior of the men and the monsters, and women should identify with the plight and innate dignity (even in the face of what some would consider shame) of the Queen. There is ample action herein to keep most fan-boys happy, and enough story to make what CAN be dry reading, a great adventure.It rates an easy 9/10 from...the Fiend :.

dated and underwhelming cgi

tt0442933

this is the year 2007 and yet the cgi in this film looks about ten years old, the character movements are stilted, the eyes have no expression in them, how come they can get it right in the kids cgi films that pixar do, and the great achievements of the Rings movies and King Kong, about more than half the cgi in here is pretty bad, if it were not for the 3d which mostly works i would have walked out halfway thru, the other major flaw in the film is the dreadful voice of ray winstone, who knows what accent he was going for at times he sounded like a bad peter o'toole and an even worse richard burton, and worst of all he did his trademark shouting every sentence, the best thing was the creation of grendel's mother the animation almost did justice to the beauty of angelina jollie and her voice was perfect, it goes without saying that the script was truly appalling even by comic book standards, all in all a pretty bad movie i cannot believe its rating is as high as it is, it should not be more than a 3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-241

ur0077225

title: dated and underwhelming cgi review: this is the year 2007 and yet the cgi in this film looks about ten years old, the character movements are stilted, the eyes have no expression in them, how come they can get it right in the kids cgi films that pixar do, and the great achievements of the Rings movies and King Kong, about more than half the cgi in here is pretty bad, if it were not for the 3d which mostly works i would have walked out halfway thru, the other major flaw in the film is the dreadful voice of ray winstone, who knows what accent he was going for at times he sounded like a bad peter o'toole and an even worse richard burton, and worst of all he did his trademark shouting every sentence, the best thing was the creation of grendel's mother the animation almost did justice to the beauty of angelina jollie and her voice was perfect, it goes without saying that the script was truly appalling even by comic book standards, all in all a pretty bad movie i cannot believe its rating is as high as it is, it should not be more than a 3

Very Dumb film

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Based on the 9th century poem that J. R. Tolkien heralded as great work of Art Beowulf was chosen by Zemeckis and his producers as a worthy venture in novelty digital 3D cinema production. Hrothgar an aging old obese Viking type warrior played by Anthony Hopkins and oppressed his wife, the young blonde busty ice queen who appears resigned to this duty of oppression and readily appears to subjugate her soul to him, reign over a rowdy primitive bunch of trashy Viking warriors in their newly built communal Mead "beer" hall. Hrothgar half naked scene and his mates go berko on one of their feasts and the noise provokes the deformed Grendal, son of strange female creature played by Angela Jolie. Grendal gatecrashes the Horthgar's beer fest and brutally and violently mutilates and tears the Viking partygoers to pieces. The animated form of Jolie shows likeness to Jolie except for the body which is far too voluptuous and well proportional than the real Jolie.Later, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) answers the call to slay Grendal. When Grendal next attacks the Mead hall Beouwulf strips naked to kill Grendal and mortally wounds him. Grendal's mother goes to Meadhall to avenge her son's death and kills nearly all Beouwulfs men and from their seduces Beouwulf. We learn that Grendal was actually Hrothgar's son and when Beouwulf goes to cave to meet Grendals mothers he is seduced resulting in offspring a dragon monster.Beowulf returns to the Mead hall and becomes the new leader of the vikings after Hrothgar suicides realizes his queen wants Beowulf. The dragon returns and Beowulf goes into battle with it. A very entertaining animated 3D film although this style of cinema is more suited to those who play computer games but worth seeing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/reviews-439

ur15869926

title: Very Dumb film review: Based on the 9th century poem that J. R. Tolkien heralded as great work of Art Beowulf was chosen by Zemeckis and his producers as a worthy venture in novelty digital 3D cinema production. Hrothgar an aging old obese Viking type warrior played by Anthony Hopkins and oppressed his wife, the young blonde busty ice queen who appears resigned to this duty of oppression and readily appears to subjugate her soul to him, reign over a rowdy primitive bunch of trashy Viking warriors in their newly built communal Mead "beer" hall. Hrothgar half naked scene and his mates go berko on one of their feasts and the noise provokes the deformed Grendal, son of strange female creature played by Angela Jolie. Grendal gatecrashes the Horthgar's beer fest and brutally and violently mutilates and tears the Viking partygoers to pieces. The animated form of Jolie shows likeness to Jolie except for the body which is far too voluptuous and well proportional than the real Jolie.Later, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) answers the call to slay Grendal. When Grendal next attacks the Mead hall Beouwulf strips naked to kill Grendal and mortally wounds him. Grendal's mother goes to Meadhall to avenge her son's death and kills nearly all Beouwulfs men and from their seduces Beouwulf. We learn that Grendal was actually Hrothgar's son and when Beouwulf goes to cave to meet Grendals mothers he is seduced resulting in offspring a dragon monster.Beowulf returns to the Mead hall and becomes the new leader of the vikings after Hrothgar suicides realizes his queen wants Beowulf. The dragon returns and Beowulf goes into battle with it. A very entertaining animated 3D film although this style of cinema is more suited to those who play computer games but worth seeing.

Joseph L Mankiewicz's masterpiece , about a cat and mouse thriller , being flawlessly acted and perfectly realized

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Agreeable mystery based on successful play about a cat and mouse game . Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) is a famous writer who lives in a luxurious mansion . He loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him . Wyke is a successful novelist , a master of menace , the number one bestseller author from Baron Books . There arrives Milo (Michael Caine) , a hairdresser who seeks to convince the former for signing the divorce papers and Andrew in seeking avenge on his detested and unfaithful wife . Andrew and Milo setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results . An ultimate game is being played on its audience .This lighthearted suspense/mystery based on a hit play from Anthony Shaffer and being well adapted ; dealing with games-playing mystery novelist played by Olivier leading his spouse's lover performed by Caine into diabolical trap . The original stage production of "Sleuth" by Anthony Shaffer opened on Broadway on 12 November 1970. It originally starred Anthony Quayle as Andrew and Keith Baxter as Milo, ran for 1222 performances and won the 1971 Tony Award for the Best Play . This is a deliciously sardonic and witty movie and excellently starred by a magnificent protagonist duo ; both are the peak of their game in this dazzling film . This interesting movie is plenty of twists and turns and stunning surprises . Splendid and fascinating performances , a real Tour De force for two stars . Michael Caine was so very much beside himself to be working with Laurence Olivier, that he didn't even know how to address him . However , Michael Caine was the third choice for the part of Milo Tindle after Albert Finney , who was deemed too plump, and Alan Bates , who turned down the role . The film only had two stars - the rest of the cast were made-up names . In addition to Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975), only one of three films in which entire on-screen billed cast received acting Oscar nominations . Packs a jolly and adequate soundtrack , including a haunting, remarkable musical leitmotif by John Addison , who was nominated for an Oscar for his music score. Colorful cinematography by Oswald Morris as well as appropriate production design by Ken Adam . Remade many years later as ¨Sleuth¨(2007) by Kenneth Branagh starred by Jude Law and again Michael Caine as Wyke ; including modern production design and set on a stark house , monitored with high tech . However, it is inferior the first version that was a directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz, in his last film . In the similar style was subsequently filmed 'Deathtrap' by Sidney Lumet with Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon and also Michael Caine. Rating : Good, delicious from start to finish. It's a great and enjoyable fun.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-145

ur3270789

title: Joseph L Mankiewicz's masterpiece , about a cat and mouse thriller , being flawlessly acted and perfectly realized review: Agreeable mystery based on successful play about a cat and mouse game . Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) is a famous writer who lives in a luxurious mansion . He loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him . Wyke is a successful novelist , a master of menace , the number one bestseller author from Baron Books . There arrives Milo (Michael Caine) , a hairdresser who seeks to convince the former for signing the divorce papers and Andrew in seeking avenge on his detested and unfaithful wife . Andrew and Milo setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results . An ultimate game is being played on its audience .This lighthearted suspense/mystery based on a hit play from Anthony Shaffer and being well adapted ; dealing with games-playing mystery novelist played by Olivier leading his spouse's lover performed by Caine into diabolical trap . The original stage production of "Sleuth" by Anthony Shaffer opened on Broadway on 12 November 1970. It originally starred Anthony Quayle as Andrew and Keith Baxter as Milo, ran for 1222 performances and won the 1971 Tony Award for the Best Play . This is a deliciously sardonic and witty movie and excellently starred by a magnificent protagonist duo ; both are the peak of their game in this dazzling film . This interesting movie is plenty of twists and turns and stunning surprises . Splendid and fascinating performances , a real Tour De force for two stars . Michael Caine was so very much beside himself to be working with Laurence Olivier, that he didn't even know how to address him . However , Michael Caine was the third choice for the part of Milo Tindle after Albert Finney , who was deemed too plump, and Alan Bates , who turned down the role . The film only had two stars - the rest of the cast were made-up names . In addition to Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975), only one of three films in which entire on-screen billed cast received acting Oscar nominations . Packs a jolly and adequate soundtrack , including a haunting, remarkable musical leitmotif by John Addison , who was nominated for an Oscar for his music score. Colorful cinematography by Oswald Morris as well as appropriate production design by Ken Adam . Remade many years later as ¨Sleuth¨(2007) by Kenneth Branagh starred by Jude Law and again Michael Caine as Wyke ; including modern production design and set on a stark house , monitored with high tech . However, it is inferior the first version that was a directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz, in his last film . In the similar style was subsequently filmed 'Deathtrap' by Sidney Lumet with Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon and also Michael Caine. Rating : Good, delicious from start to finish. It's a great and enjoyable fun.

Deserves its status and Oscar nominations

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Sleuth is a very good and very entertaining piece of original theatre.With two actors as strong as Olivier and Caine and a script by Schaffer you can't really go wrong - but Sleuth is a wonderful story as well as great lines delivered in rapid fashion.It has aged well and for those who have no idea what to expect it is pretty amazing.What makes Sleuth all the better is just when you think its over then the third act begins and totally raises the film to new heights.Overall, very witty, intriguing, complex, yet human: a masterpiece of theatre that actually works perfectly on screen thanks to Mankiewicz's great directing.A real mystery murder treat and a fascinating, involving 138 minutes that just whizz by.Warmly recommended

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-97

ur2419668

title: Deserves its status and Oscar nominations review: Sleuth is a very good and very entertaining piece of original theatre.With two actors as strong as Olivier and Caine and a script by Schaffer you can't really go wrong - but Sleuth is a wonderful story as well as great lines delivered in rapid fashion.It has aged well and for those who have no idea what to expect it is pretty amazing.What makes Sleuth all the better is just when you think its over then the third act begins and totally raises the film to new heights.Overall, very witty, intriguing, complex, yet human: a masterpiece of theatre that actually works perfectly on screen thanks to Mankiewicz's great directing.A real mystery murder treat and a fascinating, involving 138 minutes that just whizz by.Warmly recommended

"There's nothing like a little bit of mayhem to cheer one up."

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It takes a rather talented filmmaker to engineer a major plot twist in any film, subtly leaving various hints for the viewer and only revealing their significance when the story requires it. In less-masterly hands, the twist becomes completely obvious from the outset, the director's intentions as invisible as an elephant tramping through the city. However, those with a thorough understanding of the filmic medium can pull the wool straight over our eyes. Once the twist has been revealed and we understand our oversight, we do feel a little foolish, but there's little resentment at having been led astray: we accept that we have been fooled by an expert. Now imagine a film that manages to accomplish this feat – not one, not two – but three times! {come to think of it, there's probably more twists that I don't remember}. 'Sleuth (1972)' is an astoundingly-entertaining piece of film-making, a gripping cat-and-mouse game between two masters of deception, Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) and Milo Tindle (Michael Caine).'Sleuth' was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz {his last directorial effort} and adapted by British playwright Anthony Shaffer from his own successful 1970 play. The plot centres on a wealthy author of detective novels, Andrew Wyke, who invites his wife's lover, Milo Tindle, to his mansion in a twisted bid to test and humiliate him. An enthusiastic player of games, Wyke delights in coercing Tindle into a position of trust, before threatening him with a loaded gun and forcing him to face his imminent death. This, of course, is not the end of the story, and a thoroughly-shaken Tindle, despite his contempt for Wyke's childish and dangerous pastimes, cooks up an unforgettable plan of revenge that'll leaving his adversary forever regretting the day he targeted a half-Italian hairdresser. The story is an enigma that even the great St. John Lord Merrydew would have loved: murder, betrayal, robbery, jewels, explosives, guns, clues and even a clown costume play a pivotal role in the plot, and the film crams so much mystery and intrigue into 140 minutes that you'll be yearning for even more.The film remains extremely true to its stage roots, with most of the film unfolding within the walls of Wyke's home, and the two main players being the only people we glimpse on screen {despite an abundance of fictional cast members thrown in to deceive even the sharpest minds}. Both actors perform brilliantly in their roles, the personalities of their respective characters fluctuating violently as the tables are turned again and again. Both were deservedly nominated for an Academy Award, making it the first of only two occasions in which a film's entire cast has received nominations {the second was for the 1975 film 'Give 'em Hell, Harry!,' starring only James Whitmore}. In 2007, Kenneth Branagh directed a much-awaited remake, starring Michael Caine as Wyke and Jude Law as Tindle. I don't know if I can expect anything as brilliant as Mankiewicz's version, but I certainly am interested in seeing it.Anthony Shaffer truly does pile one twist on top of another, and I stupefied at his ability to fool me time after time. The most memorable revelation in the film is undoubtedly the identity of Inspector Doppler. Though the credits would have us believe that he is played by Alec Cawthorne, he is, in fact, Milo Tindle in disguise, much to Wyke's surprise. I'd like to say that I had this plot-point pegged from the moment of Doppler's arrival, but that wouldn't be entirely true, since I certainly had my great doubts. At first I was certain that the Inspector's voice belonged to Michael Caine (whose accent is quite distinctive), but then I felt completely baffled as to how this was even possible, since we had just witnessed his character's murder. How was the writer going to worm himself out of this one? After a few minutes, I had completely abandoned any notions of this man being Milo Tindle, though I still could have sworn that I discerned Caine underneath that make-up. Could he simply have been playing a different character, making the film a sort of two-person stage-show? Better yet, when the revelation finally did come, I found Shaffer's solution to be brilliant, flawless, completely watertight. Bravo!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-95

ur10334028

title: "There's nothing like a little bit of mayhem to cheer one up." review: It takes a rather talented filmmaker to engineer a major plot twist in any film, subtly leaving various hints for the viewer and only revealing their significance when the story requires it. In less-masterly hands, the twist becomes completely obvious from the outset, the director's intentions as invisible as an elephant tramping through the city. However, those with a thorough understanding of the filmic medium can pull the wool straight over our eyes. Once the twist has been revealed and we understand our oversight, we do feel a little foolish, but there's little resentment at having been led astray: we accept that we have been fooled by an expert. Now imagine a film that manages to accomplish this feat – not one, not two – but three times! {come to think of it, there's probably more twists that I don't remember}. 'Sleuth (1972)' is an astoundingly-entertaining piece of film-making, a gripping cat-and-mouse game between two masters of deception, Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) and Milo Tindle (Michael Caine).'Sleuth' was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz {his last directorial effort} and adapted by British playwright Anthony Shaffer from his own successful 1970 play. The plot centres on a wealthy author of detective novels, Andrew Wyke, who invites his wife's lover, Milo Tindle, to his mansion in a twisted bid to test and humiliate him. An enthusiastic player of games, Wyke delights in coercing Tindle into a position of trust, before threatening him with a loaded gun and forcing him to face his imminent death. This, of course, is not the end of the story, and a thoroughly-shaken Tindle, despite his contempt for Wyke's childish and dangerous pastimes, cooks up an unforgettable plan of revenge that'll leaving his adversary forever regretting the day he targeted a half-Italian hairdresser. The story is an enigma that even the great St. John Lord Merrydew would have loved: murder, betrayal, robbery, jewels, explosives, guns, clues and even a clown costume play a pivotal role in the plot, and the film crams so much mystery and intrigue into 140 minutes that you'll be yearning for even more.The film remains extremely true to its stage roots, with most of the film unfolding within the walls of Wyke's home, and the two main players being the only people we glimpse on screen {despite an abundance of fictional cast members thrown in to deceive even the sharpest minds}. Both actors perform brilliantly in their roles, the personalities of their respective characters fluctuating violently as the tables are turned again and again. Both were deservedly nominated for an Academy Award, making it the first of only two occasions in which a film's entire cast has received nominations {the second was for the 1975 film 'Give 'em Hell, Harry!,' starring only James Whitmore}. In 2007, Kenneth Branagh directed a much-awaited remake, starring Michael Caine as Wyke and Jude Law as Tindle. I don't know if I can expect anything as brilliant as Mankiewicz's version, but I certainly am interested in seeing it.Anthony Shaffer truly does pile one twist on top of another, and I stupefied at his ability to fool me time after time. The most memorable revelation in the film is undoubtedly the identity of Inspector Doppler. Though the credits would have us believe that he is played by Alec Cawthorne, he is, in fact, Milo Tindle in disguise, much to Wyke's surprise. I'd like to say that I had this plot-point pegged from the moment of Doppler's arrival, but that wouldn't be entirely true, since I certainly had my great doubts. At first I was certain that the Inspector's voice belonged to Michael Caine (whose accent is quite distinctive), but then I felt completely baffled as to how this was even possible, since we had just witnessed his character's murder. How was the writer going to worm himself out of this one? After a few minutes, I had completely abandoned any notions of this man being Milo Tindle, though I still could have sworn that I discerned Caine underneath that make-up. Could he simply have been playing a different character, making the film a sort of two-person stage-show? Better yet, when the revelation finally did come, I found Shaffer's solution to be brilliant, flawless, completely watertight. Bravo!

Possibly the most annoying movie of all time.

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How much of the average American population would be entertained by watching two dull, lifeless middle-aged men play a chess game for 2 hours and 18 minutes? I can pretty much assure that number is pretty small. I personally love to play chess, but if you were to force me to sit and watch people do it, I'd feel like committing suicide after the first thirty minutes. That's about how I felt watching Sleuth. The entire movie is absolutely nothing but two men playing a dull game from the opening to the closing. There camera never leaves the house for the entire runtime. The most diversity in the entire movie is some minor clothing changes and some facial expressions. The entire movie is straight-up dialogue and nothing else. The entire movie is two long, dull scenes, with one scene change near the middle. If you have less of an attention span than the average person with Down syndrome, you'll be bored to the point of nausea long before the 30-minute mark. There is about as much entertainment value in Sleuth as there is in watching a tree stump rot, and that may even be an overstatement, because at least doing that you can use your own imagination. Here, the most imagination you get is two men, four walls, and an insane amount of bland conversation. If that describes what you consider an entertaining movie, Sleuth will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.People would argue that the conversation scenes I reference carry the "clever plotting". In other words, the conversation scenes carry a cute, predictably plot-twisted story revolving around all the clichés that we've seen since the camera was invented. There is nothing clever about the plot. Sure it has a couple twists that will make you shed an "Awe, that was cute!" smile, but they're the same plot twists you've seen countless times. This is a clichéd murder story, folks. It's not some hyper-original idea. If you saw a single Sherlock Holmes episode as a kid, you've seen everything this movie has to offer. If the plot were truly clever or creative, it would do something new or different.The other problem with the plot—if you even call it a plot; I don't—is that it's so predictable. No, you may not have any lead-ons as to who-killed-who or who's-dead-who's-not, but does it really matter? The outcome is always the same. You're always told the answer, and there's always only two options. It's the most basic immature plot line known to man. I've seen cartoons that put this plot to thumb-sucking shame. Who really cares anymore? I overuse the metaphor in my reviews, but a movie this unoriginal is like a joke you heard in kindergarten and then someone tries to make you laugh at that joke when you're 80-years-old. It's ineffective. It's pointless. Even if you force a laugh, you still feel annoyed.I understand this movie was made in the 70s. People will defend it by saying, "There was nothing like it when it came out!" and they're dead wrong. All their doing is defending their deep sense of nostalgia. In reality, this movie was just as unoriginal in 1972 as it is in 2009. And do you know what's sadder? Movies just like it are still being made, and they're still getting acclaim. It makes me sick. We don't need another paper-thing whodunit murder mystery with the same predictable results. What the mystery genre needs is maturity. Instead of pumping out more kindergarten level plot line movies like this, why not actually think of an, you know, actual STORY to support the mystery. That's something directors/writers obviously didn't get back in the 70s, and it's something they still don't get today. Instead of focusing on plots, why not focus on STORY? Overall, Sleuth is a complete waste of time. It has a couple of intelligent high-brow lines, but I could get those from my dying grandfather. Why do I have to watch a pointless movie to hear them? And, similarly, I could get the same predictable level of mystery of watching this movie from playing the Clue board game—alone. Why do I have to watch a pointless movie to do so? The more I think about it, I cannot find a single redeeming value in Sleuth whatsoever. It's long, boring, dull, pointless, lame, slow, uninteresting, paper-thin, predictable, annoying, pathetic . . .And most of all, Sleuth is exactly the same story you've seen hundreds of times, yet it expects you to be enthralled. Now THAT is a clever joke.0/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-110

ur19835265

title: Possibly the most annoying movie of all time. review: How much of the average American population would be entertained by watching two dull, lifeless middle-aged men play a chess game for 2 hours and 18 minutes? I can pretty much assure that number is pretty small. I personally love to play chess, but if you were to force me to sit and watch people do it, I'd feel like committing suicide after the first thirty minutes. That's about how I felt watching Sleuth. The entire movie is absolutely nothing but two men playing a dull game from the opening to the closing. There camera never leaves the house for the entire runtime. The most diversity in the entire movie is some minor clothing changes and some facial expressions. The entire movie is straight-up dialogue and nothing else. The entire movie is two long, dull scenes, with one scene change near the middle. If you have less of an attention span than the average person with Down syndrome, you'll be bored to the point of nausea long before the 30-minute mark. There is about as much entertainment value in Sleuth as there is in watching a tree stump rot, and that may even be an overstatement, because at least doing that you can use your own imagination. Here, the most imagination you get is two men, four walls, and an insane amount of bland conversation. If that describes what you consider an entertaining movie, Sleuth will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.People would argue that the conversation scenes I reference carry the "clever plotting". In other words, the conversation scenes carry a cute, predictably plot-twisted story revolving around all the clichés that we've seen since the camera was invented. There is nothing clever about the plot. Sure it has a couple twists that will make you shed an "Awe, that was cute!" smile, but they're the same plot twists you've seen countless times. This is a clichéd murder story, folks. It's not some hyper-original idea. If you saw a single Sherlock Holmes episode as a kid, you've seen everything this movie has to offer. If the plot were truly clever or creative, it would do something new or different.The other problem with the plot—if you even call it a plot; I don't—is that it's so predictable. No, you may not have any lead-ons as to who-killed-who or who's-dead-who's-not, but does it really matter? The outcome is always the same. You're always told the answer, and there's always only two options. It's the most basic immature plot line known to man. I've seen cartoons that put this plot to thumb-sucking shame. Who really cares anymore? I overuse the metaphor in my reviews, but a movie this unoriginal is like a joke you heard in kindergarten and then someone tries to make you laugh at that joke when you're 80-years-old. It's ineffective. It's pointless. Even if you force a laugh, you still feel annoyed.I understand this movie was made in the 70s. People will defend it by saying, "There was nothing like it when it came out!" and they're dead wrong. All their doing is defending their deep sense of nostalgia. In reality, this movie was just as unoriginal in 1972 as it is in 2009. And do you know what's sadder? Movies just like it are still being made, and they're still getting acclaim. It makes me sick. We don't need another paper-thing whodunit murder mystery with the same predictable results. What the mystery genre needs is maturity. Instead of pumping out more kindergarten level plot line movies like this, why not actually think of an, you know, actual STORY to support the mystery. That's something directors/writers obviously didn't get back in the 70s, and it's something they still don't get today. Instead of focusing on plots, why not focus on STORY? Overall, Sleuth is a complete waste of time. It has a couple of intelligent high-brow lines, but I could get those from my dying grandfather. Why do I have to watch a pointless movie to hear them? And, similarly, I could get the same predictable level of mystery of watching this movie from playing the Clue board game—alone. Why do I have to watch a pointless movie to do so? The more I think about it, I cannot find a single redeeming value in Sleuth whatsoever. It's long, boring, dull, pointless, lame, slow, uninteresting, paper-thin, predictable, annoying, pathetic . . .And most of all, Sleuth is exactly the same story you've seen hundreds of times, yet it expects you to be enthralled. Now THAT is a clever joke.0/10

A mysterious game...

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"Sleuth" is a mystery movie in which we watch a man who invites his wife's lover to his house. There he sets up many kinds of games as he is a fan of games and a lover of films. Although these games are a bit different than usual and everyone has to be very careful with these because otherwise can have bad results.When I saw this movie I did not really have much expectations from this movie but I have to say that this movie surprised me in a good way. I liked this movie because of the plot which I believe it was very good and had many swifts. That was something that kept me in tense in the whole film. I also have to say that the interpretation of Michael Caine who played as Milo Tindle was really good and equally good was the interpretation of Laurence Olivier who played as Andrew Wyke.Finally I believe that "Sleuth" is a really different movie than those movies that everyone has watched because it combines very well mystery with thriller and these two with plenty of swifts. That's something that makes this movie special and unique, that was the most important reason why I liked this movie and also because I could not imagine or expect what will happen next.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-150

ur33907744

title: A mysterious game... review: "Sleuth" is a mystery movie in which we watch a man who invites his wife's lover to his house. There he sets up many kinds of games as he is a fan of games and a lover of films. Although these games are a bit different than usual and everyone has to be very careful with these because otherwise can have bad results.When I saw this movie I did not really have much expectations from this movie but I have to say that this movie surprised me in a good way. I liked this movie because of the plot which I believe it was very good and had many swifts. That was something that kept me in tense in the whole film. I also have to say that the interpretation of Michael Caine who played as Milo Tindle was really good and equally good was the interpretation of Laurence Olivier who played as Andrew Wyke.Finally I believe that "Sleuth" is a really different movie than those movies that everyone has watched because it combines very well mystery with thriller and these two with plenty of swifts. That's something that makes this movie special and unique, that was the most important reason why I liked this movie and also because I could not imagine or expect what will happen next.

A Cinematic Masterpiece!

tt0069281

An adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Sleuth by British playwright Anthony Shaffer, 'Sleuth' is A Cinematic Masterpiece! Taut Direction, Razor-Sharp Writing & Mastertul Performances, make 'Sleuth' a complete knock-out.'Sleuth' Synopsis: A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.'Sleuth' is an astoundingly arresting film, that left me spell-bound, by its cheer grip & intensity. The screenplay adapted by Shaffer himself, is Razor-Sharp. A Tale of Puzzles Between Two Very Twisted Men unfolds with Magnificent Writing & Proper Detailing. There is hardly a moment when the film dips. Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Direction is Taut & Unpredictable, like the story itself. Cinematography is tight. Editing is very good.Performance-Wise: Lord Laurence Olivier & Sir Michael Caine deliver MASTERFUL Performances. Both of the Legendary Actors deliver performances that make this puzzle of a film, even more fierce & captivating. They mesmerize from start to end! On the whole, 'Sleuth' is A Masterpiece! Do NOT Miss It!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-131

ur8503729

title: A Cinematic Masterpiece! review: An adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Sleuth by British playwright Anthony Shaffer, 'Sleuth' is A Cinematic Masterpiece! Taut Direction, Razor-Sharp Writing & Mastertul Performances, make 'Sleuth' a complete knock-out.'Sleuth' Synopsis: A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.'Sleuth' is an astoundingly arresting film, that left me spell-bound, by its cheer grip & intensity. The screenplay adapted by Shaffer himself, is Razor-Sharp. A Tale of Puzzles Between Two Very Twisted Men unfolds with Magnificent Writing & Proper Detailing. There is hardly a moment when the film dips. Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Direction is Taut & Unpredictable, like the story itself. Cinematography is tight. Editing is very good.Performance-Wise: Lord Laurence Olivier & Sir Michael Caine deliver MASTERFUL Performances. Both of the Legendary Actors deliver performances that make this puzzle of a film, even more fierce & captivating. They mesmerize from start to end! On the whole, 'Sleuth' is A Masterpiece! Do NOT Miss It!

A Top-Notch Role for Michael Caine

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A man who loves games and theater (Larry Olivier) invites his wife's lover (Michael Caine) to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.As far as detective stories go, this may be the best ever put to film. And the cast is incredible. With all due respect to Olivier, Michael Caine steals the show and gives a performance unlike we have ever seen from him. Although he is never a bad actor, it is rare that he excels on quite this level.Although not the primary plot, class conflict is also raised between Wyke, the long-established English country gentleman, compared to Tindle, the son of an Italian immigrant from the working-class streets of London. This is an interesting subplot, because it makes one wonder: is Wyke upset that his wife is having an affair, or more upset that she is with someone he sees as beneath her?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-149

ur1234929

title: A Top-Notch Role for Michael Caine review: A man who loves games and theater (Larry Olivier) invites his wife's lover (Michael Caine) to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.As far as detective stories go, this may be the best ever put to film. And the cast is incredible. With all due respect to Olivier, Michael Caine steals the show and gives a performance unlike we have ever seen from him. Although he is never a bad actor, it is rare that he excels on quite this level.Although not the primary plot, class conflict is also raised between Wyke, the long-established English country gentleman, compared to Tindle, the son of an Italian immigrant from the working-class streets of London. This is an interesting subplot, because it makes one wonder: is Wyke upset that his wife is having an affair, or more upset that she is with someone he sees as beneath her?

Games without frontiers

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Another film I remember enjoying in my youth, I watched this TV re-run with a little trepidation, conscious that it may seem stagy and hammy in its execution. Well, yes, of course Olivier and Caine lord it up royally and work at times as if they're projecting to the back seats, but this is still an enjoyable entertainment, all the more so when you realise your attention has been held throughout by just two actors.The film does seem to fall into three acts a la the original play, but the great director Mankiewicz does just about enough to open out the action by introducing us to the characters in Olivier's garden (at the end of a tortuous maze) and then making his house seem larger than life, with a massive living area, cellar and upstairs rooms, linked moreover by the imposing (and significant to the plot) staircase.I won't attempt to précis the plot, the whole thing is preposterous and could only occur in a thriller novel or play, which of course playwright Schaffer is well aware of. Underlying the complicated plotting is a critique of class snobbery, manners and eccentricity, but the whole is mainly a splendid homage to the old-fashioned ingenious mystery novels of the likes of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, GK Chesterton and others from that particular Golden Era of British upper-middle class society novelists.Although only two living characters are actually engaged here, the director time and again inserts images of the almost-lifelike automata with which Olivier weirdly populates his country pile to add to the strangeness and unreality of the unusual drama played out here. The house itself evokes a cross between some massive Gothic dolls-house and the house used in the popular "Cluedo" game, the overall effect being to highlight the artificiality and dehumanisation of the events depicted.The acting is, of necessity, played at a very high pitch and can seem camp at times, although this, certainly on Olivier's side, may have been deliberate. Caine is at least the equal of the celebrated Lord, but then again, cinema is the former's forte, so perhaps the main kudos should go to Olivier, much more a theatrical than cinematic performer (although a more theatrical piece you could hardly witness).There's just enough exposition delivered on the way to the conclusion by the characters to bind all the loose ends together before the curtain falls at the denouement and no-one will feel short-changed by that time. By the way, Caine was to later take on a similar two-hander on an almost identical theme, only with him in the "Olivier" part in "Deathtrap" (the late Christopher Reeve played the junior role in that movie), which I have it in mind to re-watch again very soon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-117

ur15298231

title: Games without frontiers review: Another film I remember enjoying in my youth, I watched this TV re-run with a little trepidation, conscious that it may seem stagy and hammy in its execution. Well, yes, of course Olivier and Caine lord it up royally and work at times as if they're projecting to the back seats, but this is still an enjoyable entertainment, all the more so when you realise your attention has been held throughout by just two actors.The film does seem to fall into three acts a la the original play, but the great director Mankiewicz does just about enough to open out the action by introducing us to the characters in Olivier's garden (at the end of a tortuous maze) and then making his house seem larger than life, with a massive living area, cellar and upstairs rooms, linked moreover by the imposing (and significant to the plot) staircase.I won't attempt to précis the plot, the whole thing is preposterous and could only occur in a thriller novel or play, which of course playwright Schaffer is well aware of. Underlying the complicated plotting is a critique of class snobbery, manners and eccentricity, but the whole is mainly a splendid homage to the old-fashioned ingenious mystery novels of the likes of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, GK Chesterton and others from that particular Golden Era of British upper-middle class society novelists.Although only two living characters are actually engaged here, the director time and again inserts images of the almost-lifelike automata with which Olivier weirdly populates his country pile to add to the strangeness and unreality of the unusual drama played out here. The house itself evokes a cross between some massive Gothic dolls-house and the house used in the popular "Cluedo" game, the overall effect being to highlight the artificiality and dehumanisation of the events depicted.The acting is, of necessity, played at a very high pitch and can seem camp at times, although this, certainly on Olivier's side, may have been deliberate. Caine is at least the equal of the celebrated Lord, but then again, cinema is the former's forte, so perhaps the main kudos should go to Olivier, much more a theatrical than cinematic performer (although a more theatrical piece you could hardly witness).There's just enough exposition delivered on the way to the conclusion by the characters to bind all the loose ends together before the curtain falls at the denouement and no-one will feel short-changed by that time. By the way, Caine was to later take on a similar two-hander on an almost identical theme, only with him in the "Olivier" part in "Deathtrap" (the late Christopher Reeve played the junior role in that movie), which I have it in mind to re-watch again very soon.

Sprints Vs. Long Distances

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Mystery novelist Andrew Wyke invites his wife's lover and nouveau riche hairstylist Milo Tindle over for a little game, for you see Wyke plays games incessantly and everything and everyone is a source or possible source of amusement to him. Suffice it to say the rest of the plot involves some of the most original, wittiest writing to support a series of games between these two very different yet so very similar men. Anthony Shaffer's play is outstanding and has perhaps some of the best dialog for a play of this type. The wit rolls off of Olivier's and Caine's tongues with gusto and humorous vitriol. Director Joe Mankiewicz does a super job directing these two giant talents and the sets and props are first-rate. In fact Wyke's entire house is really a character in and of itself. But make no mistake here, this is Olivier's and Caine's show. They are the hands that make the clock move. Each is excellent in his own way. Caine shows a very convincing range of feelings and shows his great versatility. Olivier is mesmerizing and utters each line with absolute conviction and full of pith, charm, and innuendo. Olivier's character would not or could not be effective had Olivier played it any other way. He should have won the Oscar that year for Best Actor! Anyway, Sleuth is a first-rate vehicle to see two excellent stage performers work their craft for a film that really plays like a play - for the most part.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-96

ur0166205

title: Sprints Vs. Long Distances review: Mystery novelist Andrew Wyke invites his wife's lover and nouveau riche hairstylist Milo Tindle over for a little game, for you see Wyke plays games incessantly and everything and everyone is a source or possible source of amusement to him. Suffice it to say the rest of the plot involves some of the most original, wittiest writing to support a series of games between these two very different yet so very similar men. Anthony Shaffer's play is outstanding and has perhaps some of the best dialog for a play of this type. The wit rolls off of Olivier's and Caine's tongues with gusto and humorous vitriol. Director Joe Mankiewicz does a super job directing these two giant talents and the sets and props are first-rate. In fact Wyke's entire house is really a character in and of itself. But make no mistake here, this is Olivier's and Caine's show. They are the hands that make the clock move. Each is excellent in his own way. Caine shows a very convincing range of feelings and shows his great versatility. Olivier is mesmerizing and utters each line with absolute conviction and full of pith, charm, and innuendo. Olivier's character would not or could not be effective had Olivier played it any other way. He should have won the Oscar that year for Best Actor! Anyway, Sleuth is a first-rate vehicle to see two excellent stage performers work their craft for a film that really plays like a play - for the most part.

A mystery like they used to make them

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Things have changed quite a bit since the beginnings of Mystery Fiction. As things evolve, like technology and the way things are done, so have these kind of stories. Of course, some things never seem to change. Many aspects of the Mystery genre remain intact today. One thing that has to be considered is the quality of modern Mystery stories. These days most people seem to want their entertainment to be easy. Nothing wrong with two hours of pure entertainment. However, there is and always will be a place for entertainment with substance. 'Sleuth,' based on the play of the same name, is not an example of mindless, escapist entertainment. Yes it is fun, but instead of turning your brain off it should be left on.Pros: First rate performances by the two leads. Engrossing story. Sharply written. Beautifully photographed. Grand production design. Nicely scored. Often funny. Steady pace. Full of good twists and turns to keep you on edge.Cons: May have to suspend disbelief a little.Final thoughts: This is no ordinary, cookie cutter Thriller here folks. Sadly, there are too many of those being made these days. No, this is a delicious 2+ hours of suspenseful mayhem like they don't really make anymore.My rating: 5/5

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-129

ur4597795

title: A mystery like they used to make them review: Things have changed quite a bit since the beginnings of Mystery Fiction. As things evolve, like technology and the way things are done, so have these kind of stories. Of course, some things never seem to change. Many aspects of the Mystery genre remain intact today. One thing that has to be considered is the quality of modern Mystery stories. These days most people seem to want their entertainment to be easy. Nothing wrong with two hours of pure entertainment. However, there is and always will be a place for entertainment with substance. 'Sleuth,' based on the play of the same name, is not an example of mindless, escapist entertainment. Yes it is fun, but instead of turning your brain off it should be left on.Pros: First rate performances by the two leads. Engrossing story. Sharply written. Beautifully photographed. Grand production design. Nicely scored. Often funny. Steady pace. Full of good twists and turns to keep you on edge.Cons: May have to suspend disbelief a little.Final thoughts: This is no ordinary, cookie cutter Thriller here folks. Sadly, there are too many of those being made these days. No, this is a delicious 2+ hours of suspenseful mayhem like they don't really make anymore.My rating: 5/5

I must say, rather good show, old chap

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I have never seen this play performed, though I would love to. This appears to be the first film directed by Mankiewicz that I watch, and I certainly don't intend to allow it to be the last. The author of the play and the script alike, however, I have taken in one other work by(Frenzy), and I am quite interested in adding more. You can tell that this was based on something for the stage; apart from how theatrical it is, the set is elaborate and gorgeously done, the amount of locations used is minimal, and the focus lies entirely on the amazing and incredibly well-delivered dialog(with some wordplay), the impeccably written, extremely thoroughly developed and credible characters, and the flawless, impossibly strong acting performances that bring them to life. The framing and cinematography are excellent. This has an absolutely brilliant plot, with astonishing and completely convincing twists(you can't figure out exactly what will happen). I refuse to give away what this is about; personally, I(intentionally) came into it blind, and I implore you, for the sake of your full enjoyment of the piece, do what you can to do the same. This is unbelievably suspenseful and exciting, and the subtlety is effective. Nothing is excessive, with perhaps one exception; the music is dramatic, and at times, arguably too much so. The pacing is best described as deliberate; this doesn't move slowly, but it doesn't feel the need to constantly pummel the audience, and it is all the better for it. This has a running time of two hours and ten minutes, and there isn't a boring moment to be found, or one that isn't important, or even one that isn't loaded with the underlying thick tension. The humor is marvelous. This does require you to know a bit about the British, and there is slang in the movie. There are a couple of mature themes, a little mild language and brief disturbing content in this. In general, it's not made for children. I recommend this to every fan of psychological thrillers, and would say that this is one of the greatest within said sub-genre. 10/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/reviews-120

ur2093818

title: I must say, rather good show, old chap review: I have never seen this play performed, though I would love to. This appears to be the first film directed by Mankiewicz that I watch, and I certainly don't intend to allow it to be the last. The author of the play and the script alike, however, I have taken in one other work by(Frenzy), and I am quite interested in adding more. You can tell that this was based on something for the stage; apart from how theatrical it is, the set is elaborate and gorgeously done, the amount of locations used is minimal, and the focus lies entirely on the amazing and incredibly well-delivered dialog(with some wordplay), the impeccably written, extremely thoroughly developed and credible characters, and the flawless, impossibly strong acting performances that bring them to life. The framing and cinematography are excellent. This has an absolutely brilliant plot, with astonishing and completely convincing twists(you can't figure out exactly what will happen). I refuse to give away what this is about; personally, I(intentionally) came into it blind, and I implore you, for the sake of your full enjoyment of the piece, do what you can to do the same. This is unbelievably suspenseful and exciting, and the subtlety is effective. Nothing is excessive, with perhaps one exception; the music is dramatic, and at times, arguably too much so. The pacing is best described as deliberate; this doesn't move slowly, but it doesn't feel the need to constantly pummel the audience, and it is all the better for it. This has a running time of two hours and ten minutes, and there isn't a boring moment to be found, or one that isn't important, or even one that isn't loaded with the underlying thick tension. The humor is marvelous. This does require you to know a bit about the British, and there is slang in the movie. There are a couple of mature themes, a little mild language and brief disturbing content in this. In general, it's not made for children. I recommend this to every fan of psychological thrillers, and would say that this is one of the greatest within said sub-genre. 10/10

A book with plenty of tricks up its sleeve

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Silver Linings Playbook, by David O. Russell, is one of those movies with a protagonist whom you fervently wish can overcome his demons but whose methods and goals you cannot easily reconcile. The movie is witty, foul-mouthed, very poignant, elegant, and, of course, odd.Pat (Bradley Cooper, playing way against type) has just been released from an eight-month mental-health-facility. His doctors are reluctant, but his mother (Jacki Weaver) insists he's better and that the place is, well, no place for him. She brings Pat back home to live with her and Pat's father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro), hoping that after eight months Pat will be able to get his life back in order once again.Pat, though, has other plans. He had been committed to the hospital because he violently beat a fellow teacher whom he had caught in the shower with his wife. Okay, so he snapped - he was lucky that hospital care was all he got. In any event, what he wants to do now is reconcile with his wife and resume his life. Sure, there's a restraining order, which is why he goes to the trouble of reading the books she teaches in her English class, anything to prove he's more mentally fit. Oh, during his stay he loses a lot of weight (apparently), something his then-wife had harped on. (Note: She sounds like a winner to me.)Things do not go as planned. For one thing, Pat never takes his medication (he's bipolar), which leads to the occasional angry outburst; the song that had been played at his wedding and was played while his wife took her infamous shower is now a trigger for more violent behavior, even when he doesn't hear it. He wants badly to make amends, but he's aiming in the wrong direction, as his ex shows no signs of wishing to see him again.To help him along, friends Ronnie and Veronica ask Pat over to dinner, and they invite Veronica's iconoclastic sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has social skills that are below even Pat's. The dinner isn't exactly a disaster, but Tiffany leaves abruptly and has Pat walk her home. A kindred friendship is born.Although the reason for Tiffany's behavior is somewhat important to the plot, I won't mention it here, but somehow she sees something in Pat, something honest, someone she can relate to. Meanwhile, Pat Sr., a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, considers his son to be a lucky charm and practically begs Pat to stay and watch the game with him on Sundays. Pat Sr. desperately wishes to reconnect with his son (there's a recurring theme), but Pat is ambivalent. To cope with his own emotions, he jogs. A lot.The emotional tug of war, punctuated by the Pat's own inability to control himself (still no meds for him) begins to ebb a little when Tiffany makes him a deal: she'll do something for him (not spoiling) and in exchange he will be her dance partner. You see, Tiffany studies dance as a way to cope with her demons, and there's a gala competition coming up - but one cannot compete without a partner, and she has nobody. Even her parents are wary of her. So that's the deal.So on the one hand you have Pat Sr. believing his son is a lucky charm and wanting to spend more time with him anyway, and on the other hand you have Tiffany, who offers to help Pat achieve his overall goal if he'll help her. There's a lot of bickering back and forth among everyone; that is, when there's no jogging involved (note: there's plenty).Okay, enough about the plot; I'll stop before I do give something away. Let's look at the performances. Cooper is exceptional. We've seen him be kind of a jerk in The Hangover and a ladies' man in The A Team, and here he is as a completely conflicted man who desperately wishes to reach a goal for which he's striven for eight months. His is a raw, laid-bare performance. Lawrence is truly stunning as the somewhat-unstable Tiffany. She's passionate, angry, caring, bitter, sweet, and she possesses even more charisma than she did in The Hunger Games or Winter's Bone. Her jaw- dropping work here is very much deserving of award recognition; Tiffany can be brutal and brittle and still completely endearing. It's the best work Lawrence has done in her short but strong career.Surprisingly to me, though, the standout in this cast is DeNiro. Now, DeNiro has been sort of phoning it in for a few years now, with the exception (perhaps) of movies like Limitless and Stardust. But here he really shines; it's possibly his best work since at least the 1990s. I've seen tough guys on camera get emotional, and often it just doesn't work. They can't sell it. There's a rare breed of actor who can do the macho angle and the sensitive angle and do it justice, and DeNiro, particularly here, pulls it off. Pat Sr., himself an emotional fellow, is a man full of love and passion and a man who is not without some regrets on how he's raised his kids. DeNiro brings all of that out flawlessly.Silver Linings Playbook is not a lighthearted movie. It's compelling drama led by a cast composed of relative neophytes and grizzled veterans. It's quirky, just like its director, and it is a clear-cut winner. Here's the best thing I can say about the movie: It feels authentic. When someone is hurt, I feel bad for them; I don't feel that they're staging it. The script is original and idiosyncratic, and every morsel of every scene is one to cherish.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-111

ur0543054

title: A book with plenty of tricks up its sleeve review: Silver Linings Playbook, by David O. Russell, is one of those movies with a protagonist whom you fervently wish can overcome his demons but whose methods and goals you cannot easily reconcile. The movie is witty, foul-mouthed, very poignant, elegant, and, of course, odd.Pat (Bradley Cooper, playing way against type) has just been released from an eight-month mental-health-facility. His doctors are reluctant, but his mother (Jacki Weaver) insists he's better and that the place is, well, no place for him. She brings Pat back home to live with her and Pat's father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro), hoping that after eight months Pat will be able to get his life back in order once again.Pat, though, has other plans. He had been committed to the hospital because he violently beat a fellow teacher whom he had caught in the shower with his wife. Okay, so he snapped - he was lucky that hospital care was all he got. In any event, what he wants to do now is reconcile with his wife and resume his life. Sure, there's a restraining order, which is why he goes to the trouble of reading the books she teaches in her English class, anything to prove he's more mentally fit. Oh, during his stay he loses a lot of weight (apparently), something his then-wife had harped on. (Note: She sounds like a winner to me.)Things do not go as planned. For one thing, Pat never takes his medication (he's bipolar), which leads to the occasional angry outburst; the song that had been played at his wedding and was played while his wife took her infamous shower is now a trigger for more violent behavior, even when he doesn't hear it. He wants badly to make amends, but he's aiming in the wrong direction, as his ex shows no signs of wishing to see him again.To help him along, friends Ronnie and Veronica ask Pat over to dinner, and they invite Veronica's iconoclastic sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has social skills that are below even Pat's. The dinner isn't exactly a disaster, but Tiffany leaves abruptly and has Pat walk her home. A kindred friendship is born.Although the reason for Tiffany's behavior is somewhat important to the plot, I won't mention it here, but somehow she sees something in Pat, something honest, someone she can relate to. Meanwhile, Pat Sr., a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, considers his son to be a lucky charm and practically begs Pat to stay and watch the game with him on Sundays. Pat Sr. desperately wishes to reconnect with his son (there's a recurring theme), but Pat is ambivalent. To cope with his own emotions, he jogs. A lot.The emotional tug of war, punctuated by the Pat's own inability to control himself (still no meds for him) begins to ebb a little when Tiffany makes him a deal: she'll do something for him (not spoiling) and in exchange he will be her dance partner. You see, Tiffany studies dance as a way to cope with her demons, and there's a gala competition coming up - but one cannot compete without a partner, and she has nobody. Even her parents are wary of her. So that's the deal.So on the one hand you have Pat Sr. believing his son is a lucky charm and wanting to spend more time with him anyway, and on the other hand you have Tiffany, who offers to help Pat achieve his overall goal if he'll help her. There's a lot of bickering back and forth among everyone; that is, when there's no jogging involved (note: there's plenty).Okay, enough about the plot; I'll stop before I do give something away. Let's look at the performances. Cooper is exceptional. We've seen him be kind of a jerk in The Hangover and a ladies' man in The A Team, and here he is as a completely conflicted man who desperately wishes to reach a goal for which he's striven for eight months. His is a raw, laid-bare performance. Lawrence is truly stunning as the somewhat-unstable Tiffany. She's passionate, angry, caring, bitter, sweet, and she possesses even more charisma than she did in The Hunger Games or Winter's Bone. Her jaw- dropping work here is very much deserving of award recognition; Tiffany can be brutal and brittle and still completely endearing. It's the best work Lawrence has done in her short but strong career.Surprisingly to me, though, the standout in this cast is DeNiro. Now, DeNiro has been sort of phoning it in for a few years now, with the exception (perhaps) of movies like Limitless and Stardust. But here he really shines; it's possibly his best work since at least the 1990s. I've seen tough guys on camera get emotional, and often it just doesn't work. They can't sell it. There's a rare breed of actor who can do the macho angle and the sensitive angle and do it justice, and DeNiro, particularly here, pulls it off. Pat Sr., himself an emotional fellow, is a man full of love and passion and a man who is not without some regrets on how he's raised his kids. DeNiro brings all of that out flawlessly.Silver Linings Playbook is not a lighthearted movie. It's compelling drama led by a cast composed of relative neophytes and grizzled veterans. It's quirky, just like its director, and it is a clear-cut winner. Here's the best thing I can say about the movie: It feels authentic. When someone is hurt, I feel bad for them; I don't feel that they're staging it. The script is original and idiosyncratic, and every morsel of every scene is one to cherish.

Don't Totally Buy the Happy Ending, But That Doesn't Mean I Don't Like It

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Much of the talk swirling around "Silver Linings Playbook" has centered on Jennifer Lawrence and her feisty performance, but Bradley Cooper is the one who impressed me. Nothing I've yet seen Cooper in prepared me for how good an actor he can be given the right direction and material.The direction and material in this case is supplied by David O. Russell, who has made one movie I outright love ("I Heart Huckabees") and a few others ("Three Kings", "The Fighter") that have been almost as good. I'm not sure I'd class "Silver Linings Playbook" at quite the same level, but it's pretty darn good. Cooper, who dominates the film and is in nearly every single scene, plays a troubled man recently released from an institution and determined to get well. Lawrence is an agitated young woman who's got all sorts of issues of her own, and we wait to see if this odd couple is going to end up together at the movie's end. Russell is not a conventional filmmaker, so a happy ending, or at least a conventional one, is not necessarily guaranteed, and I guess the fact that the film ends by resolving everything a little too neatly after giving us such a serious, unrelentingly grim first half is by biggest quibble with it. Still, it's nice to think a story like the one portrayed here could end the way this one does, even if I don't really believe it would.Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver play Cooper's mom and dad, and in a few scenes, Russell is able to brilliantly convey the family dynamic that led to Cooper's issues in the first place.Grade: A-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-51

ur4532636

title: Don't Totally Buy the Happy Ending, But That Doesn't Mean I Don't Like It review: Much of the talk swirling around "Silver Linings Playbook" has centered on Jennifer Lawrence and her feisty performance, but Bradley Cooper is the one who impressed me. Nothing I've yet seen Cooper in prepared me for how good an actor he can be given the right direction and material.The direction and material in this case is supplied by David O. Russell, who has made one movie I outright love ("I Heart Huckabees") and a few others ("Three Kings", "The Fighter") that have been almost as good. I'm not sure I'd class "Silver Linings Playbook" at quite the same level, but it's pretty darn good. Cooper, who dominates the film and is in nearly every single scene, plays a troubled man recently released from an institution and determined to get well. Lawrence is an agitated young woman who's got all sorts of issues of her own, and we wait to see if this odd couple is going to end up together at the movie's end. Russell is not a conventional filmmaker, so a happy ending, or at least a conventional one, is not necessarily guaranteed, and I guess the fact that the film ends by resolving everything a little too neatly after giving us such a serious, unrelentingly grim first half is by biggest quibble with it. Still, it's nice to think a story like the one portrayed here could end the way this one does, even if I don't really believe it would.Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver play Cooper's mom and dad, and in a few scenes, Russell is able to brilliantly convey the family dynamic that led to Cooper's issues in the first place.Grade: A-

Typical Hollywood cliché

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I give this movie a generous 7/10 only because it handled the issue of bi- polar disorder quite well and the performances were solid. However, other than that, this movie was nothing special.Typical Hollywood cliché. Predictable all the way through, relatively uninteresting script, extremely cliché finale. SLP had heaps of potential. It was good, but could have been MUCH better!I feel I might be pessimistic, but the run at the Oscars this year with the Best Picture Nominees has been disappointing, with not a single film giving me that amazing special feeling I have gotten in the past. Only Amour and Zero Dark Thirty await my viewing. I hope they're better than the average quality of film presented in the past year.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-181

ur16666241

title: Typical Hollywood cliché review: I give this movie a generous 7/10 only because it handled the issue of bi- polar disorder quite well and the performances were solid. However, other than that, this movie was nothing special.Typical Hollywood cliché. Predictable all the way through, relatively uninteresting script, extremely cliché finale. SLP had heaps of potential. It was good, but could have been MUCH better!I feel I might be pessimistic, but the run at the Oscars this year with the Best Picture Nominees has been disappointing, with not a single film giving me that amazing special feeling I have gotten in the past. Only Amour and Zero Dark Thirty await my viewing. I hope they're better than the average quality of film presented in the past year.

who thinks this was good? Not me

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After finally watching this over hyped film, I don't get why people think it is really good. I thought it was barely watchable because it was so boring. I don't get all the award nomination nor how Jennifer Lawerence could win an Oscar for this role. There was nothing outstanding about her character, Tiffany, to warrant a stand out role. And the worst part was the lack of chemistry between Bradly Cooper and Jennifer Lawerence. First he looks 20 years older than her, and why would a depressed widow want to hook up with a bipolar manic who has melt downs. Simple, it wouldn't happen.The movie is about released mental patient, Pat, goes home and is obsessed with his estranged wife. He has mental break downs and meats Tiffany whom knows his wife. He agrees to be in a dance contest with her if she will give the wife a letter. And that's the story. Nothing much happens.FINAL VERDICT: A big waste of time and it certainly wasn't one of the best films of the year. Skip it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-615

ur1773414

title: who thinks this was good? Not me review: After finally watching this over hyped film, I don't get why people think it is really good. I thought it was barely watchable because it was so boring. I don't get all the award nomination nor how Jennifer Lawerence could win an Oscar for this role. There was nothing outstanding about her character, Tiffany, to warrant a stand out role. And the worst part was the lack of chemistry between Bradly Cooper and Jennifer Lawerence. First he looks 20 years older than her, and why would a depressed widow want to hook up with a bipolar manic who has melt downs. Simple, it wouldn't happen.The movie is about released mental patient, Pat, goes home and is obsessed with his estranged wife. He has mental break downs and meats Tiffany whom knows his wife. He agrees to be in a dance contest with her if she will give the wife a letter. And that's the story. Nothing much happens.FINAL VERDICT: A big waste of time and it certainly wasn't one of the best films of the year. Skip it.

Near-brilliant mixture of personal journey, family dynamics, and romance...a cinematic gift

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Director David O. Russell also adapted this winning screenplay from Matthew Quick's novel about a young man from Philadelphia at a crossroads in his life; just out of a mental institution and living with his parents, he's determined to reconcile with his estranged wife while staying off medication and keeping a new, positive outlook in order to rebuild his world. Mercurial, chatty, funny, intimately-felt and acted comedy-drama could well be Russell's most commercial enterprise yet, though one which still contains enough prickly edges to make the shifts in tone both wonderfully erratic and unpredictable. The opening scenes are broadly drawn, however the characters are a likable group, and Russell does a terrific job at sweeping the audience up into this amusing and volatile scenario (with recognizable dialogue and behavior reverberating throughout). The cast is uniformly excellent, and Russell (as both director and writer) never drops the ball, keeping his pace lively right down to the wire. ***1/2 from ****

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-308

ur0989035

title: Near-brilliant mixture of personal journey, family dynamics, and romance...a cinematic gift review: Director David O. Russell also adapted this winning screenplay from Matthew Quick's novel about a young man from Philadelphia at a crossroads in his life; just out of a mental institution and living with his parents, he's determined to reconcile with his estranged wife while staying off medication and keeping a new, positive outlook in order to rebuild his world. Mercurial, chatty, funny, intimately-felt and acted comedy-drama could well be Russell's most commercial enterprise yet, though one which still contains enough prickly edges to make the shifts in tone both wonderfully erratic and unpredictable. The opening scenes are broadly drawn, however the characters are a likable group, and Russell does a terrific job at sweeping the audience up into this amusing and volatile scenario (with recognizable dialogue and behavior reverberating throughout). The cast is uniformly excellent, and Russell (as both director and writer) never drops the ball, keeping his pace lively right down to the wire. ***1/2 from ****

Pat and Tiffany are the love couple of the 2010s.

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This movie is not a comedy. It's about how mental illness impacts an entire family, and community. Bradley Cooper's performance is brilliant. He carries this movie. The movie is character driven; it's about a mentally ill person who is trying to come to terms with people he believes he hurt while at the same time trying to accept the fact that he is mentally ill. The movie deals with issues of noncompliance with medications, resistance to treatment, parent-child issues, marital discord, domestic violence, and personal redemption. Jennifer Lawrence is endearing as a vulnerable young woman who masks her vulnerability with bravado. Robert DeNiro is great as Bradley Cooper's father. His character has issues too, which is why this movie is so wonderful: everybody in the movie has issues, and isn't that what life is about - dealing with issues? The movie generates few laughs because it's story is too serious, too down to earth and too realistic. After all, what is so funny about somebody being released from a mental hospital? One other point: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in the dance scene are wonderful. Two endearing characters that the audience can root for, this makes for a wonderful movie. And if the plot is contrived, so what? It's a movie, and it's about people dealing with issues. Mental illness is debilitating and the recovery process can be rocky. The movie dramatizes that without becoming corny. Bradley Cooper deserves all the recognition he may receive for a strong acting performance of a complex character. After watching this movie one can leave the theater feeling not only entertained but sensitized to the needs of the mentally ill. After all, Pat can be anyone of us, and what happens to him can become anyone's story. Pat and Tiffany are the love couple of the 2010s; they have replaced George and Martha and Oliver and Barbara as icons for the dysfunctional couple and for this reason: Pat and Tiffany ring true; their relationship is strained yet passionate without being theatrical. The mother signing out her son; the father struggling to connect with his son; a young woman who feels cheated by life; and a man who is coming to terms with his own vulnerability all make for an excellent movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-213

ur6458242

title: Pat and Tiffany are the love couple of the 2010s. review: This movie is not a comedy. It's about how mental illness impacts an entire family, and community. Bradley Cooper's performance is brilliant. He carries this movie. The movie is character driven; it's about a mentally ill person who is trying to come to terms with people he believes he hurt while at the same time trying to accept the fact that he is mentally ill. The movie deals with issues of noncompliance with medications, resistance to treatment, parent-child issues, marital discord, domestic violence, and personal redemption. Jennifer Lawrence is endearing as a vulnerable young woman who masks her vulnerability with bravado. Robert DeNiro is great as Bradley Cooper's father. His character has issues too, which is why this movie is so wonderful: everybody in the movie has issues, and isn't that what life is about - dealing with issues? The movie generates few laughs because it's story is too serious, too down to earth and too realistic. After all, what is so funny about somebody being released from a mental hospital? One other point: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in the dance scene are wonderful. Two endearing characters that the audience can root for, this makes for a wonderful movie. And if the plot is contrived, so what? It's a movie, and it's about people dealing with issues. Mental illness is debilitating and the recovery process can be rocky. The movie dramatizes that without becoming corny. Bradley Cooper deserves all the recognition he may receive for a strong acting performance of a complex character. After watching this movie one can leave the theater feeling not only entertained but sensitized to the needs of the mentally ill. After all, Pat can be anyone of us, and what happens to him can become anyone's story. Pat and Tiffany are the love couple of the 2010s; they have replaced George and Martha and Oliver and Barbara as icons for the dysfunctional couple and for this reason: Pat and Tiffany ring true; their relationship is strained yet passionate without being theatrical. The mother signing out her son; the father struggling to connect with his son; a young woman who feels cheated by life; and a man who is coming to terms with his own vulnerability all make for an excellent movie.

Conventional fairy tale masquerading as edgy drama

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David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" stars Bradley Cooper as Pat Solitano, a middle aged man with bipolar disorder. Recently released from a mental health facility, Pat's determined to win back his estranged wife. These hopes are undermined by Pat's many violent, angry outbursts.Pat's delusions – his wife wants nothing to do with him – are mirrored to several other characters in the film. Pat's father, for example, is deeply superstitious, and a young woman, played by Jennifer Lawrence, proves unable to accept the death of her husband. The film ends with a dance competition. Lawrence and Cooper have no chance at winning, but enter the competition riding on a cloud of optimism, hope and faith. They lose, but place high enough to win a monetary bet which affirms the superstitions of Cooper's father. The film's point? Man should remain relentlessly optimistic in the face of adversity and be constantly open to silver linings, the faint signs of which invariably line all events. Sounds familiar? It's "Girl Interrupted" with added testosterone."Silver Linings" message is positively easy when your script is built upon clichés and contrivances. Cooper's yet another sad-sack middle aged man who's essentially cured through sex with a conveniently placed, ultra hot young woman. This is self-help through love and copulation, a feel-gooder fairy tale in which men are saved from themselves by the embrace of a good woman who understands their pain. Lawrence's character, meanwhile, is a giant emo fantasy; a sultry wounded girl with black mascara, more curves than a Monte Carlo racetrack, and who copes with grief by humping everyone in her office. "There's always going to be a part of me that's sloppy and dirty," Lawrence says. But we don't believe her. She's sex on legs, Russell lingering on her tight leotards, designer pout and ample luggage.Indeed, "Silver Linings Playbook" will henceforth probably be known as the film which put Jennifer Lawrence's butt on the map. Which map? Probably the map of Middle Earth. Lawrence's booty is so precious, it looks like her butt was forged by Sauron himself. And not only does Russell cast the "official sexiest woman of 2012" in his film, but he casts actor Bradley Cooper as well, a bronze Adonis twice voted the sexiest man on the planet. That's a whole lotta sexiness for one film. You half expect these two to break out into a suburban rap battle, Cooper free-styling "Baby Got Back", Lawrence "My Humps". What's that Cooper, you like big butts, you cannot lie? Congratulations, ima cure your mental illness with my humps, my humps, my sexy lady lumps. This some deep drama right here."Playbook's" all about curing depression and mental illness through dancing and having lots of implied sex, but there's no "curing" going on in the film, only deflections upon deflections. The neuroses of Cooper's father are reaffirmed, Cooper and Lawrence merely replace their spouses and one local friend continues to drown his corporate miseries in designer furniture and material purchases.At its best, the film works well as a screwball comedy. Cooper and Lawrence hide blossoming attraction with mutual resentment and much verbal sparring, but this witty banter doesn't last long. Meanwhile Russell's script leaves little room for nuance. Nothing is concealed, and there's little for the audience to do other than just watch these people crawl their way to inevitable redemption. Elsewhere the film's aesthetic echoes Russell's work on "The Fighter", fractured, choppy and angry – a constant stream of emotional fireworks - and so mirroring Cooper's own state-of-mind.In the end, it's Robert De Niro's Pat Sr. who leaves the biggest impression. De Niro doesn't act particularly well here, and his character's not particularly well written, but because several of his subplots were removed (to push the film toward a lighter, more fairy tale ending), his character, whose latent hostilities are meant to provide a rationale for his son's troubles, retains an ambiguity which somehow makes him more rounded, mysterious and human.Incidentally, Russell's underrated "I Heart Huckabees" featured a hero who rejects the idea of meaningful coincidence. This is the flip-side to "Playbook", which advocates a kind of fake-it-till-you-make-it optimism. In "Huckabees", our hero then suffers an existential crisis, stops trying to help others (he's an activist, like Russell was) and collapses into hedonism. He then rejects this in favour for a Zen-like state of ego-lessness and "pure being", a state which he, of course, cannot maintain. The film ends with our hero reconciling at least four philosophical positions into a whole new life code. This film, Russell's best, was bashed by critics and shunned by audiences. Ever since then he's become a somewhat generic film-maker, albeit one now showered in Oscars and accolades.7/10 – Worth one viewing. "Playbook's" soundtrack contains "Girl From the North Country", arguably Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash's best recorded collaboration.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-324

ur4130201

title: Conventional fairy tale masquerading as edgy drama review: David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" stars Bradley Cooper as Pat Solitano, a middle aged man with bipolar disorder. Recently released from a mental health facility, Pat's determined to win back his estranged wife. These hopes are undermined by Pat's many violent, angry outbursts.Pat's delusions – his wife wants nothing to do with him – are mirrored to several other characters in the film. Pat's father, for example, is deeply superstitious, and a young woman, played by Jennifer Lawrence, proves unable to accept the death of her husband. The film ends with a dance competition. Lawrence and Cooper have no chance at winning, but enter the competition riding on a cloud of optimism, hope and faith. They lose, but place high enough to win a monetary bet which affirms the superstitions of Cooper's father. The film's point? Man should remain relentlessly optimistic in the face of adversity and be constantly open to silver linings, the faint signs of which invariably line all events. Sounds familiar? It's "Girl Interrupted" with added testosterone."Silver Linings" message is positively easy when your script is built upon clichés and contrivances. Cooper's yet another sad-sack middle aged man who's essentially cured through sex with a conveniently placed, ultra hot young woman. This is self-help through love and copulation, a feel-gooder fairy tale in which men are saved from themselves by the embrace of a good woman who understands their pain. Lawrence's character, meanwhile, is a giant emo fantasy; a sultry wounded girl with black mascara, more curves than a Monte Carlo racetrack, and who copes with grief by humping everyone in her office. "There's always going to be a part of me that's sloppy and dirty," Lawrence says. But we don't believe her. She's sex on legs, Russell lingering on her tight leotards, designer pout and ample luggage.Indeed, "Silver Linings Playbook" will henceforth probably be known as the film which put Jennifer Lawrence's butt on the map. Which map? Probably the map of Middle Earth. Lawrence's booty is so precious, it looks like her butt was forged by Sauron himself. And not only does Russell cast the "official sexiest woman of 2012" in his film, but he casts actor Bradley Cooper as well, a bronze Adonis twice voted the sexiest man on the planet. That's a whole lotta sexiness for one film. You half expect these two to break out into a suburban rap battle, Cooper free-styling "Baby Got Back", Lawrence "My Humps". What's that Cooper, you like big butts, you cannot lie? Congratulations, ima cure your mental illness with my humps, my humps, my sexy lady lumps. This some deep drama right here."Playbook's" all about curing depression and mental illness through dancing and having lots of implied sex, but there's no "curing" going on in the film, only deflections upon deflections. The neuroses of Cooper's father are reaffirmed, Cooper and Lawrence merely replace their spouses and one local friend continues to drown his corporate miseries in designer furniture and material purchases.At its best, the film works well as a screwball comedy. Cooper and Lawrence hide blossoming attraction with mutual resentment and much verbal sparring, but this witty banter doesn't last long. Meanwhile Russell's script leaves little room for nuance. Nothing is concealed, and there's little for the audience to do other than just watch these people crawl their way to inevitable redemption. Elsewhere the film's aesthetic echoes Russell's work on "The Fighter", fractured, choppy and angry – a constant stream of emotional fireworks - and so mirroring Cooper's own state-of-mind.In the end, it's Robert De Niro's Pat Sr. who leaves the biggest impression. De Niro doesn't act particularly well here, and his character's not particularly well written, but because several of his subplots were removed (to push the film toward a lighter, more fairy tale ending), his character, whose latent hostilities are meant to provide a rationale for his son's troubles, retains an ambiguity which somehow makes him more rounded, mysterious and human.Incidentally, Russell's underrated "I Heart Huckabees" featured a hero who rejects the idea of meaningful coincidence. This is the flip-side to "Playbook", which advocates a kind of fake-it-till-you-make-it optimism. In "Huckabees", our hero then suffers an existential crisis, stops trying to help others (he's an activist, like Russell was) and collapses into hedonism. He then rejects this in favour for a Zen-like state of ego-lessness and "pure being", a state which he, of course, cannot maintain. The film ends with our hero reconciling at least four philosophical positions into a whole new life code. This film, Russell's best, was bashed by critics and shunned by audiences. Ever since then he's become a somewhat generic film-maker, albeit one now showered in Oscars and accolades.7/10 – Worth one viewing. "Playbook's" soundtrack contains "Girl From the North Country", arguably Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash's best recorded collaboration.

524th Review: Easily the best rom-com of 2012 and better than that

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SLP is a very well-judged, beautifully acted and just plain entertaining slice of rom-com. With an outstanding ensemble team thisworks - it entertains, and uncommonly for a rom-com, it makes us use our brains and not just out hearts.The two damaged protagonists are just the right side of crazy, more deeply heartbroken and mad at it than psychiatrically gone, and as we share their journey we do so taking a little of ourselves with them.This really is one of my favorite films of the year - and it stands out by a mile in the cinema as being a film about the pursuit of happiness whereas we have a decade of maudlin films this mixes the sorrow and the joy just right.SLP is worth seeing for the performances and the killer script alone, but it is how it lingers after that will get you. Good movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-124

ur2419668

title: 524th Review: Easily the best rom-com of 2012 and better than that review: SLP is a very well-judged, beautifully acted and just plain entertaining slice of rom-com. With an outstanding ensemble team thisworks - it entertains, and uncommonly for a rom-com, it makes us use our brains and not just out hearts.The two damaged protagonists are just the right side of crazy, more deeply heartbroken and mad at it than psychiatrically gone, and as we share their journey we do so taking a little of ourselves with them.This really is one of my favorite films of the year - and it stands out by a mile in the cinema as being a film about the pursuit of happiness whereas we have a decade of maudlin films this mixes the sorrow and the joy just right.SLP is worth seeing for the performances and the killer script alone, but it is how it lingers after that will get you. Good movie.

In spite of some minor flaws, the silver playbook shines

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When I saw the name as the director of the film, I was almost sure that this film would be an offbeat romantic comedy and I was right! However, it doesn't mean that the movie is perfect or that great. You know, David O. Russell is a story teller, not a minimalist, not a formalist, it has advantages and disadvantages both. The main advantage is that he tells his story well, but the main disadvantage is that his movies are lack of any art form. I mean watching his movies is like reading a book or listening a story, not cinematic experiences. In the end, I wasn't impressed by the film cinematically or artistically, but liked the story and loved the characters. Depending on his style, his director identity, the story of the movie seriously exhausted me which I can see as a flaw, but the story and the characters saved the film for me. I didn't expect metaphors or deep character studies from the movie, but the movie could have been deeper anyway. This is a sincere film first, it doesn't play to the crowd, but as I know, it has been criticized as it is a formulaic film. Well Yes and No at the same time. The problems, but all of those were minor, of the movie for me are for example the movie was not devastating or intense enough. Yes, this is a romantic comedy, but I would have preferred a The Fighter-like film. At least darker than this film. In other words, this might have been a really depressing film, but it is not. This movie reflects some habits of the director too, for example there is a "merry" family similar with the family in The Fighter etc. As for De Niro, with all my regard, I believe that the actors who were the golden actors or legends of their ages don't play that great when they are old (most of them) Chris Tucker who gave a mind bending performance in The Fifth Element seems out of place in this movie, but the actor adds energy into the movie. Bradley Cooper is pretty good, but sorry not great. As for Lawrance, my first Jennifer Lawrance movie was X-Men First Class and I couldn't warm to her honestly and I thought that she was a bad Mystique in comparison with amazing Rebecca Romijn, but in this movie, I almost fell in love with her and even her crazy character. I loved her character too I confess. She shines, she steals the show from everybody! By the way, a beautiful little detail I caught in the movie was the movie hadn't evil ex wife cliché, it was different (see it and decide for yourself) The dance competition stuff may be makes the movie cliché and conventional, but also sweet and realistic. By the way, it reminded me Little Miss Sunshine. However, the motivations of the characters, their inner worlds aren't handled well, insufficient and a little shallow. We understand them, but we can't enter their inner worlds. The movie has not any problem about emotional involvement, but, not deep enough. I can't feel that these two people are desperate losers or stand for any kind of character in real life. And we witness their life with independent sections, so we cannot internalize the film totally, but all these doesn't affect the whole film much. By the way, it would have been much better, if the film had ended a few minutes earlier. Silver Linings Playbook is still a very good movie for what it is.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-463

ur22423593

title: In spite of some minor flaws, the silver playbook shines review: When I saw the name as the director of the film, I was almost sure that this film would be an offbeat romantic comedy and I was right! However, it doesn't mean that the movie is perfect or that great. You know, David O. Russell is a story teller, not a minimalist, not a formalist, it has advantages and disadvantages both. The main advantage is that he tells his story well, but the main disadvantage is that his movies are lack of any art form. I mean watching his movies is like reading a book or listening a story, not cinematic experiences. In the end, I wasn't impressed by the film cinematically or artistically, but liked the story and loved the characters. Depending on his style, his director identity, the story of the movie seriously exhausted me which I can see as a flaw, but the story and the characters saved the film for me. I didn't expect metaphors or deep character studies from the movie, but the movie could have been deeper anyway. This is a sincere film first, it doesn't play to the crowd, but as I know, it has been criticized as it is a formulaic film. Well Yes and No at the same time. The problems, but all of those were minor, of the movie for me are for example the movie was not devastating or intense enough. Yes, this is a romantic comedy, but I would have preferred a The Fighter-like film. At least darker than this film. In other words, this might have been a really depressing film, but it is not. This movie reflects some habits of the director too, for example there is a "merry" family similar with the family in The Fighter etc. As for De Niro, with all my regard, I believe that the actors who were the golden actors or legends of their ages don't play that great when they are old (most of them) Chris Tucker who gave a mind bending performance in The Fifth Element seems out of place in this movie, but the actor adds energy into the movie. Bradley Cooper is pretty good, but sorry not great. As for Lawrance, my first Jennifer Lawrance movie was X-Men First Class and I couldn't warm to her honestly and I thought that she was a bad Mystique in comparison with amazing Rebecca Romijn, but in this movie, I almost fell in love with her and even her crazy character. I loved her character too I confess. She shines, she steals the show from everybody! By the way, a beautiful little detail I caught in the movie was the movie hadn't evil ex wife cliché, it was different (see it and decide for yourself) The dance competition stuff may be makes the movie cliché and conventional, but also sweet and realistic. By the way, it reminded me Little Miss Sunshine. However, the motivations of the characters, their inner worlds aren't handled well, insufficient and a little shallow. We understand them, but we can't enter their inner worlds. The movie has not any problem about emotional involvement, but, not deep enough. I can't feel that these two people are desperate losers or stand for any kind of character in real life. And we witness their life with independent sections, so we cannot internalize the film totally, but all these doesn't affect the whole film much. By the way, it would have been much better, if the film had ended a few minutes earlier. Silver Linings Playbook is still a very good movie for what it is.

Meandering manipulative mayhem.

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If you are going to make a comedy romance where the lead suffers from violent bi-polar disorder then it might not be a bad idea to make sure the headliner has kind blue eyes and sensitive features ala Bradley Cooper to keep it light and get you over the rough patches as he does in Silver Linings Play Book. Cooper who may well be the 21st century version of Jimmy Stewart does a commendable job of doing so but director David O Russell has a hard time getting his recipe of dash's of other films (Footloose, Last Tango, Saturday Night Fever) to reach comic heights because of the three hundred pound gorilla in the room, the illness with its violent overtones as a comedy launch pad.After teacher Pat Solitano finds his wife handing out favors to a fellow educator he goes nuclear and nearly beats him to death. Institutionalized for eight months his mother signs him out against advice and the volatile young man heads home to Philly to win his wife back. It doesn't take long for Pat Jr. to act out again with a half a dozen infractions that should send him right back to the bin but it seems the enormous patience of friends and the community (Philly mind you) is full of forgive and forget. Enlisting Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence)to help in his crusade he grudgingly agrees to enter a dance competition with her. With issues of her own the two form an abrasive alliance.Silver Linings breaks from the box fast with loose cannon Pat's unpredictability and unsettling behavior direction yet to be established but once it settles into it's comedy slot it is little more than a hyper When Harry met Sally. Lawrence and Cooper have some nice go rounds but outcome is telegraphed well in advance and the humor to help get us there runs its course fast.To give the film its energy Russell shoots most of it in disorienting close-up with a fair amount of middle of the street restaurant and home scenes that lack verisimilitude in their drama or comedy edge with their sarcastic punch lines.As Pat's parents Jackie Weaver spends most of the film welling up and wringing her hands while Robert DiNero as his bookie dad plays it with a little more intensity than his Focker dad. It is a terrible waste as we see glimmers of the greatness that was Di Nero in scenes played as straight drama instead of comedy between father and son may have made for a far better film with lighter box office returns. Russell remains intent however in coming up with "the feel good comedy of the year" with a touch of edge but Silver Linings Playbook double bladed topic, silly comedy out of serious illness is ultimately a dull swipe at it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-276

ur13178622

title: Meandering manipulative mayhem. review: If you are going to make a comedy romance where the lead suffers from violent bi-polar disorder then it might not be a bad idea to make sure the headliner has kind blue eyes and sensitive features ala Bradley Cooper to keep it light and get you over the rough patches as he does in Silver Linings Play Book. Cooper who may well be the 21st century version of Jimmy Stewart does a commendable job of doing so but director David O Russell has a hard time getting his recipe of dash's of other films (Footloose, Last Tango, Saturday Night Fever) to reach comic heights because of the three hundred pound gorilla in the room, the illness with its violent overtones as a comedy launch pad.After teacher Pat Solitano finds his wife handing out favors to a fellow educator he goes nuclear and nearly beats him to death. Institutionalized for eight months his mother signs him out against advice and the volatile young man heads home to Philly to win his wife back. It doesn't take long for Pat Jr. to act out again with a half a dozen infractions that should send him right back to the bin but it seems the enormous patience of friends and the community (Philly mind you) is full of forgive and forget. Enlisting Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence)to help in his crusade he grudgingly agrees to enter a dance competition with her. With issues of her own the two form an abrasive alliance.Silver Linings breaks from the box fast with loose cannon Pat's unpredictability and unsettling behavior direction yet to be established but once it settles into it's comedy slot it is little more than a hyper When Harry met Sally. Lawrence and Cooper have some nice go rounds but outcome is telegraphed well in advance and the humor to help get us there runs its course fast.To give the film its energy Russell shoots most of it in disorienting close-up with a fair amount of middle of the street restaurant and home scenes that lack verisimilitude in their drama or comedy edge with their sarcastic punch lines.As Pat's parents Jackie Weaver spends most of the film welling up and wringing her hands while Robert DiNero as his bookie dad plays it with a little more intensity than his Focker dad. It is a terrible waste as we see glimmers of the greatness that was Di Nero in scenes played as straight drama instead of comedy between father and son may have made for a far better film with lighter box office returns. Russell remains intent however in coming up with "the feel good comedy of the year" with a touch of edge but Silver Linings Playbook double bladed topic, silly comedy out of serious illness is ultimately a dull swipe at it.

Silver Linings Playbook

tt1045658

Over the past several years we seem to have several romantic comedies coming out each year. Most of them do not interest me one bit and I stay away from them. I am sure you know which ones I mean. The ones that are predictable and despite all odds a handsome leading man ends up with his beautiful female leading lady and the chemistry does not feel real and it all feels so contrived and clichéd and it's one of those situations where if you have seen one of them, you have seen them all. Thankfully, Silver Linings Playbook is an exception to that rule. It is a film that is more, or less a romantic comedy, but also deals with mental illness and real people and their feelings. The film at times would indeed make me laugh, but at other times I sat in quiet amazement over the wonderful performances that were on display here from the whole cast and also the top notch writing that brings us deeper into these characters and provides for much entertainment and brilliant dialogue. I know some people were a little concerned about having a film where the two main characters have both suffered from and still do to an extent, mental health issues. However, I did not find that the film put that element in there to mock, or single out these characters, but instead to show a different perspective on every day life and in this case different views on love and relationships as well. When you are first watching Silver Linings Playbook, for the first half hour, or so, you really do not know which way this film is going to go, or what type of a film that it will be, but I was pleasantly surprised on all accounts. Both stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are terrific in this. I have only seen Bradley Cooper in The Hangover, before this and while it was humorous and entertaining, I think we all have to admit that it is not an awards calibre movie. Bradley Cooper shines in this role and gives us so much to walk away from the film thinking about as does Jennifer Lawrence as well. This is the first film I have seen Jennifer Lawrence in and she was also terrific. There is a certain element of mystery and a sense of uncertainty about her character as you watch the film. She seems to have put up barricades around herself, probably to protect her, but as the film goes along and she lets down those walls and you get to see more of her character and look past her insecurities and neuroses, you really do start cheering for her and hoping it will all work out for her as well as Bradley Cooper's character as well. It has been awhile where I have seen a comedy drama with such well layered and developed characters as they are here. They felt real to me and because of that, I could often identify with them, feel for them and feel a certain connection to them. Every minute of screen time they had, I just wanted to continue to watch them over sheer fascination of these characters and because of how well written and how well played they were. Supporting actors Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver do a great job here as well and to be perfectly honest about it, I think this is one of De Niro's strongest films and performances in years. Silver Linings Playbook often brought a smile to my face, gave me something to think about and at times almost brought tears to my eyes because of the sheer simplicity of it's characters and the beautiful relationships they have developed with one another and how they just don't give up when things get tough, or throw in the towel, so to speak, but they actually go and want to better themselves and improve their lives and get over the stigma and stereotypes of mental illness and prove that they can make it on their own and achieve what they want to achieve. This film was really special for me. It made me laugh, almost cry, allowed me to identify with the characters and lifted my mood watching the film. It put me in such a good mood that I wanted to stand up and cheer after the film was over. What a monumental piece of filmmaking where everything seemed to have gone perfectly. This alongside with The Master, are my favourite films to date of 2012. I see big things ahead for Lawrence and Cooper and David O. Russell is proving what a great screenwriter and director he is after this and The Fighter. Congruatulations to you all, you were all fantastic and did a great job.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-194

ur1471623

title: Silver Linings Playbook review: Over the past several years we seem to have several romantic comedies coming out each year. Most of them do not interest me one bit and I stay away from them. I am sure you know which ones I mean. The ones that are predictable and despite all odds a handsome leading man ends up with his beautiful female leading lady and the chemistry does not feel real and it all feels so contrived and clichéd and it's one of those situations where if you have seen one of them, you have seen them all. Thankfully, Silver Linings Playbook is an exception to that rule. It is a film that is more, or less a romantic comedy, but also deals with mental illness and real people and their feelings. The film at times would indeed make me laugh, but at other times I sat in quiet amazement over the wonderful performances that were on display here from the whole cast and also the top notch writing that brings us deeper into these characters and provides for much entertainment and brilliant dialogue. I know some people were a little concerned about having a film where the two main characters have both suffered from and still do to an extent, mental health issues. However, I did not find that the film put that element in there to mock, or single out these characters, but instead to show a different perspective on every day life and in this case different views on love and relationships as well. When you are first watching Silver Linings Playbook, for the first half hour, or so, you really do not know which way this film is going to go, or what type of a film that it will be, but I was pleasantly surprised on all accounts. Both stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are terrific in this. I have only seen Bradley Cooper in The Hangover, before this and while it was humorous and entertaining, I think we all have to admit that it is not an awards calibre movie. Bradley Cooper shines in this role and gives us so much to walk away from the film thinking about as does Jennifer Lawrence as well. This is the first film I have seen Jennifer Lawrence in and she was also terrific. There is a certain element of mystery and a sense of uncertainty about her character as you watch the film. She seems to have put up barricades around herself, probably to protect her, but as the film goes along and she lets down those walls and you get to see more of her character and look past her insecurities and neuroses, you really do start cheering for her and hoping it will all work out for her as well as Bradley Cooper's character as well. It has been awhile where I have seen a comedy drama with such well layered and developed characters as they are here. They felt real to me and because of that, I could often identify with them, feel for them and feel a certain connection to them. Every minute of screen time they had, I just wanted to continue to watch them over sheer fascination of these characters and because of how well written and how well played they were. Supporting actors Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver do a great job here as well and to be perfectly honest about it, I think this is one of De Niro's strongest films and performances in years. Silver Linings Playbook often brought a smile to my face, gave me something to think about and at times almost brought tears to my eyes because of the sheer simplicity of it's characters and the beautiful relationships they have developed with one another and how they just don't give up when things get tough, or throw in the towel, so to speak, but they actually go and want to better themselves and improve their lives and get over the stigma and stereotypes of mental illness and prove that they can make it on their own and achieve what they want to achieve. This film was really special for me. It made me laugh, almost cry, allowed me to identify with the characters and lifted my mood watching the film. It put me in such a good mood that I wanted to stand up and cheer after the film was over. What a monumental piece of filmmaking where everything seemed to have gone perfectly. This alongside with The Master, are my favourite films to date of 2012. I see big things ahead for Lawrence and Cooper and David O. Russell is proving what a great screenwriter and director he is after this and The Fighter. Congruatulations to you all, you were all fantastic and did a great job.

Insincere

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David O. Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' is ultimately a disappointing film: an unconvincing portrayal of mental illness and family dysfunction, with a weak romantic comedy subplot and an utterly meaningless second subplot featuring a dance competition. The central characters are not particularly sympathetic either: if they don't convince as mentally ill, they do convince as utterly self-obsessed - the attraction that the two leads supposedly feel for each other is asserted but in no way demonstrated. It's unclear what Russell was trying to do in this movie; but it's not funny, and nothing in it feels like it comes from the heart.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-693

ur2082018

title: Insincere review: David O. Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' is ultimately a disappointing film: an unconvincing portrayal of mental illness and family dysfunction, with a weak romantic comedy subplot and an utterly meaningless second subplot featuring a dance competition. The central characters are not particularly sympathetic either: if they don't convince as mentally ill, they do convince as utterly self-obsessed - the attraction that the two leads supposedly feel for each other is asserted but in no way demonstrated. It's unclear what Russell was trying to do in this movie; but it's not funny, and nothing in it feels like it comes from the heart.

Some great new twists on a familiar against-the-odds romantic comedy

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Silver Linings Playbook (2012)A great drama/comedy, both funny and moving, with terrific acting from a terrific cast. What more do you want? Ah, maybe a little more originality, an ending (and a dysfunctional family) that wasn't a twist on "Little Miss Sunshine," something a little less sentimental?All of these things. And yet, with misgivings intact, the movie is still great in its own way. Part of the reason is some hard, true acting. Both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are spot on believable, funny, and fleshed out beyond stereotypes. The rest of the cast, including De Niro as the Cooper's father, are simpler characters and yet the types they play don't quite become stereotypes. In fact, the three men (the dad and the two friends) are superb within their roles. It might be Lawrence who sets the movie on fire most, even above Coopers volatile, yet tightly bound, performance. Lawrence is a kind of freed version of what Cooper must play, and she's more fun, less troubled perhaps, and utterly optimistic. Which brings up the point of the movie.Beyond the plot of a pair of young people struggling with common forms of mental illness that require medication but allow for fairly normal lives, there is the larger point of rising up, of being positive, or making things happen by wanting to and following through. This is the moving part, the part that makes you love and identify and even envy the main characters as they show how to succeed within their malaise. It really is a common thing to face a mental flaw that brings your life down, or someone you love. And here is how to deal, how to try to deal.Yes, this is pure Hollywood, without suggesting its happy ending in any detail. It lacks what someone like, say, Cassavetes would attempt in this situation (and the result would fail to reach a larger audience). But it has some brave aspects, making real a situation that needs some understanding without turning it into unmitigated nightmare.Director and co-writer David O. Russell has a leaning to films that mix high drama and real human and interpersonal concerns. This might be his best film ("Three Kings" is worth seeing for its mix of serious and comic aspects to war, and "The Fighter" has qualities of sadness and persistence that echo here), and it is one that sets his direction as a more serious, interesting Hollywood director. See this.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-505

ur20961309

title: Some great new twists on a familiar against-the-odds romantic comedy review: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)A great drama/comedy, both funny and moving, with terrific acting from a terrific cast. What more do you want? Ah, maybe a little more originality, an ending (and a dysfunctional family) that wasn't a twist on "Little Miss Sunshine," something a little less sentimental?All of these things. And yet, with misgivings intact, the movie is still great in its own way. Part of the reason is some hard, true acting. Both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are spot on believable, funny, and fleshed out beyond stereotypes. The rest of the cast, including De Niro as the Cooper's father, are simpler characters and yet the types they play don't quite become stereotypes. In fact, the three men (the dad and the two friends) are superb within their roles. It might be Lawrence who sets the movie on fire most, even above Coopers volatile, yet tightly bound, performance. Lawrence is a kind of freed version of what Cooper must play, and she's more fun, less troubled perhaps, and utterly optimistic. Which brings up the point of the movie.Beyond the plot of a pair of young people struggling with common forms of mental illness that require medication but allow for fairly normal lives, there is the larger point of rising up, of being positive, or making things happen by wanting to and following through. This is the moving part, the part that makes you love and identify and even envy the main characters as they show how to succeed within their malaise. It really is a common thing to face a mental flaw that brings your life down, or someone you love. And here is how to deal, how to try to deal.Yes, this is pure Hollywood, without suggesting its happy ending in any detail. It lacks what someone like, say, Cassavetes would attempt in this situation (and the result would fail to reach a larger audience). But it has some brave aspects, making real a situation that needs some understanding without turning it into unmitigated nightmare.Director and co-writer David O. Russell has a leaning to films that mix high drama and real human and interpersonal concerns. This might be his best film ("Three Kings" is worth seeing for its mix of serious and comic aspects to war, and "The Fighter" has qualities of sadness and persistence that echo here), and it is one that sets his direction as a more serious, interesting Hollywood director. See this.

Definitely a movie with replay value.

tt1045658

Interesting and memorable dramedy about an emotionally scarred pair, one with bipolar disorder who is recently released from a psychiatric hospital (Cooper) and the other a young widow (Lawrence). The two leads do an excellent job of showing their characters' instability without ever being overly-dramatic or pity-party about it. The story is grounded in reality very well, but the romantic climax falls into place a little too easily. De Niro, Herman, Kher, Mihok, Ortiz, Stiles, Tucker and Whigham are all terrific in their supporting roles, but it seems like Weaver might let her Australian accent slip and is definitely not convincing as a Philly homemaker. Based on the book by Matthew Quick. Definitely a movie with replay value. Captures the difficulty of living with bipolar very well and how it also interferes with loved ones.***½ (out of four)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-666

ur0756238

title: Definitely a movie with replay value. review: Interesting and memorable dramedy about an emotionally scarred pair, one with bipolar disorder who is recently released from a psychiatric hospital (Cooper) and the other a young widow (Lawrence). The two leads do an excellent job of showing their characters' instability without ever being overly-dramatic or pity-party about it. The story is grounded in reality very well, but the romantic climax falls into place a little too easily. De Niro, Herman, Kher, Mihok, Ortiz, Stiles, Tucker and Whigham are all terrific in their supporting roles, but it seems like Weaver might let her Australian accent slip and is definitely not convincing as a Philly homemaker. Based on the book by Matthew Quick. Definitely a movie with replay value. Captures the difficulty of living with bipolar very well and how it also interferes with loved ones.***½ (out of four)

Good but flawed

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'Silver Linings Playbook' is a film directed by David O. Russell about a man with bi-polar disorder who is trying to get his life back on track after suffering a mental breakdown upon discovering his wife was having an affair. The story is a bit bizarre with Pat (Bradley Cooper) befriending Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who also suffered a mental breakdown after the death of her husband. Pat agrees to enter a dance competition with Tiffany in order to send a letter to his wife via Tiffany to try and re- build their relationship. The first half of the film seems a bit misleading. It portrays bi-polar disorder was just being the same as someone being a little bit odd or quirky. I don't think that they take the disorder seriously enough – for a film that a lot of people have claimed will win big at the Oscars in 2013, I don't think it will; it has missed the point with mental illness. The plot itself moves quite smoothly and I was never bored whilst watching this. The second half is better; it becomes a lot funnier and seems a lot more light-hearted. The plot is good but the acting can sometimes let it down.Bradley Cooper is quite bad; he has obviously done very little research for his role and has clearly read a paragraph on bi-polar disorder noticing that, under stress, they can shout and panic – there's a scene in the film where he is screaming and his eyes are blank with no emotion. This meant that the scene came across as funny and people in the audience were actually laughing during a scene that was written to be a scene of heartbreak. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent here; she portrayed her character perfectly and provided humour where it was meant to be. She has obviously done a lot of research for her role and she has had a fantastic career in 2012 which can only get better. Chris Tucker was a surprisingly positive addition to this cast; he died not annoy me at all in this film which was a huge development. David O. Russell has done a great job with the characters in this film. Robert De Niro is another great supporting character here; his role as Pat's father who has some form of OCD is just brilliant and he really seems to have portrayed it just right. This is his best performance in quite a while and I hope his films get even better. Overall, I liked this film; there were just a lot of flaws within it. It has some good comedy, some great performances and is a fairly good film to watch. If you're a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, you will like this film as it is yet another film that would have failed if it wasn't for her (see House at the End of the Street). This film is worth a watch but I don't see it doing well at the Oscars – I hope not anyway.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-58

ur26267201

title: Good but flawed review: 'Silver Linings Playbook' is a film directed by David O. Russell about a man with bi-polar disorder who is trying to get his life back on track after suffering a mental breakdown upon discovering his wife was having an affair. The story is a bit bizarre with Pat (Bradley Cooper) befriending Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who also suffered a mental breakdown after the death of her husband. Pat agrees to enter a dance competition with Tiffany in order to send a letter to his wife via Tiffany to try and re- build their relationship. The first half of the film seems a bit misleading. It portrays bi-polar disorder was just being the same as someone being a little bit odd or quirky. I don't think that they take the disorder seriously enough – for a film that a lot of people have claimed will win big at the Oscars in 2013, I don't think it will; it has missed the point with mental illness. The plot itself moves quite smoothly and I was never bored whilst watching this. The second half is better; it becomes a lot funnier and seems a lot more light-hearted. The plot is good but the acting can sometimes let it down.Bradley Cooper is quite bad; he has obviously done very little research for his role and has clearly read a paragraph on bi-polar disorder noticing that, under stress, they can shout and panic – there's a scene in the film where he is screaming and his eyes are blank with no emotion. This meant that the scene came across as funny and people in the audience were actually laughing during a scene that was written to be a scene of heartbreak. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent here; she portrayed her character perfectly and provided humour where it was meant to be. She has obviously done a lot of research for her role and she has had a fantastic career in 2012 which can only get better. Chris Tucker was a surprisingly positive addition to this cast; he died not annoy me at all in this film which was a huge development. David O. Russell has done a great job with the characters in this film. Robert De Niro is another great supporting character here; his role as Pat's father who has some form of OCD is just brilliant and he really seems to have portrayed it just right. This is his best performance in quite a while and I hope his films get even better. Overall, I liked this film; there were just a lot of flaws within it. It has some good comedy, some great performances and is a fairly good film to watch. If you're a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, you will like this film as it is yet another film that would have failed if it wasn't for her (see House at the End of the Street). This film is worth a watch but I don't see it doing well at the Oscars – I hope not anyway.

It Is A Remarkable Film

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Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy-drama that was adapted from the novel of the same title by Matthew Quick. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.Robert De Niro,Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles co-stars.It was written and directed by David O' Russell.It tells the story of Patrizio Solatano, Jr.,who is has bipolar disorder.Pat was recently released from a psychiatric hospital after eight months of stay and moves back with his parents.To rebuild his life,he tries to win back his estranged wife,who apparently has moved on with her life just like some of his friends.His parents want him to share with their obsession with football particularly the Philadelphia Eagles. But things get complicated when he meets Tiffany Maxwell,a widow who also happens to have issues of her own.As they become closer,they become close friends which later results in a relationships and discuss their problems with one another as well as their how they deal and cope with them.The movie works very well due to the chemistry between its lead stars - Cooper and Lawrence.Both provided an interesting and heartwarming performance that we deeply care for their characters and the issues that they are dealing with.Aside from that,both are charming and likable despite of their flaws and imperfections.Most of all,we get to see the film handle serious issues such as bipolar disorder,family issues,early death,the quest for self-improvement,football and father-son relationship with both humor and compassion that the viewer will certainly be drawn to the film.Finally,Russell's screenplay is full of realism from beginning to end that we are not certainly engaged in contrivances and clichés that is normally present in movies of this genre.That is why Silver Linings Playbook is definitely one remarkable film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-649

ur5291991

title: It Is A Remarkable Film review: Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy-drama that was adapted from the novel of the same title by Matthew Quick. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.Robert De Niro,Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles co-stars.It was written and directed by David O' Russell.It tells the story of Patrizio Solatano, Jr.,who is has bipolar disorder.Pat was recently released from a psychiatric hospital after eight months of stay and moves back with his parents.To rebuild his life,he tries to win back his estranged wife,who apparently has moved on with her life just like some of his friends.His parents want him to share with their obsession with football particularly the Philadelphia Eagles. But things get complicated when he meets Tiffany Maxwell,a widow who also happens to have issues of her own.As they become closer,they become close friends which later results in a relationships and discuss their problems with one another as well as their how they deal and cope with them.The movie works very well due to the chemistry between its lead stars - Cooper and Lawrence.Both provided an interesting and heartwarming performance that we deeply care for their characters and the issues that they are dealing with.Aside from that,both are charming and likable despite of their flaws and imperfections.Most of all,we get to see the film handle serious issues such as bipolar disorder,family issues,early death,the quest for self-improvement,football and father-son relationship with both humor and compassion that the viewer will certainly be drawn to the film.Finally,Russell's screenplay is full of realism from beginning to end that we are not certainly engaged in contrivances and clichés that is normally present in movies of this genre.That is why Silver Linings Playbook is definitely one remarkable film.

Finally An Emotionally Gripping Mental Health Drama

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Certainly not a Hemingway movie. Finally a full feature film with mental health as its central core that captures the visceral and authentic impact of mental illness without the cliques, stereotypes. At it is for the fact that director/writer David O. Russell avoids these pitfalls that allows the real captivating and emotive vibrancy of the this family and relational drama come alive. Such movies don't need the extra baggage of sweeping epic dramatization as The Sound of Music (1965) and occult horror special effects Constantine (2005) or unusual circumstances as Fly Away Home (1996) or The Wrestler (2008) to create fascinating characters and situations from fantasy and instead can follow a well-written script to make its emotive impact as Where the Lilies Bloom (1974) or even the more unlikely intensity surrounding Elizabethtown (2005) or A History of Violence (2005) or the exotic foreign look into Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Helen (2009) opened the door to mental illness as a decent movie drama sub-genre by itself following up with the authentic human drama found in Margot at the Wedding (2007). Silver Lining Playbook is a penetrating look at the behind the close doors and sometimes not so closed doors of real life disputes, family conflict without resort to hyper-drama disconnected with most lives in America or around the world as A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Fisher King (1991), or He Was a Quiet Man (2007). Even a relatively common as unemployment and poverty might be as depicted in Seven Pounds (2008) or even more closely aligned in topical matter to The Soloist (2008) dealing with schizophrenia, Silver Lining Playbook focuses on our family or a family that we likely know.Silver Lining Playbook stands out from even Girl, Interrupted (1999) for its more accessible look into a family that that most in America can relate to in the family room, bedroom, in public streets, a cafe instead of hidden away residential facilities. Unlike Lars and the Real Girl (2007), the humor in this movie is in part based on our own uncomfortable feelings that are touched so much closer to home, a laughter based on the intensity of mental illness and the embarrassment that we might feel if we actually acknowledged the tragedy that periodically occurs in this movie, like slapstick comedy of the silent movie era. Much like John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) made everyday things such a dog into a horror creature, Silver Lining Playbook allows its audience to take everyday life and begin to understand how any of our lives or those around us can be so easily touched by mental illness or the polite facades and idiosyncrasies we all surround ourselves with.Silver Lining Playbook might be more closely compared to a more upbeat Little Miss Sunshine (2006)or the more artistic and polished American Beauty (2000) or the contemporary plight of economic recession on family man in Up In The Air (2009) or the more straight forward dance movie of Shall We Dance (1996 and 2004) or a raw dramatic look at family life of the 1950s of The Tree of Life (2011), the darker A Day of Wine and Rose (1962) which presented a stark and tragic look at alcoholism.Except for the ending, Silver Lining Playbook represents a significant and daring family drama presentation of mental illness, though perhaps in the tone of Pat from the movie, this definitely isn't Hemingway and thus makes it the perfect movie, if wants to throw Hemingway out the window.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-60

ur0972645

title: Finally An Emotionally Gripping Mental Health Drama review: Certainly not a Hemingway movie. Finally a full feature film with mental health as its central core that captures the visceral and authentic impact of mental illness without the cliques, stereotypes. At it is for the fact that director/writer David O. Russell avoids these pitfalls that allows the real captivating and emotive vibrancy of the this family and relational drama come alive. Such movies don't need the extra baggage of sweeping epic dramatization as The Sound of Music (1965) and occult horror special effects Constantine (2005) or unusual circumstances as Fly Away Home (1996) or The Wrestler (2008) to create fascinating characters and situations from fantasy and instead can follow a well-written script to make its emotive impact as Where the Lilies Bloom (1974) or even the more unlikely intensity surrounding Elizabethtown (2005) or A History of Violence (2005) or the exotic foreign look into Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Helen (2009) opened the door to mental illness as a decent movie drama sub-genre by itself following up with the authentic human drama found in Margot at the Wedding (2007). Silver Lining Playbook is a penetrating look at the behind the close doors and sometimes not so closed doors of real life disputes, family conflict without resort to hyper-drama disconnected with most lives in America or around the world as A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Fisher King (1991), or He Was a Quiet Man (2007). Even a relatively common as unemployment and poverty might be as depicted in Seven Pounds (2008) or even more closely aligned in topical matter to The Soloist (2008) dealing with schizophrenia, Silver Lining Playbook focuses on our family or a family that we likely know.Silver Lining Playbook stands out from even Girl, Interrupted (1999) for its more accessible look into a family that that most in America can relate to in the family room, bedroom, in public streets, a cafe instead of hidden away residential facilities. Unlike Lars and the Real Girl (2007), the humor in this movie is in part based on our own uncomfortable feelings that are touched so much closer to home, a laughter based on the intensity of mental illness and the embarrassment that we might feel if we actually acknowledged the tragedy that periodically occurs in this movie, like slapstick comedy of the silent movie era. Much like John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) made everyday things such a dog into a horror creature, Silver Lining Playbook allows its audience to take everyday life and begin to understand how any of our lives or those around us can be so easily touched by mental illness or the polite facades and idiosyncrasies we all surround ourselves with.Silver Lining Playbook might be more closely compared to a more upbeat Little Miss Sunshine (2006)or the more artistic and polished American Beauty (2000) or the contemporary plight of economic recession on family man in Up In The Air (2009) or the more straight forward dance movie of Shall We Dance (1996 and 2004) or a raw dramatic look at family life of the 1950s of The Tree of Life (2011), the darker A Day of Wine and Rose (1962) which presented a stark and tragic look at alcoholism.Except for the ending, Silver Lining Playbook represents a significant and daring family drama presentation of mental illness, though perhaps in the tone of Pat from the movie, this definitely isn't Hemingway and thus makes it the perfect movie, if wants to throw Hemingway out the window.

Inspiring drama with plenty of flair from start to finish

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Truthfully, the only reason I watched this movie was to see how a seemingly cut-and-paste drama could land their director an Oscar nod above the more ambitious and creative Tarantino.Silver Linings Playbook however deserves its Oscar nods, and almost even deserved that Best Director nod. With a nice realistic script and fantastic performances to follow, Silver Linings Playbook is one of the superior dramas of 2012 by combining plenty of raw emotion with charm and even some humor to ease the pain. Bradley Cooper shines as a saddened bipolar man that moves in with his parents to try to get his life together. What follows are the interactions and behavioral changes amongst everyone around him after the several months he spent away in psychiatric care. And along the way he meets a woman (Jennifer Lawrence) that might be equally as much of a mess, but also equally in need of a good friend. Based off a Matthew Quick novel, it's much more drama than anything else but the characters will grow on you and will have you rooting for them on the final act.David O. Russell is getting quite good at pulling off great performances from his cast, as he got a couple Oscars from his last movie The Fighter. This time around Bradley Cooper gives the best performance of his career by providing layers of likability even during his worst of moments and moments of detachment, while Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNrio are expectedly but still undeniably electric. The chemistry amongst everyone in the film is what carries this movie throughout and past the dimmest and slowest of moments, when the movie starts to drag a bit in the final third. Russell doesn't have much to work with to flex the directing muscles, but gets the job done by providing calm basic cinematography while also tugging the heartstrings when necessary. Overall, this movie is a good drama, pure and simple. It never becomes overly complex and bloated, it's just a straight up entertaining drama with an assortment of standout moments that swings past all the issues of running time and some fluff scenes. Silver Linings Playbook is a grounded drama that stands as one of the best of the year.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-148

ur3387663

title: Inspiring drama with plenty of flair from start to finish review: Truthfully, the only reason I watched this movie was to see how a seemingly cut-and-paste drama could land their director an Oscar nod above the more ambitious and creative Tarantino.Silver Linings Playbook however deserves its Oscar nods, and almost even deserved that Best Director nod. With a nice realistic script and fantastic performances to follow, Silver Linings Playbook is one of the superior dramas of 2012 by combining plenty of raw emotion with charm and even some humor to ease the pain. Bradley Cooper shines as a saddened bipolar man that moves in with his parents to try to get his life together. What follows are the interactions and behavioral changes amongst everyone around him after the several months he spent away in psychiatric care. And along the way he meets a woman (Jennifer Lawrence) that might be equally as much of a mess, but also equally in need of a good friend. Based off a Matthew Quick novel, it's much more drama than anything else but the characters will grow on you and will have you rooting for them on the final act.David O. Russell is getting quite good at pulling off great performances from his cast, as he got a couple Oscars from his last movie The Fighter. This time around Bradley Cooper gives the best performance of his career by providing layers of likability even during his worst of moments and moments of detachment, while Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNrio are expectedly but still undeniably electric. The chemistry amongst everyone in the film is what carries this movie throughout and past the dimmest and slowest of moments, when the movie starts to drag a bit in the final third. Russell doesn't have much to work with to flex the directing muscles, but gets the job done by providing calm basic cinematography while also tugging the heartstrings when necessary. Overall, this movie is a good drama, pure and simple. It never becomes overly complex and bloated, it's just a straight up entertaining drama with an assortment of standout moments that swings past all the issues of running time and some fluff scenes. Silver Linings Playbook is a grounded drama that stands as one of the best of the year.

Cooper Outacts DeNiro in Grating, Sometimes Endearing Film

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"Silver Linings Playbook" is a grating, occasionally endearing and humorous portrait of a bipolar misfit attempting to create a livable life after his release from a court-mandated stay in a mental institution. Pat (Bradley Cooper) chases his wife, unseen for most of the film. She has a fulltime job as a high school English teacher. Pat has no job and lives in his parents' attic. His parents, Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver (whom I thought was Sally Struthers) are themselves no prize winners. Dad is an obsessive compulsive football fan and gambler who insists that his son Pat must sit next to him during games while holding a green handkerchief in order for his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, to win. Mom cooks and whines a lot. Pat meets Tiffany, a very, very hot young widow. She falls in love with him at first sight, but he resists her, because he wants to get back with his wife. The best reason to see this film is Bradley Cooper's performance. He is terrific as a man with limited cards playing them the best way he knows how, given his limited awareness, abilities and options. Your heart aches for him. He often behaves in outrageous, indeed, illegal ways, but his insanity is an expression of real sanity in a couple of scenes. He vehemently rejects Ernest Hemingway's decisions in "Farewell to Arms" and he rescues his brother from racist thugs. The movie as a whole failed to take flight for me. I found the main characters to be too grating, and I needed a respite or an artistic intervention that would make their qualities more bearable. There was an opportunity for that. Tiffany is a dancer, and she and Pat train to compete in a dance contest. After lengthy, detailed scenes of ugly, irrational and loud familial manipulations, false hope, and dysfunction, I could have used some well-presented music and dance. The director doesn't take advantage of that, though, and the film just squats there, annoying the audience. The film's end is less a resolution and more of a "we're out of time here so let's wrap things up." Jennifer Lawrence is spectacularly beautiful, and very young. She's fifteen years younger than Cooper and far too young to be convincing as a grieving widow. She is costumed in skintight leggings and bratops that emphasize her long, slim legs and considerable frontal and posterior assets. Her skin is flawless. I could did not, for one second, believe this vision of health and loveliness to be a desperate, medicated, marginal, screwed up, nymphomaniac widow. I believed her to be exactly what she was – eye candy positioned to keep male viewers' eyes on the screen, no less than a playboy bunny or a cheerleader. A woman closer to Cooper's age, a woman who shows the knocks that life can leave on a person (as scruffy Cooper does) would have been more believable but less commercial. Given the very commercial choice to go with a gorgeous young woman and to parade her assets in every scene, the movie seemed less true, less daring than it thinks of itself as being.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-130

ur2366009

title: Cooper Outacts DeNiro in Grating, Sometimes Endearing Film review: "Silver Linings Playbook" is a grating, occasionally endearing and humorous portrait of a bipolar misfit attempting to create a livable life after his release from a court-mandated stay in a mental institution. Pat (Bradley Cooper) chases his wife, unseen for most of the film. She has a fulltime job as a high school English teacher. Pat has no job and lives in his parents' attic. His parents, Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver (whom I thought was Sally Struthers) are themselves no prize winners. Dad is an obsessive compulsive football fan and gambler who insists that his son Pat must sit next to him during games while holding a green handkerchief in order for his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, to win. Mom cooks and whines a lot. Pat meets Tiffany, a very, very hot young widow. She falls in love with him at first sight, but he resists her, because he wants to get back with his wife. The best reason to see this film is Bradley Cooper's performance. He is terrific as a man with limited cards playing them the best way he knows how, given his limited awareness, abilities and options. Your heart aches for him. He often behaves in outrageous, indeed, illegal ways, but his insanity is an expression of real sanity in a couple of scenes. He vehemently rejects Ernest Hemingway's decisions in "Farewell to Arms" and he rescues his brother from racist thugs. The movie as a whole failed to take flight for me. I found the main characters to be too grating, and I needed a respite or an artistic intervention that would make their qualities more bearable. There was an opportunity for that. Tiffany is a dancer, and she and Pat train to compete in a dance contest. After lengthy, detailed scenes of ugly, irrational and loud familial manipulations, false hope, and dysfunction, I could have used some well-presented music and dance. The director doesn't take advantage of that, though, and the film just squats there, annoying the audience. The film's end is less a resolution and more of a "we're out of time here so let's wrap things up." Jennifer Lawrence is spectacularly beautiful, and very young. She's fifteen years younger than Cooper and far too young to be convincing as a grieving widow. She is costumed in skintight leggings and bratops that emphasize her long, slim legs and considerable frontal and posterior assets. Her skin is flawless. I could did not, for one second, believe this vision of health and loveliness to be a desperate, medicated, marginal, screwed up, nymphomaniac widow. I believed her to be exactly what she was – eye candy positioned to keep male viewers' eyes on the screen, no less than a playboy bunny or a cheerleader. A woman closer to Cooper's age, a woman who shows the knocks that life can leave on a person (as scruffy Cooper does) would have been more believable but less commercial. Given the very commercial choice to go with a gorgeous young woman and to parade her assets in every scene, the movie seemed less true, less daring than it thinks of itself as being.

I liked it!

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I liked this film, but I do not think it deserves all the awards it was given.Acting is excellent, what a cast! Dialogue is fast and dynamic! I really enjoyed it.This film shows well psychiatric illness. It is all too common in your and my neighborhood. Do pills help? In some cases they do.And why is he running around the neighborhood with a plastic bag on the top of his body? I guess he is crazy! And she was a slut and she is not anymore? Give me a break! If you have someone crazy in your family this is a film for you!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-602

ur6879155

title: I liked it! review: I liked this film, but I do not think it deserves all the awards it was given.Acting is excellent, what a cast! Dialogue is fast and dynamic! I really enjoyed it.This film shows well psychiatric illness. It is all too common in your and my neighborhood. Do pills help? In some cases they do.And why is he running around the neighborhood with a plastic bag on the top of his body? I guess he is crazy! And she was a slut and she is not anymore? Give me a break! If you have someone crazy in your family this is a film for you!

Every cloud.....

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It's frustrating you know, watching a film where two people who are clearly meant for each other struggle to discover that conclusion for themselves. They argue, fight and do all they can to avoid the inevitable... to no avail. Of course it does help when the pair are likable enough for us to root for them, and here Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence have an instant rapport, and we love them as much as they eventually will one another. In another time-honoured movie tradition, both are borderline crazy, and yet seem to be so much wiser and perceptive than their other, supposedly sane family and friends. They might lose their temper for no reason and cause scenes in public places, but at least they're not afraid of speaking their minds and have firm plans in motion.Oh yes, the 'plan'. This is what the movies boils down to... the "Silver Linings Playbook". Think positively about everything, and refuse to let doubt get in the way of your goal. Good luck with THAT. If this film proves anything, it's that the unexpected always get in your way... and if you think life is just a straight highway to your destination, you're in shock. And just like reality, the dialogue here is rich with emotion and humour... these characters jump off the page and become full functioning human beings we care about. During the final act when everything is at stake, if you're not on the edge of your seat cheering them on, check your pulse... you may be dead. A lovely movie. 7/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-562

ur37327729

title: Every cloud..... review: It's frustrating you know, watching a film where two people who are clearly meant for each other struggle to discover that conclusion for themselves. They argue, fight and do all they can to avoid the inevitable... to no avail. Of course it does help when the pair are likable enough for us to root for them, and here Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence have an instant rapport, and we love them as much as they eventually will one another. In another time-honoured movie tradition, both are borderline crazy, and yet seem to be so much wiser and perceptive than their other, supposedly sane family and friends. They might lose their temper for no reason and cause scenes in public places, but at least they're not afraid of speaking their minds and have firm plans in motion.Oh yes, the 'plan'. This is what the movies boils down to... the "Silver Linings Playbook". Think positively about everything, and refuse to let doubt get in the way of your goal. Good luck with THAT. If this film proves anything, it's that the unexpected always get in your way... and if you think life is just a straight highway to your destination, you're in shock. And just like reality, the dialogue here is rich with emotion and humour... these characters jump off the page and become full functioning human beings we care about. During the final act when everything is at stake, if you're not on the edge of your seat cheering them on, check your pulse... you may be dead. A lovely movie. 7/10

Buddhism and Tsundere

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Recently, I read several books about Buddhism and wrote the entry "Exoteric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism: Buddha, Wittgenstein, and Me." In this entry, I summarized Buddha's teachings as follows.========== Early Buddhism was exoteric. Buddha's original teaching was very simple. Our lives are full of pain and nobody can run away from it. There is nothing eternal and everything is changing in this world. He said that we should just accept this. In other words, it is the truth that there was no way to escape our painful lives, but we just had to accept such a cruel truth. It is too hard for ordinary people to accept it.==========I watched the film "Silver Linings Playbook" and found the way how main characters in this film overcame their problems was quite Buddhistic.The main character, Pat, played by Bradley Cooper, obsessed his wife, who betrayed him. He believed that his wife still loved him, but people around him knew that she didn't love him any more. He suffered from bipolar disorder, and his obsession about his wife made him lose control.The opposite character, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, obsessed his husband, who was killed by a traffic accident. She couldn't accept the fact that her husband was dead. She also lost control by her obsession about him.Buddha might say that both of them should accept the fact, even if it was cruel, and it was the only way to overcome their pain.In this film, they started training dance in preparation for a competition. At first, Pat couldn't understand why he should dance, but he became deeply involved in dance and gradually got freed from his obsession. While he was dancing, he didn't think about anything. Dance itself wasn't important, but devotion to dance was important.Buddha just meditated and realized the truth, and Pat just danced and was freed from his obsession.I'll change the subject.The character of Tiffany was typically "tsundere(ツンデレ).""Tsundere" is a type of heroines in Japanese anime. "Tsun tsun" means being sullen or arrogant, and "dere dere" means being sweet or charming. At first a "tsundere" heroin behaves toward the main character coldly, and sometimes they fight each other. He doesn't understand why she is so cold to him at all. After they find that they love each other, she dramatically turns to be sweet to him.Tiffany in "Silver Linings Playbook" showed up on Pat as an eccentric and rude woman. In other words, she was completely "tsun tsun." In the last part of this film, she turned to be "dere dere."Jennifer Lawrence perfectly played the role of "tsundere" heroin and was so cute. Her performance was worth the Oscar award.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-558

ur44722272

title: Buddhism and Tsundere review: Recently, I read several books about Buddhism and wrote the entry "Exoteric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism: Buddha, Wittgenstein, and Me." In this entry, I summarized Buddha's teachings as follows.========== Early Buddhism was exoteric. Buddha's original teaching was very simple. Our lives are full of pain and nobody can run away from it. There is nothing eternal and everything is changing in this world. He said that we should just accept this. In other words, it is the truth that there was no way to escape our painful lives, but we just had to accept such a cruel truth. It is too hard for ordinary people to accept it.==========I watched the film "Silver Linings Playbook" and found the way how main characters in this film overcame their problems was quite Buddhistic.The main character, Pat, played by Bradley Cooper, obsessed his wife, who betrayed him. He believed that his wife still loved him, but people around him knew that she didn't love him any more. He suffered from bipolar disorder, and his obsession about his wife made him lose control.The opposite character, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, obsessed his husband, who was killed by a traffic accident. She couldn't accept the fact that her husband was dead. She also lost control by her obsession about him.Buddha might say that both of them should accept the fact, even if it was cruel, and it was the only way to overcome their pain.In this film, they started training dance in preparation for a competition. At first, Pat couldn't understand why he should dance, but he became deeply involved in dance and gradually got freed from his obsession. While he was dancing, he didn't think about anything. Dance itself wasn't important, but devotion to dance was important.Buddha just meditated and realized the truth, and Pat just danced and was freed from his obsession.I'll change the subject.The character of Tiffany was typically "tsundere(ツンデレ).""Tsundere" is a type of heroines in Japanese anime. "Tsun tsun" means being sullen or arrogant, and "dere dere" means being sweet or charming. At first a "tsundere" heroin behaves toward the main character coldly, and sometimes they fight each other. He doesn't understand why she is so cold to him at all. After they find that they love each other, she dramatically turns to be sweet to him.Tiffany in "Silver Linings Playbook" showed up on Pat as an eccentric and rude woman. In other words, she was completely "tsun tsun." In the last part of this film, she turned to be "dere dere."Jennifer Lawrence perfectly played the role of "tsundere" heroin and was so cute. Her performance was worth the Oscar award.

The meaning of true love...

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"Silver Linings Playbook" is a nice movie and I liked it for many reasons but I have to say that I expected more from Bradley Cooper. This movie has to do with a teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) who moves back in with his parents and he tries to regain his relationship with his ex-wife.I liked in this movie very much the interpretation of Jennifer Lawrence and I believe that she deserved the Oscar for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role of 2013. I have to say that I expected more form Bradley Cooper and I believe that he did not give us the 100% of his acting. An another interpretation that I want to mention is Robert De Niro's which I found it just perfect.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-619

ur33907744

title: The meaning of true love... review: "Silver Linings Playbook" is a nice movie and I liked it for many reasons but I have to say that I expected more from Bradley Cooper. This movie has to do with a teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) who moves back in with his parents and he tries to regain his relationship with his ex-wife.I liked in this movie very much the interpretation of Jennifer Lawrence and I believe that she deserved the Oscar for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role of 2013. I have to say that I expected more form Bradley Cooper and I believe that he did not give us the 100% of his acting. An another interpretation that I want to mention is Robert De Niro's which I found it just perfect.

'Silver Linings Playbook' just works in every way! It's one of the most feel-good films of all time!

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Mental illness is an issue all over the world. It ruins lives and causes many problems. Mental illness can also cause goodness. In David O.Russell's terrific film 'Silver Lining's Playbook' we see two unique characters, Pat and Tiffany, who struggle from emotional and mental problems. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, an ex-teacher who is recently released from a mental health institution. Pat tries to make his life better by working things out with his relationships. His wife left him due to his problems and cheated on him before hand. Pat has extreme anger issues that are revealed multiple times, and are especially powerful in an intense fight between him and his tough father played by Robert De Niro. Pat is agitated easily, is pretty lonely, isn't happy with the way things are going, and then meets Tiffany. She has her own issues. Tiffany is played exceptionally by Jennifer Lawrence. Tiffany is unemployed due to sexual matter, has a deceased husband, has anger and emotional issues, and doesn't really have anyone in her life. As the two form a relationship, they enter a dance competition which helps their friendship grow. What's excellent about this film is that it shows what it's like having mental illness and how it can be solved. The themes of friendship, acceptance, and love show how people can fight mental illness. It also shows how people who have struggles are still people and should be treated as so. Every actor was terrific. Bradley Cooper proves he's more than just a comedian by giving the best performance of an actor in 2012. Jennifer Lawrence gives a break-through performance as well. The supporting cast including Jackie Weaver and Robert De Niro are wonderful and realistic as well. David O.Russell's screenplay is so rich and contains excellent characters and themes and is overall a healthy, delightful, feel-good story. He also adds monumental directing to capture the change and glory of the characters to make this one of the most inspiring films you'll ever see!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-660

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title: 'Silver Linings Playbook' just works in every way! It's one of the most feel-good films of all time! review: Mental illness is an issue all over the world. It ruins lives and causes many problems. Mental illness can also cause goodness. In David O.Russell's terrific film 'Silver Lining's Playbook' we see two unique characters, Pat and Tiffany, who struggle from emotional and mental problems. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, an ex-teacher who is recently released from a mental health institution. Pat tries to make his life better by working things out with his relationships. His wife left him due to his problems and cheated on him before hand. Pat has extreme anger issues that are revealed multiple times, and are especially powerful in an intense fight between him and his tough father played by Robert De Niro. Pat is agitated easily, is pretty lonely, isn't happy with the way things are going, and then meets Tiffany. She has her own issues. Tiffany is played exceptionally by Jennifer Lawrence. Tiffany is unemployed due to sexual matter, has a deceased husband, has anger and emotional issues, and doesn't really have anyone in her life. As the two form a relationship, they enter a dance competition which helps their friendship grow. What's excellent about this film is that it shows what it's like having mental illness and how it can be solved. The themes of friendship, acceptance, and love show how people can fight mental illness. It also shows how people who have struggles are still people and should be treated as so. Every actor was terrific. Bradley Cooper proves he's more than just a comedian by giving the best performance of an actor in 2012. Jennifer Lawrence gives a break-through performance as well. The supporting cast including Jackie Weaver and Robert De Niro are wonderful and realistic as well. David O.Russell's screenplay is so rich and contains excellent characters and themes and is overall a healthy, delightful, feel-good story. He also adds monumental directing to capture the change and glory of the characters to make this one of the most inspiring films you'll ever see!

Worth a punt!...

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I found it a little hard to get into at first with Bradley Cooper over- acting in places, which was beginning to put me off. The introduction of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) though changed all that and the narrative began to make more sense. All the performances were excellent with (for me) Jennifer Lawrence standing out. Yes, I know De Niro is there but he's really not a major character although he does play his part very well. Bradley Cooper was good, but no better really than I have seen him before. The action is littered with an awful lot of music, some I was familiar with and some not so much; all of it fitted the visuals well though and it made for a welcome enhancement to the entertainment. Over all I found it a well rounded romantic comedy (with some drama thrown in for good measure) and just a twist of quirkiness. It even touched me on an emotional level (a rare thing these days) so it gets a pretty high recommendation from me.SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDMy score: 8.3/10.You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-560

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title: Worth a punt!... review: I found it a little hard to get into at first with Bradley Cooper over- acting in places, which was beginning to put me off. The introduction of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) though changed all that and the narrative began to make more sense. All the performances were excellent with (for me) Jennifer Lawrence standing out. Yes, I know De Niro is there but he's really not a major character although he does play his part very well. Bradley Cooper was good, but no better really than I have seen him before. The action is littered with an awful lot of music, some I was familiar with and some not so much; all of it fitted the visuals well though and it made for a welcome enhancement to the entertainment. Over all I found it a well rounded romantic comedy (with some drama thrown in for good measure) and just a twist of quirkiness. It even touched me on an emotional level (a rare thing these days) so it gets a pretty high recommendation from me.SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDMy score: 8.3/10.You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

Damaged Relationships

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About a week ago I saw all these mentions of possible award recognitions for both Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Lawrence's inclusion didn't surprise me because I had seen her memorable work in this year's "Hunger Games" and her turn in "Winter's Bone" a couple of years ago. Cooper's puzzled me because he is famous for his effective but lightweight turns in comedies and a disappointing serious turn in an earlier 2012 film. My interest was piqued, but I was hesitant because Russell's "The Fighter" didn't exactly thrill me. That perception certainly didn't prepare me for a most pleasant surprise in "Silver Linings"."Linings" doesn't give much time to prepare for its intensity. From its earliest frames, Bradley Cooper makes a formidable entrance, giving us a preview of how troubled and disturbed his character is. In other films, we have seen the actor's tricks and desperate call for the audience to admire how good they were. None of that is here. Bradley's physical moves and powerful stares justify the character's history. It's not surprising the neighborhood isn't welcoming back. Even his own family who loves him dearly, hesitates in getting closer because the man is a walking time bomb.Bradley's performance is more powerful and accessible than the one Phoenix gives in "The Master". It's direct, clear, with a pain we can relate to because it has clear origins, and it resonates with rawness. We can sympathize with his ordeal, even when we don't understand why he fell so hard and resists people's help. Just when we are getting "used" and involved in this man's story, we meet another bruised soul, and there is fire to match in Tiffany's (Lawrence)acting. She is, in fact, giving a quieter performance at first, but we can't look away because there's something daring about showing her flaws and still finding room in her life to get closer to someone potentially problematic for her.Both leads have fantastic chemistry, showing how each is drawn to the other by curiosity, physical attraction, and compassion. After all, they surely can relate to her painful losses. Much of the movie's pleasures originate in seeing how this partnership will turn out. We are not sure if they can handle each other, whether this is a good idea at all, and there is a sense of pessimism because we feel this couldn't turn out well.The ads certainly promised humor in this film, and I kept thinking that such sadness and madness couldn't have any room for any of that, without diluting the power of the conflict, but there are moments when we'll have a laugh, which originates in the sincerity of the film's screenplay and how real the characters feel.In all honesty, the film works because both Cooper and Lawrence are giving probably the best performances of the year. In fact, they're so good, they lift a fine supporting cast, and De Niro, as Pat's peculiar father manages to shine in a couple of scenes. There's something very satisfying about the ending, which is hard to envision at first, but we keep hoping for, as the relationship evolves. Be prepared to see one of the best films of the year.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-34

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title: Damaged Relationships review: About a week ago I saw all these mentions of possible award recognitions for both Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Lawrence's inclusion didn't surprise me because I had seen her memorable work in this year's "Hunger Games" and her turn in "Winter's Bone" a couple of years ago. Cooper's puzzled me because he is famous for his effective but lightweight turns in comedies and a disappointing serious turn in an earlier 2012 film. My interest was piqued, but I was hesitant because Russell's "The Fighter" didn't exactly thrill me. That perception certainly didn't prepare me for a most pleasant surprise in "Silver Linings"."Linings" doesn't give much time to prepare for its intensity. From its earliest frames, Bradley Cooper makes a formidable entrance, giving us a preview of how troubled and disturbed his character is. In other films, we have seen the actor's tricks and desperate call for the audience to admire how good they were. None of that is here. Bradley's physical moves and powerful stares justify the character's history. It's not surprising the neighborhood isn't welcoming back. Even his own family who loves him dearly, hesitates in getting closer because the man is a walking time bomb.Bradley's performance is more powerful and accessible than the one Phoenix gives in "The Master". It's direct, clear, with a pain we can relate to because it has clear origins, and it resonates with rawness. We can sympathize with his ordeal, even when we don't understand why he fell so hard and resists people's help. Just when we are getting "used" and involved in this man's story, we meet another bruised soul, and there is fire to match in Tiffany's (Lawrence)acting. She is, in fact, giving a quieter performance at first, but we can't look away because there's something daring about showing her flaws and still finding room in her life to get closer to someone potentially problematic for her.Both leads have fantastic chemistry, showing how each is drawn to the other by curiosity, physical attraction, and compassion. After all, they surely can relate to her painful losses. Much of the movie's pleasures originate in seeing how this partnership will turn out. We are not sure if they can handle each other, whether this is a good idea at all, and there is a sense of pessimism because we feel this couldn't turn out well.The ads certainly promised humor in this film, and I kept thinking that such sadness and madness couldn't have any room for any of that, without diluting the power of the conflict, but there are moments when we'll have a laugh, which originates in the sincerity of the film's screenplay and how real the characters feel.In all honesty, the film works because both Cooper and Lawrence are giving probably the best performances of the year. In fact, they're so good, they lift a fine supporting cast, and De Niro, as Pat's peculiar father manages to shine in a couple of scenes. There's something very satisfying about the ending, which is hard to envision at first, but we keep hoping for, as the relationship evolves. Be prepared to see one of the best films of the year.

Amazing Romantic Comedy

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This is a movie that hits all the romantic comedy tropes: the meet cute, time spent circling each other, montage where they grow closer, epiphany, overcome some obstacle and kiss at the end.It's a traditional formula. So, why is it so good? Because it subverts what makes these tropes unbearable. The meet cute is an agonizing, awkward scene. The time where they circle each other is heart wrenching. The montage is fraught with truly touching moments of growth. And when they beat the odds and finally allow themselves to fall for each other, it is a beautiful, touching scene that you, in spite of seeing from the beginning of the movie, want to actually cheer for these two characters.It is all rooted in the performances. David O. Russell tells a story that draws you in because of the relatability of these characters as the try to come to grips with some very serious situations. But, what is most beautiful about this movie, is that this movie never shies away from the ugliness that these characters are capable of. You know they are good people, but they are dealing with significant mental issues. Which makes the climax and epilogue that much more beautiful. You feel like these characters have earned their happiness, not just stumble upon it like so many movies.This is a wonderful movie that has a tremendous heart to it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-183

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title: Amazing Romantic Comedy review: This is a movie that hits all the romantic comedy tropes: the meet cute, time spent circling each other, montage where they grow closer, epiphany, overcome some obstacle and kiss at the end.It's a traditional formula. So, why is it so good? Because it subverts what makes these tropes unbearable. The meet cute is an agonizing, awkward scene. The time where they circle each other is heart wrenching. The montage is fraught with truly touching moments of growth. And when they beat the odds and finally allow themselves to fall for each other, it is a beautiful, touching scene that you, in spite of seeing from the beginning of the movie, want to actually cheer for these two characters.It is all rooted in the performances. David O. Russell tells a story that draws you in because of the relatability of these characters as the try to come to grips with some very serious situations. But, what is most beautiful about this movie, is that this movie never shies away from the ugliness that these characters are capable of. You know they are good people, but they are dealing with significant mental issues. Which makes the climax and epilogue that much more beautiful. You feel like these characters have earned their happiness, not just stumble upon it like so many movies.This is a wonderful movie that has a tremendous heart to it.

Bipolarity

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You're always glad, when you find a intelligent comedy, after having watched too many idiotic, semi-idiotic and quarter-idiotic ones. But is it really a comedy? Many things go around under the surface of the heroes.You've heard and seen much from Tracy/Hepburn, but Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are better. They can both explode any second and you can't say when they are happy or miserable, which makes them like something arriving from a thing called life.The only thing which maybe degrades this a little are the almost slapstick scenes we have here with Robert De Niro. There's no need for it in this heavy drama.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-408

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title: Bipolarity review: You're always glad, when you find a intelligent comedy, after having watched too many idiotic, semi-idiotic and quarter-idiotic ones. But is it really a comedy? Many things go around under the surface of the heroes.You've heard and seen much from Tracy/Hepburn, but Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are better. They can both explode any second and you can't say when they are happy or miserable, which makes them like something arriving from a thing called life.The only thing which maybe degrades this a little are the almost slapstick scenes we have here with Robert De Niro. There's no need for it in this heavy drama.

Excelsior Strategy

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Greetings again from the darkness. The film is exactly what you would expect from a screwball romantic comedy steeped in drama based on bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, Philadelphia Eagles fanatics, a ballroom dancing contest, adultery, Hemingway, and a lead character who jogs while wearing a trash bag. Maybe not exactly what you would expect, but more likely much more.If you were told instead that the story is based on two damaged souls who help heal each other through dancing, you would have every reason to skip this one. However, as written and directed by David O Russell (The Fighter) and based on Matthew Quick's novel, this story is a frenetic, emotional roller coaster ride that provides a glimmer of hope for the two damaged lead characters, while reminding that each of us may be a bit off-center in some way. Now add in the best young actress working today (Jennifer Lawrence just turned 22), a rare performance from Robert DeNiro where he seems fully engaged, a pulling back the curtain on Bradley Cooper as much more than a pretty face, and one of the best and most precise soundtracks in recent history ... now you have one of the best films of the year.What you notice very early on is that what could be considered a trite story line, is instead pounding you with sharp, witty dialogue that pulls no punches in directness. The many aspects of family and emotional support are given time thanks to Pat (Bradley Cooper) being released after 8 months in a mental institution. He was sent there when he snapped after finding his wife in a compromising position with another man. Perfectly understandable if you ask me, but clearly he is the explosive one despite his claims to the contrary. An uncomfortable dinner party introduces him to Tiffany (Ms. Lawrence) whose husband has recently died and her coping skills have been shared with most of those in her workplace. This odd couple spark immediately and the wild ride begins.Pat's wife Nikki (Brea Bee) has issued a restraining order and Pat's strategy to win her back involves a positive attitude and maintaining control of his emotions. His supporters include his mother (Jacki Weaver, who was so great in Animal Kingdom), his OCD father (DeNiro) who so wants to re-connect with his son, his friend (John Ortiz) whose own marriage (to icy Julia Stiles) is a messy mess, his buddy from the asylum (a funny and not over the top Chris Tucker), and of course, Tiffany. The only real problem is that each of these supporters are teetering in their own way just like Pat.The brilliance of this movie is the balance struck between the near violent emotional outbursts and the sharp, exacting words spouted by each of the characters. Director Russell once again shows his flair for working class northeasterners. He understands these tough as nails people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. These people are as likely to punch you as hug you ... and both are acts of love.The soundtrack deserves special mention. It is very unique and varied, with each song serving an exact purpose. Especially keen are Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour", Led Zeppelin's "What is and What Should Be", and "The Girl from the North Country" a Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash duet. When the music strikes a harmony with the scene, the movie is all the stronger. Rarely do we get the perfect storm of script, direction, acting, music and relevance.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-38

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title: Excelsior Strategy review: Greetings again from the darkness. The film is exactly what you would expect from a screwball romantic comedy steeped in drama based on bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, Philadelphia Eagles fanatics, a ballroom dancing contest, adultery, Hemingway, and a lead character who jogs while wearing a trash bag. Maybe not exactly what you would expect, but more likely much more.If you were told instead that the story is based on two damaged souls who help heal each other through dancing, you would have every reason to skip this one. However, as written and directed by David O Russell (The Fighter) and based on Matthew Quick's novel, this story is a frenetic, emotional roller coaster ride that provides a glimmer of hope for the two damaged lead characters, while reminding that each of us may be a bit off-center in some way. Now add in the best young actress working today (Jennifer Lawrence just turned 22), a rare performance from Robert DeNiro where he seems fully engaged, a pulling back the curtain on Bradley Cooper as much more than a pretty face, and one of the best and most precise soundtracks in recent history ... now you have one of the best films of the year.What you notice very early on is that what could be considered a trite story line, is instead pounding you with sharp, witty dialogue that pulls no punches in directness. The many aspects of family and emotional support are given time thanks to Pat (Bradley Cooper) being released after 8 months in a mental institution. He was sent there when he snapped after finding his wife in a compromising position with another man. Perfectly understandable if you ask me, but clearly he is the explosive one despite his claims to the contrary. An uncomfortable dinner party introduces him to Tiffany (Ms. Lawrence) whose husband has recently died and her coping skills have been shared with most of those in her workplace. This odd couple spark immediately and the wild ride begins.Pat's wife Nikki (Brea Bee) has issued a restraining order and Pat's strategy to win her back involves a positive attitude and maintaining control of his emotions. His supporters include his mother (Jacki Weaver, who was so great in Animal Kingdom), his OCD father (DeNiro) who so wants to re-connect with his son, his friend (John Ortiz) whose own marriage (to icy Julia Stiles) is a messy mess, his buddy from the asylum (a funny and not over the top Chris Tucker), and of course, Tiffany. The only real problem is that each of these supporters are teetering in their own way just like Pat.The brilliance of this movie is the balance struck between the near violent emotional outbursts and the sharp, exacting words spouted by each of the characters. Director Russell once again shows his flair for working class northeasterners. He understands these tough as nails people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. These people are as likely to punch you as hug you ... and both are acts of love.The soundtrack deserves special mention. It is very unique and varied, with each song serving an exact purpose. Especially keen are Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour", Led Zeppelin's "What is and What Should Be", and "The Girl from the North Country" a Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash duet. When the music strikes a harmony with the scene, the movie is all the stronger. Rarely do we get the perfect storm of script, direction, acting, music and relevance.

Crazy brilliant love.

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David O'Russell's new movie Silver Linings Playbook could possibly become a classic some day. It's got the kind of mood, story, and performances that nobody will forget for a long time. It's a funny and charming romantic comedy that happens to be the best romantic comedy in recent years, thanks in part to the bizarre chemistry (does that make sense? It will) of the two leads.Bradley Cooper is better than ever as Pat, a bipolar guy who has just been released from the loony bin. He was sent there for beating the crap out of his wife's mister. But he stills loves her, and he is trying desperately to win her back. Then he meets Tiffany (the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence), a bizarre widow who happens to be the solution to his problem.Pat needs to communicate with his wife, but due to a restraining order that is difficult. Tiffany tells him that if he participates with her in a dancing competition, then she will deliver messages to his wife. In the meanwhile, Pat is having some family issues with his father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro in his best performance in years), and his father needs him in order to save his pension (I won't spoil why).O'Russell's previous film The Fighter was about family, and at the heart of this one it is too. Apparently Robert DeNiro was in tears when he read this script. That sounds horrifying. Like that movie, Silver Linings Playbook is special because of its performances. The stand-out in that one, if I had to pick one, would be Christian Bale. The stand-out here (it's hard to pick) would be Jennifer Lawrence.Lawrence, who is a front runner at the Oscars, is better than ever here. She's a knockout. She's wild, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Every scene with her and Cooper are the best. But the best moment in the movie (besides their sexy dance scene) is when her and Robert DeNiro have a hilarious confrontation.SLP is the year's best comedy, and one of the years best movies. It's as if Cooper and O'Russell have completely changed their train of thought here and decided to bring us something special. It takes those romantic Katherine Heigl rom-coms and puts them in the corner of shame. Woody Allen wouldn't even write something like this, even though Vicky Cristina Barcelona was kind of wild. SLP is one of the year's most entertaining movies. See it before Oscar night.A-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-258

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title: Crazy brilliant love. review: David O'Russell's new movie Silver Linings Playbook could possibly become a classic some day. It's got the kind of mood, story, and performances that nobody will forget for a long time. It's a funny and charming romantic comedy that happens to be the best romantic comedy in recent years, thanks in part to the bizarre chemistry (does that make sense? It will) of the two leads.Bradley Cooper is better than ever as Pat, a bipolar guy who has just been released from the loony bin. He was sent there for beating the crap out of his wife's mister. But he stills loves her, and he is trying desperately to win her back. Then he meets Tiffany (the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence), a bizarre widow who happens to be the solution to his problem.Pat needs to communicate with his wife, but due to a restraining order that is difficult. Tiffany tells him that if he participates with her in a dancing competition, then she will deliver messages to his wife. In the meanwhile, Pat is having some family issues with his father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro in his best performance in years), and his father needs him in order to save his pension (I won't spoil why).O'Russell's previous film The Fighter was about family, and at the heart of this one it is too. Apparently Robert DeNiro was in tears when he read this script. That sounds horrifying. Like that movie, Silver Linings Playbook is special because of its performances. The stand-out in that one, if I had to pick one, would be Christian Bale. The stand-out here (it's hard to pick) would be Jennifer Lawrence.Lawrence, who is a front runner at the Oscars, is better than ever here. She's a knockout. She's wild, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Every scene with her and Cooper are the best. But the best moment in the movie (besides their sexy dance scene) is when her and Robert DeNiro have a hilarious confrontation.SLP is the year's best comedy, and one of the years best movies. It's as if Cooper and O'Russell have completely changed their train of thought here and decided to bring us something special. It takes those romantic Katherine Heigl rom-coms and puts them in the corner of shame. Woody Allen wouldn't even write something like this, even though Vicky Cristina Barcelona was kind of wild. SLP is one of the year's most entertaining movies. See it before Oscar night.A-

Silver Linings Playbook deserves all the accolades it gets

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When my movie theatre-working friend suggested seeing a film yesterday, this was the only one currently out that neither of us had seen yet that I wanted to watch. And both of us were very glad for the choice! I mean, you wouldn't think a romantic comedy-drama about two emotionally or mentally depressed people possibly falling in love would hold much appeal but it did for me and my friend. And, yes, I did like the performances of both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in their roles and they're also both pleasing to the eyes so there's that, too! And I also liked Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver as Cooper's parents so they also deserved their Oscar nominations as much as Cooper and Ms. Lawrence. Also so glad Ms. Lawrence got her Golden Globe and if she wins her Academy Award, I'll be even more happy! Really, despite all the messy emotions that are explored here or maybe because of all that, I really enjoyed and highly recommend Silver Linings Playbook!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-274

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title: Silver Linings Playbook deserves all the accolades it gets review: When my movie theatre-working friend suggested seeing a film yesterday, this was the only one currently out that neither of us had seen yet that I wanted to watch. And both of us were very glad for the choice! I mean, you wouldn't think a romantic comedy-drama about two emotionally or mentally depressed people possibly falling in love would hold much appeal but it did for me and my friend. And, yes, I did like the performances of both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in their roles and they're also both pleasing to the eyes so there's that, too! And I also liked Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver as Cooper's parents so they also deserved their Oscar nominations as much as Cooper and Ms. Lawrence. Also so glad Ms. Lawrence got her Golden Globe and if she wins her Academy Award, I'll be even more happy! Really, despite all the messy emotions that are explored here or maybe because of all that, I really enjoyed and highly recommend Silver Linings Playbook!

Romantic comedies suck. This does not.

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This film is much more than a romantic comedy (which is a genre generally consisting of steaming pile of crap), although it is that too. It's a wonderful mess of drama, comedy, romance, dialogue and a certain warm sense of honesty that at times seems to fall apart, yet never does.Mental health problems and a certain dark and brutal sense of honesty that can arise from such things are well represented here. It's never too hard on you (although I wish that it was), but it doesn't lose its honest touch either. Even if things are portrayed in a funny way and some corners are cut short, it keeps everything just realistic enough. I'm a nutjob myself, many hospitals, treatments and drugs behind me, and I appreciated the way these issues were handled. I heartily laughed at the scene where the main characters had a humorous discussion about the drugs they've taken.This film manages to avoid preaching. Even though mental health problems are dealt with, it isn't a documentary or solely a representation of mental illnesses and how to treat them, no. After all, it is still just a movie with a story to tell. And the story is a hilarious mess. We got a reconciliation theme, therapy sessions, sports, gambling, dancing contests and you name it. This should not make any sense at all, but it does. I managed to be surprised by about half the turns the movie made. However, if you're looking for a thrilling storyline or an engaging plot, you might be disappointed. It feels like a bunch of somewhat random scenes and events. These scenes are well tied together and the red line is constantly present, but if you judge it only as a linear story, it isn't that great.Bradley Cooper steals the show. He's fantastic, and by now it's certain that he's not just a pretty boy. Although "stealing the show" might be the wrong term, since everyone else is good too. Jennifer Lawrence is very good, as is Robert DeNiro, and even Chris Tucker is alright. Imagine that.The screenplay is good and well directed. David O. Russell has a reputation of being an ass at times, but he sure knows his stuff. Now I'm curious about the original book too, I hope I can find it from my local library.It's not perfect though. After about one hour, the film seems to lose some of its magic and touch. It comes back eventually for awhile, but it still leaves a little stain on this otherwise great movie. I felt that some dramatic potential was lost during those moments.That said, I would recommend this movie for everyone. If you got mental health problems, marital problems, or ANY problems, you might enjoy the positivity this movie squeezes from serious subjects. The positivity is surprising and also rewarding, which is quite rare. You will also probably see something in these characters that you recognize. I recognized myself and many people in my life, many times.Hey, I feel good after seeing this. I missed this feeling.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-620

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title: Romantic comedies suck. This does not. review: This film is much more than a romantic comedy (which is a genre generally consisting of steaming pile of crap), although it is that too. It's a wonderful mess of drama, comedy, romance, dialogue and a certain warm sense of honesty that at times seems to fall apart, yet never does.Mental health problems and a certain dark and brutal sense of honesty that can arise from such things are well represented here. It's never too hard on you (although I wish that it was), but it doesn't lose its honest touch either. Even if things are portrayed in a funny way and some corners are cut short, it keeps everything just realistic enough. I'm a nutjob myself, many hospitals, treatments and drugs behind me, and I appreciated the way these issues were handled. I heartily laughed at the scene where the main characters had a humorous discussion about the drugs they've taken.This film manages to avoid preaching. Even though mental health problems are dealt with, it isn't a documentary or solely a representation of mental illnesses and how to treat them, no. After all, it is still just a movie with a story to tell. And the story is a hilarious mess. We got a reconciliation theme, therapy sessions, sports, gambling, dancing contests and you name it. This should not make any sense at all, but it does. I managed to be surprised by about half the turns the movie made. However, if you're looking for a thrilling storyline or an engaging plot, you might be disappointed. It feels like a bunch of somewhat random scenes and events. These scenes are well tied together and the red line is constantly present, but if you judge it only as a linear story, it isn't that great.Bradley Cooper steals the show. He's fantastic, and by now it's certain that he's not just a pretty boy. Although "stealing the show" might be the wrong term, since everyone else is good too. Jennifer Lawrence is very good, as is Robert DeNiro, and even Chris Tucker is alright. Imagine that.The screenplay is good and well directed. David O. Russell has a reputation of being an ass at times, but he sure knows his stuff. Now I'm curious about the original book too, I hope I can find it from my local library.It's not perfect though. After about one hour, the film seems to lose some of its magic and touch. It comes back eventually for awhile, but it still leaves a little stain on this otherwise great movie. I felt that some dramatic potential was lost during those moments.That said, I would recommend this movie for everyone. If you got mental health problems, marital problems, or ANY problems, you might enjoy the positivity this movie squeezes from serious subjects. The positivity is surprising and also rewarding, which is quite rare. You will also probably see something in these characters that you recognize. I recognized myself and many people in my life, many times.Hey, I feel good after seeing this. I missed this feeling.

Brilliant!

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Adapted from the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, David O. Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' is a Brilliant film in all respects. Marvelously written, prolifically directed & astonishing acted, here's a near classic! 'Silver Linings Playbook' Synopsis: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.'Silver Linings Playbook' defines Great Cinema. Russell's Screenplay is marvelous. Here's a story that is realistic, funny & extremely believable. The characters are real, their situations are real & their decisions are real. Russell's Direction is prolific, he handles this comedy-drama like a pro. He outdoes himself in here. A Special Mention for the wonderful Cinematography by the talented Masanobu Takayanagi.Performance-Wise: Bradley Cooper leads the film with a tour-de-force performance. Cooper sinks his teeth into the character & is magnificent from start to end. Jennifer Lawrence is one hell of a performer & her performance in here proves that fact right, yet again. Bob De Niro is terrific, enacting the supporting player with panache. Jacki Weaver is lovable. Chris Tucker & Anupam Kher are fantastic, while Julia Stiles is natural to the core.On the whole, 'Silver Linings Playbook' is so good, it can go down in Cinema History. Two Big Thumbs Up!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-160

ur8503729

title: Brilliant! review: Adapted from the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, David O. Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' is a Brilliant film in all respects. Marvelously written, prolifically directed & astonishing acted, here's a near classic! 'Silver Linings Playbook' Synopsis: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.'Silver Linings Playbook' defines Great Cinema. Russell's Screenplay is marvelous. Here's a story that is realistic, funny & extremely believable. The characters are real, their situations are real & their decisions are real. Russell's Direction is prolific, he handles this comedy-drama like a pro. He outdoes himself in here. A Special Mention for the wonderful Cinematography by the talented Masanobu Takayanagi.Performance-Wise: Bradley Cooper leads the film with a tour-de-force performance. Cooper sinks his teeth into the character & is magnificent from start to end. Jennifer Lawrence is one hell of a performer & her performance in here proves that fact right, yet again. Bob De Niro is terrific, enacting the supporting player with panache. Jacki Weaver is lovable. Chris Tucker & Anupam Kher are fantastic, while Julia Stiles is natural to the core.On the whole, 'Silver Linings Playbook' is so good, it can go down in Cinema History. Two Big Thumbs Up!

Russell gets the best from his cast in this unconventional romance

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Look around Hollywood and you get the feeling that the art of the romance movie is either dying or has been dead for some time. Romance as a genre term has practically been replaced by the phrase "rom-com," and the only alternatives are gooey teen-geared fare ("Twilight" or a Nicholas Sparks adaptation) or the occasional period love story. "Silver Linings Playbook" doesn't fit any one category, and perhaps therein is its bit of genius.Although you can't exactly put label on and file away director David O. Russell's follow-up to his heavily awarded ensemble drama "The Fighter," that's not to say this new film is completely unique. Rather, it tells a predictable romance in an unconventional fashion.As part comedy, "Silver Linings" has none of the dramatic weight of "The Fighter" or quite the same storytelling power, but both films share one critical thing in common: convincing turns from an ace ensemble cast. Russell loves familial dysfunction, and while the stakes never feel quite as high as "The Fighter" (that's the last comparison), the performances have this touching humility to them. Russell clearly has a penchant for getting the best from his talent.Stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence receive a special opportunity to take their already proved talent to another level as Pat and Tiffany, two people recovering from recent past traumas with diagnosed mental issues and boatloads of sexual tension. At the same time, as much of an excuse as they have to let their characters snap without warning, they still have to make it convincing and they do.Cooper's Pat comes home to live with his parents (Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro) in Philadelphia after the court has allowed for his release from a mental institution in Baltimore. Although he refuses to take meds, we meet Pat in a place where he's on the mend, or at least believes he has the tools to overcome his past: stay positive, work to make yourself better and and look for the silver lining. The trouble is he's still hung up about his wife, Nikki, who is directly connected to the source of his issues.In taking the steps that he believes will allow Nikki to love him again, Pat meets Tiffany, whose husband died recently. She has her own philosophy for coping, and becomes a major curveball in Pat's self-prescribed plan. Her connection to Nikki through her older sister Veronica (Julia Styles) further complicates her and Pat's relationship."Silver Linings" dances around a bit when it comes to its core thread. Pat and Tiffany's relationship and complicated "romance" (it becomes clear from their first scene together that they have chemistry and will end up entangled romantically somehow) is definitely the centerpiece of the film, but it constantly shifts lenses. At first it appears to be about mental illness, then it morphs into a story about acceptance, then it focuses on making connections, then it becomes about perspectives, etc. These are all valid and generally related ideas, but the film drifts through them and the script never makes any deep cathartic breakthroughs as a result.That's when you have to start peeling back the many layers of "Silver Linings Playbook" to see it as a romance story and family drama. As complicated as things are between Pat and Tiffany, the essence of their relationship can be identified as a need for an honest connection, to not let the past or the judgments of others complicate what is clearly pure chemistry.The parallels to the film's family relationships are clear, though the romantic and family threads aren't quite interconnected until a plot device at the end binds them all together. In his best role in years, De Niro plays a caring but emotionally distant father obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has turned to bookmaking after losing his job and it has brought out the worst of his superstitious compulsions. His own fixation mirrors his son's, yet they are both too blinded to see the similarities in their differences.Relationship dynamics are at the heart of any ensemble film and the praise tends to get limited to acting, but Russell's direction could be the unsung hero of "Silver Linings" among general audiences. His camera is particularly active for a film in this genre cluster and it results in several angles and takes that add to the relationship tension. There's also an almost frenetic pacing at times that he uses to capture some of the mental instability of the main characters. It can be a frustrating tactic, but it forces us to relate to the characters by experiencing the film as they experience the world, Pat specifically.Russell occasionally veers into comic territory as well with his technique. "Silver Linings" draws a lot of its humor from dysfunction between characters both in written dialogue and physicality of performance, but Russell — in a way that feels spontaneous — gives the humor an extra bite so we realize we're also supposed to be enjoying ourselves while watching the film."Silver LInings Playbook" could at any time take a turn for the heavy side of things given the material, but Russell's choice to lean a bit more toward his quirkier roots gives it a real crowd-pleasing quality. The decidedly romantic and satisfying ending definitely assures this, but arguably of more importance, the choice accurately reflects the film's message of optimism, to see things with a certain perspective.So despite not always being cohesive and movingly eloquent, "Silver Linings Playbook" entertains and never apologizes for what it is — or isn't.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit moviemusereviews.com

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-63

ur2496397

title: Russell gets the best from his cast in this unconventional romance review: Look around Hollywood and you get the feeling that the art of the romance movie is either dying or has been dead for some time. Romance as a genre term has practically been replaced by the phrase "rom-com," and the only alternatives are gooey teen-geared fare ("Twilight" or a Nicholas Sparks adaptation) or the occasional period love story. "Silver Linings Playbook" doesn't fit any one category, and perhaps therein is its bit of genius.Although you can't exactly put label on and file away director David O. Russell's follow-up to his heavily awarded ensemble drama "The Fighter," that's not to say this new film is completely unique. Rather, it tells a predictable romance in an unconventional fashion.As part comedy, "Silver Linings" has none of the dramatic weight of "The Fighter" or quite the same storytelling power, but both films share one critical thing in common: convincing turns from an ace ensemble cast. Russell loves familial dysfunction, and while the stakes never feel quite as high as "The Fighter" (that's the last comparison), the performances have this touching humility to them. Russell clearly has a penchant for getting the best from his talent.Stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence receive a special opportunity to take their already proved talent to another level as Pat and Tiffany, two people recovering from recent past traumas with diagnosed mental issues and boatloads of sexual tension. At the same time, as much of an excuse as they have to let their characters snap without warning, they still have to make it convincing and they do.Cooper's Pat comes home to live with his parents (Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro) in Philadelphia after the court has allowed for his release from a mental institution in Baltimore. Although he refuses to take meds, we meet Pat in a place where he's on the mend, or at least believes he has the tools to overcome his past: stay positive, work to make yourself better and and look for the silver lining. The trouble is he's still hung up about his wife, Nikki, who is directly connected to the source of his issues.In taking the steps that he believes will allow Nikki to love him again, Pat meets Tiffany, whose husband died recently. She has her own philosophy for coping, and becomes a major curveball in Pat's self-prescribed plan. Her connection to Nikki through her older sister Veronica (Julia Styles) further complicates her and Pat's relationship."Silver Linings" dances around a bit when it comes to its core thread. Pat and Tiffany's relationship and complicated "romance" (it becomes clear from their first scene together that they have chemistry and will end up entangled romantically somehow) is definitely the centerpiece of the film, but it constantly shifts lenses. At first it appears to be about mental illness, then it morphs into a story about acceptance, then it focuses on making connections, then it becomes about perspectives, etc. These are all valid and generally related ideas, but the film drifts through them and the script never makes any deep cathartic breakthroughs as a result.That's when you have to start peeling back the many layers of "Silver Linings Playbook" to see it as a romance story and family drama. As complicated as things are between Pat and Tiffany, the essence of their relationship can be identified as a need for an honest connection, to not let the past or the judgments of others complicate what is clearly pure chemistry.The parallels to the film's family relationships are clear, though the romantic and family threads aren't quite interconnected until a plot device at the end binds them all together. In his best role in years, De Niro plays a caring but emotionally distant father obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has turned to bookmaking after losing his job and it has brought out the worst of his superstitious compulsions. His own fixation mirrors his son's, yet they are both too blinded to see the similarities in their differences.Relationship dynamics are at the heart of any ensemble film and the praise tends to get limited to acting, but Russell's direction could be the unsung hero of "Silver Linings" among general audiences. His camera is particularly active for a film in this genre cluster and it results in several angles and takes that add to the relationship tension. There's also an almost frenetic pacing at times that he uses to capture some of the mental instability of the main characters. It can be a frustrating tactic, but it forces us to relate to the characters by experiencing the film as they experience the world, Pat specifically.Russell occasionally veers into comic territory as well with his technique. "Silver Linings" draws a lot of its humor from dysfunction between characters both in written dialogue and physicality of performance, but Russell — in a way that feels spontaneous — gives the humor an extra bite so we realize we're also supposed to be enjoying ourselves while watching the film."Silver LInings Playbook" could at any time take a turn for the heavy side of things given the material, but Russell's choice to lean a bit more toward his quirkier roots gives it a real crowd-pleasing quality. The decidedly romantic and satisfying ending definitely assures this, but arguably of more importance, the choice accurately reflects the film's message of optimism, to see things with a certain perspective.So despite not always being cohesive and movingly eloquent, "Silver Linings Playbook" entertains and never apologizes for what it is — or isn't.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit moviemusereviews.com

Neurotic, crazy, funny, screwball romantic comedy

tt1045658

¨The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier. Thank you. I love you. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up. ¨Silver Linings Playbook is director David O. Russell's second straight Oscar nominated film for Best Picture after the his critically acclaimed The Fighter. This film is very different from his previous work although it also has to do with family relationships in some sort of way. It is based on Matthew Quick's novel of the same name and the screenplay was adapted by Russell himself which resulted in a really quirky but sharp script. There are plenty of hilarious moments in the movie and Russell has really raised the bar for rom-coms by mixing it with some realistic drama. These romantic comedies are very hard to come across these days, but Russell manages to deliver a nearly perfect one thanks to his sensitive direction. He did take a huge risk with this film considering its thematic was a bit tricky since the main character does require some patience and forgiveness from the viewer. He is not a very likable character at the beginning, but if you stick with him and give him a second chance he will win you over. It is not easy to make a romantic film when you have two main characters suffering from bipolar and OCD disorders, and on top of that mix it with comedy, but Russell was very sensitive about the subject. I really love Russell's style of direction, and you either love his movies or hate them. I really found this movie to be easy to connect with as it is a heartwarming and funny story despite the complications and tricky subject matter. Critics are calling this film crazy good, and I agree with them because it is deeply romantic despite being strange and neurotic. Besides we are all a little crazy, and I think Russell was pointing that out through every character in this film. We are introduced to Pat (Bradley Cooper) in the very first scene of the movie, who is being discharged from a mental institution by his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) against medical advice. Apparently Pat was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after finding his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), having an affair with a fellow co-worker and nearly beating him to death. He was sentenced to be institutionalized for eight months, and after doing so his mother was free to take him back to Philadelphia as long as he live with his parents and stayed away from his wife who had placed a restraining order on him. Pat is received with some surprise by his father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), who had no idea he was coming home, but Is happy to have his son back who he considers a lucky charm for the Eagles' games. Pat Sr. is a very superstitious guy and after losing his job he's been making a living through sports gambling. Pat's life changes when he meets another troubled woman named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who has recently become a widow and a sex addict. Pat desperately wants to get back with Nikki and will do what it takes to win her back despite not being able to get near her. Tiffany offers to give Nikki a letter from him if he agrees to enter a dance competition with her for which they will have to rehearse extensively. Both characters suffer several meltdowns and seem to have some sort of shared neuroses, but in some odd way they end up helping one another and struggle together to rebuild their lives.This film really deserves all the buzz that it received first from TIFF way back in September, and then from its recent eight Oscar nominations, including the big five (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay) which hadn't happened since 2004 (Million Dollar Baby), and it also received Oscar nominations in all four acting categories, which hadn't happened since 1981 (Reds). The cast is truly wonderful in this film, everyone gives such great performances. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both expanded their range in this film and went way out of their usual comfort zone creating some unique characters. Lawrence especially surprised me with her quirky performance, and her entrance in the film truly shifts the momentum of the movie. I was really not sold with Silver Lining Playbook until she appeared giving Cooper's character a lot more likability. I loved her in two scenes; the first being the one she has a meltdown in the restaurant and goes off on Cooper and the second being the confrontation she had with Pat Sr. For those two scenes alone, Lawrence could win the Oscar. Cooper, De Niro, and Weaver were all outstanding as well. These characters were all well drawn and the actors took advantage of that delivering solid performances. The film has such a great pacing building the momentum up to the very climactic ballroom dance routine. It was something special. The message had a pretty positive outlook as Russell seemed to be reminding us that we should all look for a partner that can coexist with our craziness and not try to find one that will lead us out of it as we usually do. This was a great and optimistic film that deserves all the buzz it has been receiving.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-218

ur13566917

title: Neurotic, crazy, funny, screwball romantic comedy review: ¨The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier. Thank you. I love you. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up. ¨Silver Linings Playbook is director David O. Russell's second straight Oscar nominated film for Best Picture after the his critically acclaimed The Fighter. This film is very different from his previous work although it also has to do with family relationships in some sort of way. It is based on Matthew Quick's novel of the same name and the screenplay was adapted by Russell himself which resulted in a really quirky but sharp script. There are plenty of hilarious moments in the movie and Russell has really raised the bar for rom-coms by mixing it with some realistic drama. These romantic comedies are very hard to come across these days, but Russell manages to deliver a nearly perfect one thanks to his sensitive direction. He did take a huge risk with this film considering its thematic was a bit tricky since the main character does require some patience and forgiveness from the viewer. He is not a very likable character at the beginning, but if you stick with him and give him a second chance he will win you over. It is not easy to make a romantic film when you have two main characters suffering from bipolar and OCD disorders, and on top of that mix it with comedy, but Russell was very sensitive about the subject. I really love Russell's style of direction, and you either love his movies or hate them. I really found this movie to be easy to connect with as it is a heartwarming and funny story despite the complications and tricky subject matter. Critics are calling this film crazy good, and I agree with them because it is deeply romantic despite being strange and neurotic. Besides we are all a little crazy, and I think Russell was pointing that out through every character in this film. We are introduced to Pat (Bradley Cooper) in the very first scene of the movie, who is being discharged from a mental institution by his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) against medical advice. Apparently Pat was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after finding his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), having an affair with a fellow co-worker and nearly beating him to death. He was sentenced to be institutionalized for eight months, and after doing so his mother was free to take him back to Philadelphia as long as he live with his parents and stayed away from his wife who had placed a restraining order on him. Pat is received with some surprise by his father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), who had no idea he was coming home, but Is happy to have his son back who he considers a lucky charm for the Eagles' games. Pat Sr. is a very superstitious guy and after losing his job he's been making a living through sports gambling. Pat's life changes when he meets another troubled woman named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who has recently become a widow and a sex addict. Pat desperately wants to get back with Nikki and will do what it takes to win her back despite not being able to get near her. Tiffany offers to give Nikki a letter from him if he agrees to enter a dance competition with her for which they will have to rehearse extensively. Both characters suffer several meltdowns and seem to have some sort of shared neuroses, but in some odd way they end up helping one another and struggle together to rebuild their lives.This film really deserves all the buzz that it received first from TIFF way back in September, and then from its recent eight Oscar nominations, including the big five (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay) which hadn't happened since 2004 (Million Dollar Baby), and it also received Oscar nominations in all four acting categories, which hadn't happened since 1981 (Reds). The cast is truly wonderful in this film, everyone gives such great performances. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both expanded their range in this film and went way out of their usual comfort zone creating some unique characters. Lawrence especially surprised me with her quirky performance, and her entrance in the film truly shifts the momentum of the movie. I was really not sold with Silver Lining Playbook until she appeared giving Cooper's character a lot more likability. I loved her in two scenes; the first being the one she has a meltdown in the restaurant and goes off on Cooper and the second being the confrontation she had with Pat Sr. For those two scenes alone, Lawrence could win the Oscar. Cooper, De Niro, and Weaver were all outstanding as well. These characters were all well drawn and the actors took advantage of that delivering solid performances. The film has such a great pacing building the momentum up to the very climactic ballroom dance routine. It was something special. The message had a pretty positive outlook as Russell seemed to be reminding us that we should all look for a partner that can coexist with our craziness and not try to find one that will lead us out of it as we usually do. This was a great and optimistic film that deserves all the buzz it has been receiving.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

A breakthrough performance for Bradley Cooper

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Dramatizing mental illness has always been a tricky proposition for the movies. How often have we seen such attempts devolve into either freak show comedy or horror movie madness? "Silver Linings Playbook" is one of the few to get it right. It's not that writer/director David O. Russell doesn't see the humor in the situations he's depicting - there are some very funny scenes in the movie - it's that he sees humor as just one small aspect of what turns out to be a far more complex and multi- layered condition.In a tour-de-force performance that finally put him on the map as an actor of extraordinary talent, Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a young man who suffers from a severe case of Bi-Polar Disorder, so severe that Pat has been spending the past few months since the dissolution of his marriage in an institution. But Pat has chosen to move back in with his parents, who work hard at trying to understand Pat's condition and to cope with his often bizarre and incomprehensible behavior. While he nurtures the fantasy that he will one day reunite with his estranged wife, Pat meets Tiffany, a local girl who seems to have as many issues as he does when it comes to functioning in the real world."Silver Linings Playbook" makes the not entirely novel case that all of us suffer from our share of personal quirks and idiosyncrasies - Pat's dad's superstitious obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles isn't too many steps away from the irrational concerns that dictate Pat's life - but that BPD just ratchets them up to a much higher level. The screenplay, which was adapted from the Matthew Quick novel, goes from the comical to the serious to the heartbreaking to the romantic without any noticeable grinding of tonal gears. Ditto for the nearly perfect ensemble cast which includes Robert De Niro as Pat's father, Jacki Weaver as his mom, and Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her work.But it is Cooper who makes the movie his own. There is scarcely a moment when he does not appear on screen and the actor casts a spell over the audience from first frame to last. He avoids the role-given temptation to chew the scenery, opting instead for understatement in his portrayal of a man whose desire to fit into the world is often at odds with his ability to do so. The result is a performance that elicits both laughter and tears from the audience, but which never feels contrived or manipulative while doing so. He draws us so deeply into the core of the character that we even accept his potentially trite belief that one must look for the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds since, when you think about it, what alternative does one really have? It's a career- defining performance for an actor clearly concerned with making the most of his time in the spotlight.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-638

ur0375636

title: A breakthrough performance for Bradley Cooper review: Dramatizing mental illness has always been a tricky proposition for the movies. How often have we seen such attempts devolve into either freak show comedy or horror movie madness? "Silver Linings Playbook" is one of the few to get it right. It's not that writer/director David O. Russell doesn't see the humor in the situations he's depicting - there are some very funny scenes in the movie - it's that he sees humor as just one small aspect of what turns out to be a far more complex and multi- layered condition.In a tour-de-force performance that finally put him on the map as an actor of extraordinary talent, Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a young man who suffers from a severe case of Bi-Polar Disorder, so severe that Pat has been spending the past few months since the dissolution of his marriage in an institution. But Pat has chosen to move back in with his parents, who work hard at trying to understand Pat's condition and to cope with his often bizarre and incomprehensible behavior. While he nurtures the fantasy that he will one day reunite with his estranged wife, Pat meets Tiffany, a local girl who seems to have as many issues as he does when it comes to functioning in the real world."Silver Linings Playbook" makes the not entirely novel case that all of us suffer from our share of personal quirks and idiosyncrasies - Pat's dad's superstitious obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles isn't too many steps away from the irrational concerns that dictate Pat's life - but that BPD just ratchets them up to a much higher level. The screenplay, which was adapted from the Matthew Quick novel, goes from the comical to the serious to the heartbreaking to the romantic without any noticeable grinding of tonal gears. Ditto for the nearly perfect ensemble cast which includes Robert De Niro as Pat's father, Jacki Weaver as his mom, and Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her work.But it is Cooper who makes the movie his own. There is scarcely a moment when he does not appear on screen and the actor casts a spell over the audience from first frame to last. He avoids the role-given temptation to chew the scenery, opting instead for understatement in his portrayal of a man whose desire to fit into the world is often at odds with his ability to do so. The result is a performance that elicits both laughter and tears from the audience, but which never feels contrived or manipulative while doing so. He draws us so deeply into the core of the character that we even accept his potentially trite belief that one must look for the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds since, when you think about it, what alternative does one really have? It's a career- defining performance for an actor clearly concerned with making the most of his time in the spotlight.

David O. Russell's Best Film to Date

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Silver Linings Playbook is a joy from start to finish. It's the kind of film that you feel as if you have actually experienced something, while at the same time you're wildly entertained.Blurring the lines between drama and comedy, the film tells the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), a former History teacher who walked in on his wife with another man. Pat snapped and beat the man to a pulp, being sent to a mental hospital for 8 months, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Once out, Pat moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), while he tries to get his life back on track and prove to his wife that he's changed. To say that this film is a comedy, may seem hard for someone to fathom, but believe me, writer/director, David O. Russell makes it work.Silver Linings Playbook shows these serious situations, but makes them funny by amping up the neuroses of all involved. In a way, it's as if Russell is saying, everyone is a little bit crazy, as is evidenced by Pat's psychiatrist's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles, or his dad's obsessive, superstitious beliefs that if Pat doesn't watch the Eagles' games with him, then the Eagles will lose.The performances by all involved are superb. Bradley Cooper delivers a career best turn as Pat, being both likable and vulnerable at the same time, and what more can be said for Jennifer Lawrence, who portrays a mentally unstable widower, named Tiffany, who befriends Pat. Lawrence is having one great year. From her career best work as Katniss in The Hunger Games, to her work in Silver Linings Playbook, she proves that she is full of spunk, but is not afraid to show emotion or fall apart, and that is why she very well may win the Best Actress Oscar come January.There is just something special about Silver Linings Playbook. It's funny and oddly heartwarming. After a career high with The Fighter, two years back, David O. Russell bests himself again with this film. This is quite possibly the best directing he has ever done, with his kinetic shot design utilizing a lot of camera movements to show the characters and emotions that he wants us to focus on at that time, by dollying the camera in or whipping it around other actors to get to the core of each scene.Silver Linings Playbook is an offbeat film, and some might not find its straightforward nature all that funny, because with both Pat and Tiffany, what you see is what you get, and they both say whatever is on their mind. While they often say socially unacceptable things at the wrong times, that is where the comedy often comes from, and it's why you realize that these two are meant to be together, learning, that no matter how crazy you think you are, there's always someone out there for you who is just as crazy and will love you for who you are.I give Silver Linings Playbook a 10 out of 10!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-88

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title: David O. Russell's Best Film to Date review: Silver Linings Playbook is a joy from start to finish. It's the kind of film that you feel as if you have actually experienced something, while at the same time you're wildly entertained.Blurring the lines between drama and comedy, the film tells the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), a former History teacher who walked in on his wife with another man. Pat snapped and beat the man to a pulp, being sent to a mental hospital for 8 months, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Once out, Pat moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), while he tries to get his life back on track and prove to his wife that he's changed. To say that this film is a comedy, may seem hard for someone to fathom, but believe me, writer/director, David O. Russell makes it work.Silver Linings Playbook shows these serious situations, but makes them funny by amping up the neuroses of all involved. In a way, it's as if Russell is saying, everyone is a little bit crazy, as is evidenced by Pat's psychiatrist's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles, or his dad's obsessive, superstitious beliefs that if Pat doesn't watch the Eagles' games with him, then the Eagles will lose.The performances by all involved are superb. Bradley Cooper delivers a career best turn as Pat, being both likable and vulnerable at the same time, and what more can be said for Jennifer Lawrence, who portrays a mentally unstable widower, named Tiffany, who befriends Pat. Lawrence is having one great year. From her career best work as Katniss in The Hunger Games, to her work in Silver Linings Playbook, she proves that she is full of spunk, but is not afraid to show emotion or fall apart, and that is why she very well may win the Best Actress Oscar come January.There is just something special about Silver Linings Playbook. It's funny and oddly heartwarming. After a career high with The Fighter, two years back, David O. Russell bests himself again with this film. This is quite possibly the best directing he has ever done, with his kinetic shot design utilizing a lot of camera movements to show the characters and emotions that he wants us to focus on at that time, by dollying the camera in or whipping it around other actors to get to the core of each scene.Silver Linings Playbook is an offbeat film, and some might not find its straightforward nature all that funny, because with both Pat and Tiffany, what you see is what you get, and they both say whatever is on their mind. While they often say socially unacceptable things at the wrong times, that is where the comedy often comes from, and it's why you realize that these two are meant to be together, learning, that no matter how crazy you think you are, there's always someone out there for you who is just as crazy and will love you for who you are.I give Silver Linings Playbook a 10 out of 10!

'Crazies' bond as 'Dancing With The Stars' meets 'One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'

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I had some trepidations about 'Silver Linings Playbook' because I heard it was another one of those quirky indies, which I usually don't care for. Usually in films that have quirky characters like 'Little Miss Sunshine' or 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower", there's a quirky group of misfits who end triumphing over a bunch of straw men reactionaries (school bullies often end up in these straw men roles, for example). Fortunately, director David O. Russell's quirky misfits in 'Silver Linings Playbook', Pat Solitano, a bi-polar former substitute teacher and Tiffany Maxwell, an emotionally disturbed widow, are only pitted against one another; thus this particular quirky indie, isn't burdened with an us vs. them subtext.'Silver Linings', however, is not without its problems. It's a film about a burgeoning romance between two emotionally disturbed people. Russell tries to find humor in people who are emotionally unstable. Anyone who's known people who have been diagnosed as 'bipolar', will tell you it's no laughing matter. But Russell wants us to laugh at Pat during the first act of 'Silver Linings. After he's released from a mental health facility in Baltimore as a result of an eight month court ordered commitment, Pat still remains obsessed with his ex-wife, Nikki, and throws tantrums in front of his parents because he doesn't like the 'unhappy ending' to a Hemingway novel and on another occasion, is unable to find an old wedding video.In addition to the unpleasant tantrums, a flashback reveals why Pat was sent to a mental health facility in the first place--he caught a teacher from their mutual school, in the shower with his wife, and then proceeded to pummel him senseless. His court-ordered therapist, Dr. Patel (wonderfully played by a prominent Indian actor, Anupam Kher), manages to be a settling influence on Pat, who recognizes that he needs to look at the positive aspects in life (hence the title, 'silver linings playbook').'Silver Linings' invariably picks up in the second act, when Pat meets Tiffany Maxwell, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence, with her manic energy, proves she has comic chops--a nice contrast to her more serious role in 'Winter Bones' (let's forget about her throw away part in 'Hunger Games). The comic banter between the two 'crazies', is the high point of the film and is probably why it's garnered so many positive reviews. There's a highly amusing scene where Pat and Tiffany compare the ill effects of various psychotropic medications they've both taken in the past. They also bump into one another in the neighborhood while taking their daily runs--both feel their personal space is being invaded and they end up trading blunt insults with one another.In the best scene in the film, when Pat goes on a date with Tiffany at a diner, Pat goes too far and implies that Tiffany's illness is far worse than his. Tiffany storms out of the diner, knocking over all the plates on the table, and then out on the street accuses him of being arrogant and putting her down, in a moment where she's revealed her vulnerable side to him. But Tiffany also goes too far, falsely accusing Pat of 'harassment' in front of a crowd of people, who believe he's about to assault her. The unlikely appearance of the police officer who has been assigned to monitor Pat, prevents the crowd from assaulting him.The rest of 'Silver Linings' is pure 'Hollywood'. Tiffany agrees to give Nikki, Pat's letter, in exchange for him helping her in the dance competition. Wouldn't you know it, but suddenly Pat is becoming much more serious and responsible as he practices with Tiffany for the competition. More unlikely goings on: Pat's father makes a parley bet with his friend that if his beloved Eagles beats the Dallas Cowboys in an upcoming football game and Pat and Tiffany score at least a 5 out of 10 in the dance competition, he'll win enough money to open a restaurant.The outcome of the bet, of course, is a fait acompli, and sure enough, 'crazy' Pat ends up crazy only in the sense that he falls in love with Tiffany, and decides that Nikki is a thing of the past.You've really got to suspend your disbelief that bipolar people such as Pat can so easily overcome their problems, merely through the love of a good woman. In the end, however, 'Silver Linings' strives to be simple, good, clean fun, with a Hollywood ending to boot. But I can't help but feel that the initial 'edginess' of the principals is lost, when they finally do shack up. Thus whatever comic energy is extant during the second act, pretty much dissipates by the end of the third. If you like the trade-off, you won't have any problems with the denouement. For me, the air in the 'Silver Linings' tire, ended up being sucked out faster than you can say, 'failed eccentric romantic dramedy'.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-199

ur0225436

title: 'Crazies' bond as 'Dancing With The Stars' meets 'One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' review: I had some trepidations about 'Silver Linings Playbook' because I heard it was another one of those quirky indies, which I usually don't care for. Usually in films that have quirky characters like 'Little Miss Sunshine' or 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower", there's a quirky group of misfits who end triumphing over a bunch of straw men reactionaries (school bullies often end up in these straw men roles, for example). Fortunately, director David O. Russell's quirky misfits in 'Silver Linings Playbook', Pat Solitano, a bi-polar former substitute teacher and Tiffany Maxwell, an emotionally disturbed widow, are only pitted against one another; thus this particular quirky indie, isn't burdened with an us vs. them subtext.'Silver Linings', however, is not without its problems. It's a film about a burgeoning romance between two emotionally disturbed people. Russell tries to find humor in people who are emotionally unstable. Anyone who's known people who have been diagnosed as 'bipolar', will tell you it's no laughing matter. But Russell wants us to laugh at Pat during the first act of 'Silver Linings. After he's released from a mental health facility in Baltimore as a result of an eight month court ordered commitment, Pat still remains obsessed with his ex-wife, Nikki, and throws tantrums in front of his parents because he doesn't like the 'unhappy ending' to a Hemingway novel and on another occasion, is unable to find an old wedding video.In addition to the unpleasant tantrums, a flashback reveals why Pat was sent to a mental health facility in the first place--he caught a teacher from their mutual school, in the shower with his wife, and then proceeded to pummel him senseless. His court-ordered therapist, Dr. Patel (wonderfully played by a prominent Indian actor, Anupam Kher), manages to be a settling influence on Pat, who recognizes that he needs to look at the positive aspects in life (hence the title, 'silver linings playbook').'Silver Linings' invariably picks up in the second act, when Pat meets Tiffany Maxwell, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence, with her manic energy, proves she has comic chops--a nice contrast to her more serious role in 'Winter Bones' (let's forget about her throw away part in 'Hunger Games). The comic banter between the two 'crazies', is the high point of the film and is probably why it's garnered so many positive reviews. There's a highly amusing scene where Pat and Tiffany compare the ill effects of various psychotropic medications they've both taken in the past. They also bump into one another in the neighborhood while taking their daily runs--both feel their personal space is being invaded and they end up trading blunt insults with one another.In the best scene in the film, when Pat goes on a date with Tiffany at a diner, Pat goes too far and implies that Tiffany's illness is far worse than his. Tiffany storms out of the diner, knocking over all the plates on the table, and then out on the street accuses him of being arrogant and putting her down, in a moment where she's revealed her vulnerable side to him. But Tiffany also goes too far, falsely accusing Pat of 'harassment' in front of a crowd of people, who believe he's about to assault her. The unlikely appearance of the police officer who has been assigned to monitor Pat, prevents the crowd from assaulting him.The rest of 'Silver Linings' is pure 'Hollywood'. Tiffany agrees to give Nikki, Pat's letter, in exchange for him helping her in the dance competition. Wouldn't you know it, but suddenly Pat is becoming much more serious and responsible as he practices with Tiffany for the competition. More unlikely goings on: Pat's father makes a parley bet with his friend that if his beloved Eagles beats the Dallas Cowboys in an upcoming football game and Pat and Tiffany score at least a 5 out of 10 in the dance competition, he'll win enough money to open a restaurant.The outcome of the bet, of course, is a fait acompli, and sure enough, 'crazy' Pat ends up crazy only in the sense that he falls in love with Tiffany, and decides that Nikki is a thing of the past.You've really got to suspend your disbelief that bipolar people such as Pat can so easily overcome their problems, merely through the love of a good woman. In the end, however, 'Silver Linings' strives to be simple, good, clean fun, with a Hollywood ending to boot. But I can't help but feel that the initial 'edginess' of the principals is lost, when they finally do shack up. Thus whatever comic energy is extant during the second act, pretty much dissipates by the end of the third. If you like the trade-off, you won't have any problems with the denouement. For me, the air in the 'Silver Linings' tire, ended up being sucked out faster than you can say, 'failed eccentric romantic dramedy'.

"And if I say to you tomorrow, take my hand, child, come with me…"

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In that recent directors talk from the Hollywood Reporter, David O. Russell told his colleagues about the hard times as a director (and on a more personal level too with a divorce) he had after making THREE KINGS (1999) – he feels he "lost his own way" after that film and began to "overthink things trying to be too interesting, too particular… nothing feels right, no project feels right". It was until THE FIGHER (2010) came, more than ten years later, that Russell felt he was doing what's he's best at; in the meantime between "Kings" and THE FIGHTER, Russell had more darkness -he did a film that was never finished, began having financial problems and couldn't get the money for his much wanted adaptation of the novel THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK- than light -he directed only one feature, 2004's I <3 HUCKABEES-. For Russell, THE FIGHTER was, at first sight, too conventional, with a story that has been seen before. He is convinced that 10 years ago he would have let go THE FIGHTER or any similar project, but I imagine when his actual chance to direct that boxing film came he wasn't really in a position to refuse the job, saying to himself "why don't you try to do this really good? See if you can do this from the heart and mean it". The rest my friends is history – in my book, THE FIGHTER is a great one. Following this success, Russell didn't waste time and only two years later he returned, doing finally the "Silver Linings" adaptation. He has repeated the success with tons of accolades, including the Oscar nomination for best picture (not to mention the four nominations for his cast). Good for him, as SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK may not be my favorite of the year but it doesn't disappoints. Let's see, here we have a protagonist (Bradley Cooper) that suffers of bipolar disorder – it's definitely interesting and very well portrayed, with remarkable scenes that let us see what's like to live with someone who can be at times notably happy but at others extremely irritated by issues like finding a not-really-happy ending in a Ernest Hemingway book (!). But let's make no mistake folks, as at core SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK features a story as conventional and rehashed as any dealing with the struggles of a sportsman. Russell insisted in doing "Silver Linings" because of his son, who suffers too of bipolar disorder. But I like to think that this director said once again to himself something like "Yes, I've seen hundreds of romantic flicks, with a guy who's wrong and doesn't sees who is the girl that truly loves him. Nevertheless, I'm doing the film and I'll try to do it *really good*". As a matter of fact, of all the romantic comedies in recent memory, this ranks amongst the most memorable ones, just as THE FIGHTER as one of the best films about sport (and addiction too). The main reason why "Fighter" was a superb picture about yet another common issue like drug addiction is certainly the incredible performance of Christian Bale. Don't expect, however, to be blown away by the Oscar-nominated supporting cast of "Silver Linings". I'm really happy for Robert De Niro but he really doesn't do much as a hardcore Philadelphia Eagles fan; the same goes for Jacki Weaver – recently, she was a whole lot better in 2010's ANIMAL KINGDOM (she lost an Oscar for that performance to "Fighter"!). Nobody "stole" the show from the main couple (Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) – Cooper doesn't look anymore like a spoiled dude, giving the performance of his life so far, and Lawrence is really sweet as the classic girl who has to be the friend and adviser of a guy who can't move on from a failed relationship. Arguably, when you have a formulaic story the thing has to be about those details and unique elements. "Silver Linings" is rich in those: like I said, we have the bipolar issue (look for a great temperamental scene of Cooper set to Led Zeppelin's "What Is And What Should Never Bee"!), and another look from Russell to the sports world (from the fan perspective this time) – definitely anyone who knows a real fanatic of any sport will connect as here football, for De Niro especially, ain't any sort of entertainment but really a way of life and of making (and losing) money. You know you're watching a worthy film when its key scene, the one that sets the tone of the conclusion, mixes all of the elements to create a unique, crazy and memorable thing. Football, superstition, therapy, everything is there to clearly expose that Jennifer Lawrence is the right girl for Cooper. Hell, at the dance that represents their soon-to-be great love, they dance and jump and go crazy to the White Stripes' "Fell In Love With A Girl"! What's not to like? *Watched it on 10 February, 2013

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-319

ur14207038

title: "And if I say to you tomorrow, take my hand, child, come with me…" review: In that recent directors talk from the Hollywood Reporter, David O. Russell told his colleagues about the hard times as a director (and on a more personal level too with a divorce) he had after making THREE KINGS (1999) – he feels he "lost his own way" after that film and began to "overthink things trying to be too interesting, too particular… nothing feels right, no project feels right". It was until THE FIGHER (2010) came, more than ten years later, that Russell felt he was doing what's he's best at; in the meantime between "Kings" and THE FIGHTER, Russell had more darkness -he did a film that was never finished, began having financial problems and couldn't get the money for his much wanted adaptation of the novel THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK- than light -he directed only one feature, 2004's I <3 HUCKABEES-. For Russell, THE FIGHTER was, at first sight, too conventional, with a story that has been seen before. He is convinced that 10 years ago he would have let go THE FIGHTER or any similar project, but I imagine when his actual chance to direct that boxing film came he wasn't really in a position to refuse the job, saying to himself "why don't you try to do this really good? See if you can do this from the heart and mean it". The rest my friends is history – in my book, THE FIGHTER is a great one. Following this success, Russell didn't waste time and only two years later he returned, doing finally the "Silver Linings" adaptation. He has repeated the success with tons of accolades, including the Oscar nomination for best picture (not to mention the four nominations for his cast). Good for him, as SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK may not be my favorite of the year but it doesn't disappoints. Let's see, here we have a protagonist (Bradley Cooper) that suffers of bipolar disorder – it's definitely interesting and very well portrayed, with remarkable scenes that let us see what's like to live with someone who can be at times notably happy but at others extremely irritated by issues like finding a not-really-happy ending in a Ernest Hemingway book (!). But let's make no mistake folks, as at core SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK features a story as conventional and rehashed as any dealing with the struggles of a sportsman. Russell insisted in doing "Silver Linings" because of his son, who suffers too of bipolar disorder. But I like to think that this director said once again to himself something like "Yes, I've seen hundreds of romantic flicks, with a guy who's wrong and doesn't sees who is the girl that truly loves him. Nevertheless, I'm doing the film and I'll try to do it *really good*". As a matter of fact, of all the romantic comedies in recent memory, this ranks amongst the most memorable ones, just as THE FIGHTER as one of the best films about sport (and addiction too). The main reason why "Fighter" was a superb picture about yet another common issue like drug addiction is certainly the incredible performance of Christian Bale. Don't expect, however, to be blown away by the Oscar-nominated supporting cast of "Silver Linings". I'm really happy for Robert De Niro but he really doesn't do much as a hardcore Philadelphia Eagles fan; the same goes for Jacki Weaver – recently, she was a whole lot better in 2010's ANIMAL KINGDOM (she lost an Oscar for that performance to "Fighter"!). Nobody "stole" the show from the main couple (Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) – Cooper doesn't look anymore like a spoiled dude, giving the performance of his life so far, and Lawrence is really sweet as the classic girl who has to be the friend and adviser of a guy who can't move on from a failed relationship. Arguably, when you have a formulaic story the thing has to be about those details and unique elements. "Silver Linings" is rich in those: like I said, we have the bipolar issue (look for a great temperamental scene of Cooper set to Led Zeppelin's "What Is And What Should Never Bee"!), and another look from Russell to the sports world (from the fan perspective this time) – definitely anyone who knows a real fanatic of any sport will connect as here football, for De Niro especially, ain't any sort of entertainment but really a way of life and of making (and losing) money. You know you're watching a worthy film when its key scene, the one that sets the tone of the conclusion, mixes all of the elements to create a unique, crazy and memorable thing. Football, superstition, therapy, everything is there to clearly expose that Jennifer Lawrence is the right girl for Cooper. Hell, at the dance that represents their soon-to-be great love, they dance and jump and go crazy to the White Stripes' "Fell In Love With A Girl"! What's not to like? *Watched it on 10 February, 2013

Good

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Its complexity begins within its characters. After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. The content isn't for everyone. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. The movie has enough to keep you entertained and the directing and cinematography are well done. A little too slow-paced for a film. The urge to just walk away almost got me a couple of times. But, in the end, this is an excellent character study.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-673

ur54692175

title: Good review: Its complexity begins within its characters. After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. The content isn't for everyone. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. The movie has enough to keep you entertained and the directing and cinematography are well done. A little too slow-paced for a film. The urge to just walk away almost got me a couple of times. But, in the end, this is an excellent character study.

one more question mark

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Silver Linings Playbook is one of those movies that explore mental conditions. For some reason, these movies have more weight than "other" movies and are usually used to prove actors abilities. And this is exactly what happened here.The main characters were portrayed by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. They both deliver fine performance, yet not very memorable, as critics in awe would like us to believe. For example, Bradley Cooper running around wearing a plastic bag presumably actually happened in real life cases, but didn't work out for me.The plot might have been realistic, yet it simply failed to engage me. Despite all this, Silver Linings Playbook is not a bad movie, it rather hasn't been exceptionally good.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-665

ur15462771

title: one more question mark review: Silver Linings Playbook is one of those movies that explore mental conditions. For some reason, these movies have more weight than "other" movies and are usually used to prove actors abilities. And this is exactly what happened here.The main characters were portrayed by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. They both deliver fine performance, yet not very memorable, as critics in awe would like us to believe. For example, Bradley Cooper running around wearing a plastic bag presumably actually happened in real life cases, but didn't work out for me.The plot might have been realistic, yet it simply failed to engage me. Despite all this, Silver Linings Playbook is not a bad movie, it rather hasn't been exceptionally good.

The Good,and The Bad.

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Listen, I read the book by Matthew Quick.And yes,the film truly lived up to the book.Although,my favorite parts are missing from the book,it is still a great adaptation.The Good: Acting is top-notch,Bradley Cooper truly captures the feelings,and mental problems of Pat, Jennifer Lawrence also gives a great performance,she truly captures the heart-broken life of a widow,and truly deserves her Oscar back in 2012.Robert De Niro again gives a great performance, his performance truly captures Pat Sr. trying his best to spend some time with his son,while also,caring for his loving wife.Jacki Weaver,and Chris Tucker,also give great performances which truly make the film great,there's no overacting,and acting is what makes this movie.And the writing is absolutely HILARIOUS! The ending dance scene was hilarious. The Bad:Ending seems illogical,because we see on screen it appears as though Pat's illness is treated only after taking a few pills,and going in to dating Tiffany.I liked the ending from the book better,it shows that Pat is still fighting his illness,but also tries to handle his love for Tiffany.My absolute favorite parts from the book are missing such as Pat finding out Nikki has moved on,and she got remarried.Also,in the book,Pat Sr. rarely talks to Pat when he gets home,and Dolores,can't stand it and decides to give up on cleaning and doing everything she does that Pat Sr. won't do until Pat and him get along.I would have gave it a 10/10,without the illogical ending,and it didn't miss part from the book.But overall,the acting is amazing.It still captures the most important moments from the book.And is a great mix of drama and comedy.I'm so glad one of my favorite books,was made into a good movie,which captures the best elements from the book,while leaving out some,of course.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-653

ur44458887

title: The Good,and The Bad. review: Listen, I read the book by Matthew Quick.And yes,the film truly lived up to the book.Although,my favorite parts are missing from the book,it is still a great adaptation.The Good: Acting is top-notch,Bradley Cooper truly captures the feelings,and mental problems of Pat, Jennifer Lawrence also gives a great performance,she truly captures the heart-broken life of a widow,and truly deserves her Oscar back in 2012.Robert De Niro again gives a great performance, his performance truly captures Pat Sr. trying his best to spend some time with his son,while also,caring for his loving wife.Jacki Weaver,and Chris Tucker,also give great performances which truly make the film great,there's no overacting,and acting is what makes this movie.And the writing is absolutely HILARIOUS! The ending dance scene was hilarious. The Bad:Ending seems illogical,because we see on screen it appears as though Pat's illness is treated only after taking a few pills,and going in to dating Tiffany.I liked the ending from the book better,it shows that Pat is still fighting his illness,but also tries to handle his love for Tiffany.My absolute favorite parts from the book are missing such as Pat finding out Nikki has moved on,and she got remarried.Also,in the book,Pat Sr. rarely talks to Pat when he gets home,and Dolores,can't stand it and decides to give up on cleaning and doing everything she does that Pat Sr. won't do until Pat and him get along.I would have gave it a 10/10,without the illogical ending,and it didn't miss part from the book.But overall,the acting is amazing.It still captures the most important moments from the book.And is a great mix of drama and comedy.I'm so glad one of my favorite books,was made into a good movie,which captures the best elements from the book,while leaving out some,of course.

Paradox, delusional narrator commits to dance

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The Oscars are famously fuddy in a cinematic sense. So, having earlier this week murmured at the snubbing of Moonrise Kingdom, I am now pleased to see this film take its place in the lineup. Part of me is not convinced by some of it, for instance that we should be shown in films the achievement of a perfect happiness as the ending depicts here, if you will a happiness that is happiness because it is perfect. In reality, things rarely fall into place but that shouldn't preclude happiness of the present moment, being whole now with just this whatever it is, in a Buddhist sort of way. But on with the film. I come to this as a viewer steeped in narrative dissonance, paradox and asymmetry, these are all things I value in the films I see, in particular when those are carried in a visual way—the Japanese are masters of this, try and track down the seldom-seen All About Lily Chou Chou. The story here is that we follow a distressed group of more or less delusional people who suffer the usual social frictions with an unusual acuteness, precisely the fact that things are not into place but broken, and through the film overcome their damaged selves to come out on the other end, still more or less damaged but whole. In truth, we all walk through life with delusional expectations of the ideal life, this is just comically exaggerated in this group. This is most clear in the football-obsessed father, who outgrows his compulsive disorder that in order for his team to win, things or people have to be in a certain place, in a certain order. They don't, life fluctuates. It can go either way. The acceptance of this fundamental truth is what in my eyes sets this apart from something like The Descendants, a touristy film that mistakes manufactured beauty (linked to memory as a Hawaiin postcard) for purity. The beauty is all in the recognition that things are damaged, dissonant, incomplete. Which brings me to my main point—all of this is wholly carried in the narrative in a visual manner. The obvious first. The narrator is clearly delusional—to that effect throughout the film the camera is tightly screwed at eye-level, intensely prowls as he does and bursts into views. The narrative has a bipolar energy, with mood swings all over the place. In that vein, I would have liked more swings in the mood, in the 'color' of the camera, together with more visual narration, but so be it, the film is dialogue-driven first, plot-focused. This type of first-person camera I have elsewhere remarked that can achieve the literary effect of stream-of-consciousness, of consciousness hovering in and off itself, where what we see is not necessarily 'real', but as Malick exemplifies and Herzog before him, can lead to ecstatic perceptions of 'real' intensity. The filmmaker is aware of something along those lines, you will see in the scene where the man attacks his father in the wedding video scene, that suddenly remembered images from the earlier assault that was the breaking point burst into view. In line with bursting views, mood swings, and the acceptance of a dissonant life is the dancefloor climax—things fall into place when you commit to the dance together, the dance as love, but this doesn't have to be the ideal dance as you'd normally expect, a 5.0 will do. And in the actual dance, we have abrupt swings from ballroom jazz to rock'n'roll, from normalcy to how these people experience feelings. The dance reflects who these people are together, a little sloppy but committed. That's all more than enough. What makes it so enjoyable though, and ultimately exhilarates, is that the whole is continuously stitched with paradoxical behavior. I only recently discovered Lubitsch, whose famed 'touch' was about exactly this. The finale still bothers, but I can write it out of my mind. This is good stuff.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-228

ur17699578

title: Paradox, delusional narrator commits to dance review: The Oscars are famously fuddy in a cinematic sense. So, having earlier this week murmured at the snubbing of Moonrise Kingdom, I am now pleased to see this film take its place in the lineup. Part of me is not convinced by some of it, for instance that we should be shown in films the achievement of a perfect happiness as the ending depicts here, if you will a happiness that is happiness because it is perfect. In reality, things rarely fall into place but that shouldn't preclude happiness of the present moment, being whole now with just this whatever it is, in a Buddhist sort of way. But on with the film. I come to this as a viewer steeped in narrative dissonance, paradox and asymmetry, these are all things I value in the films I see, in particular when those are carried in a visual way—the Japanese are masters of this, try and track down the seldom-seen All About Lily Chou Chou. The story here is that we follow a distressed group of more or less delusional people who suffer the usual social frictions with an unusual acuteness, precisely the fact that things are not into place but broken, and through the film overcome their damaged selves to come out on the other end, still more or less damaged but whole. In truth, we all walk through life with delusional expectations of the ideal life, this is just comically exaggerated in this group. This is most clear in the football-obsessed father, who outgrows his compulsive disorder that in order for his team to win, things or people have to be in a certain place, in a certain order. They don't, life fluctuates. It can go either way. The acceptance of this fundamental truth is what in my eyes sets this apart from something like The Descendants, a touristy film that mistakes manufactured beauty (linked to memory as a Hawaiin postcard) for purity. The beauty is all in the recognition that things are damaged, dissonant, incomplete. Which brings me to my main point—all of this is wholly carried in the narrative in a visual manner. The obvious first. The narrator is clearly delusional—to that effect throughout the film the camera is tightly screwed at eye-level, intensely prowls as he does and bursts into views. The narrative has a bipolar energy, with mood swings all over the place. In that vein, I would have liked more swings in the mood, in the 'color' of the camera, together with more visual narration, but so be it, the film is dialogue-driven first, plot-focused. This type of first-person camera I have elsewhere remarked that can achieve the literary effect of stream-of-consciousness, of consciousness hovering in and off itself, where what we see is not necessarily 'real', but as Malick exemplifies and Herzog before him, can lead to ecstatic perceptions of 'real' intensity. The filmmaker is aware of something along those lines, you will see in the scene where the man attacks his father in the wedding video scene, that suddenly remembered images from the earlier assault that was the breaking point burst into view. In line with bursting views, mood swings, and the acceptance of a dissonant life is the dancefloor climax—things fall into place when you commit to the dance together, the dance as love, but this doesn't have to be the ideal dance as you'd normally expect, a 5.0 will do. And in the actual dance, we have abrupt swings from ballroom jazz to rock'n'roll, from normalcy to how these people experience feelings. The dance reflects who these people are together, a little sloppy but committed. That's all more than enough. What makes it so enjoyable though, and ultimately exhilarates, is that the whole is continuously stitched with paradoxical behavior. I only recently discovered Lubitsch, whose famed 'touch' was about exactly this. The finale still bothers, but I can write it out of my mind. This is good stuff.

everybody's crazy

tt1045658

I am trying to remember at least one character in Silver Linings Playbook who is not crazy in some way. You know, what we call a normal person, who is not or was not a patient in a mental institution, is not on psychotic medication, is not going to shrinks or a shrink himself, has no mania or obsession, does not live his or her life according to canned solutions prescribed by psychiatrists. Actually there may be one - Dolores, the mother of the deranged home where much of the action happens, splendidly acted by Jacki Weaver who also is hinted to be the deus-ex-machina of the sophisticated intrigue of rehabilitation of her son Pat (Bradley Cooper, much better than in any other film I saw him before) out of the mental institution where his stay seems to have been caused more by legal reasons than by health troubles. In the process of getting back his life, which includes for some reasons (never explained) getting back his cheating wife who was at the origin of all his troubles he will meet a new love (Jennifer Lawrence - great looks, average acting, but then she is really only 22). It's just that the Pat's system of reference (as the one of other characters in the film) is so much deformed by the stereotypes of therapy and legalism that seem to rule over the life of the heroes that only the rules of Hollywood good-feeling scripts succeed in bringing together the intrigue towards the end.It is certainly my problem that I am not a big fan of suburbs drama or of romantic comedies. It is the problem of the film that it cannot offer credible solutions to the problems of the characters. If this was real life there would be no happy character in this film. They live in times of economic uncertainty, lose jobs or run in-secure businesses. Family lives are buried in boredom and mediocrity. They are stuck in unhappy marriages. They are on medication. Even their American football teams do not do too well, and sport events turn into violent incidents with ugly racist facets. The aspiration to a positive attitude seems to be imposed and artificial. It's mean drama packed in the artificial wrapping of therapy and optimism, but the source of optimism is not clear. It sounds and looks superficial and artificial.There are many details to like in Silver Linings Playbook. Dialogs are extremely well written and acting is so natural that you feel that you are present in the suburb home, and that the characters are folks like the ones you met yesterday. You even forget that Robert De Niro is the actor who played uncounted number of gangsters, his maniac focus is so well targeted here to the obsessions for football and betting. Director David O. Russell makes the best of the neurotic ambiance and temperament of his characters and eventually drives the viewers in caring about them. It was not a bad film, despite the amount of clichés that outnumber the moments of real emotion, but I left the screening with a feeling of dis-orientation - serious problems are dealt with the wrong approach. A little bit like the issues the characters in the film have to face and the way they try to solve them.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/reviews-418

ur0547823

title: everybody's crazy review: I am trying to remember at least one character in Silver Linings Playbook who is not crazy in some way. You know, what we call a normal person, who is not or was not a patient in a mental institution, is not on psychotic medication, is not going to shrinks or a shrink himself, has no mania or obsession, does not live his or her life according to canned solutions prescribed by psychiatrists. Actually there may be one - Dolores, the mother of the deranged home where much of the action happens, splendidly acted by Jacki Weaver who also is hinted to be the deus-ex-machina of the sophisticated intrigue of rehabilitation of her son Pat (Bradley Cooper, much better than in any other film I saw him before) out of the mental institution where his stay seems to have been caused more by legal reasons than by health troubles. In the process of getting back his life, which includes for some reasons (never explained) getting back his cheating wife who was at the origin of all his troubles he will meet a new love (Jennifer Lawrence - great looks, average acting, but then she is really only 22). It's just that the Pat's system of reference (as the one of other characters in the film) is so much deformed by the stereotypes of therapy and legalism that seem to rule over the life of the heroes that only the rules of Hollywood good-feeling scripts succeed in bringing together the intrigue towards the end.It is certainly my problem that I am not a big fan of suburbs drama or of romantic comedies. It is the problem of the film that it cannot offer credible solutions to the problems of the characters. If this was real life there would be no happy character in this film. They live in times of economic uncertainty, lose jobs or run in-secure businesses. Family lives are buried in boredom and mediocrity. They are stuck in unhappy marriages. They are on medication. Even their American football teams do not do too well, and sport events turn into violent incidents with ugly racist facets. The aspiration to a positive attitude seems to be imposed and artificial. It's mean drama packed in the artificial wrapping of therapy and optimism, but the source of optimism is not clear. It sounds and looks superficial and artificial.There are many details to like in Silver Linings Playbook. Dialogs are extremely well written and acting is so natural that you feel that you are present in the suburb home, and that the characters are folks like the ones you met yesterday. You even forget that Robert De Niro is the actor who played uncounted number of gangsters, his maniac focus is so well targeted here to the obsessions for football and betting. Director David O. Russell makes the best of the neurotic ambiance and temperament of his characters and eventually drives the viewers in caring about them. It was not a bad film, despite the amount of clichés that outnumber the moments of real emotion, but I left the screening with a feeling of dis-orientation - serious problems are dealt with the wrong approach. A little bit like the issues the characters in the film have to face and the way they try to solve them.