--- title: "Silver Linings Playbook: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/silver-linings-playbook/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/silver-linings-playbook" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Silver Linings Playbook (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 18 reviews: 15 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics welcome Silver Linings Playbook as a funny, abrasive and affecting romance, with praise concentrated on its performances. Jennifer Lawrence draws the most consistent admiration for bringing depth and unpredictability to Tiffany, while Bradley Cooper is widely praised for his vulnerability and comic energy. The ensemble also earns credit for keeping the family tensions convincing. Many reviews admire David O. Russell’s sharp dialogue and his handling of shifts between comedy and psychological distress. The disagreement centres on whether the romantic-comedy conventions soften the film’s treatment of mental illness too much. Even some favourable reviews find the sentiment cheap or the plotting overly familiar, while others regard the warmth as earned. The spread is wide: Slant Magazine argues that the film reduces illness to marketable quirk, while The New Yorker finds its rhythms irritating and its protagonist infantile. Lawrence remains a point of praise even among those detractors. ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2013. The critic sees the film as a refreshing late addition to screwball comedy that offers a nervy, abrasive and touchingly romantic take on mental illness. Jennifer Lawrence is a complete revelation and the scene-by-scene texture is enthralling. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/silver-linings-playbook-review-8346404.html) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B+. 15 November 2012. Russell’s ensemble comedy about two head cases finding equilibrium through romance is sweet and satisfying with vibrant performances, though the happy ending feels cheap and overly conventional for the mental-health material. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/silver-linings-playbook-1798234698) ## Film Comment — Emma Myers Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic praises how the film navigates tonal shifts between comedy and drama without feeling forced or eye-rolling, highlighting the strong ensemble cast's ability to blend humor with portrayals of mental illness. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-silver-linings-playbook-david-o-russell/) ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 4/5. The critic calls it a genuinely unusual, bittersweet romance with terrific choreography and career-changing performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. They highlight the offbeat love story and the surprising ballroom-dance-off climax. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0v0obk/silver-linings-playbook/) ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 4/5. 13 November 2012. The critic finds the film zips along on off-beat energy and a fast-paced script that is funny and honest about mental health. They single out the sparky, intelligent acting, especially from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/silver-linings-playbook) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2012. The critic finds the film a romcom laced with abrasive grit about two troubled people seeking redemption. It is deliciously acted and smartly scripted, though not as audacious as it might have been and it implies bipolarity can be cured by love. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/ios-film-review-silver-linings-playbook-8348219.html) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2012. The film’s emotional disequilibrium suits Russell; Cooper is scary-pure but Lawrence’s layered weirdness knocks the critic sideways. It ends on a conventional rom-com note after a discombobulating ride. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/11/movie-review-silver-linings-playbook.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2012. Festival review. The critic notes the film’s unique, beguiling qualities and the strong performances from Bradley Cooper and especially Jennifer Lawrence that sell its bold heart. They observe it normalizes the protagonist’s condition while eventually turning toward the conventional with a dance competition plot. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/silver-linings-playbook/5046362.article) ## Empire — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2012. The critic notes the film is a blue-collar underdog story that is tonally awkward at times and harder to root for than Russell's previous work, but praises Jennifer Lawrence as a standout. It fuses comedy and pathos unevenly but demonstrates her maturing skillset. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/silver-linings-playbook-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Calum Marsh Rating 2/4. 10 November 2012. The film is a calculated, on-the-nose prestige rom-com that reduces mental illness to marketable quirk and contrivances; its charm is seductive but ultimately disingenuous and conventional despite the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/silver-linings-playbook/) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2012. Russell’s sort-of comedy is pretty much a miscalculation from beginning to end; the hero is mainly just silly and infantile. Things improve a bit when Jennifer Lawrence shows up, but the rhythms are off and the movie nags at you. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/silver-linings-playbook-2) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 15 November 2012. The film is rich in life’s complications and a complete success from a singular talent who brings intensity and passion to the proceedings. Russell’s gift for smart, honest and unexpected dialogue and situations keeps you off-balance in an almost addictive way. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-nov-15-la-et-mn-silver-linings-playbook-review-20121116-story.html) ## Sight and Sound — Lisa Mullen 23 November 2012. The critic praises Russell’s smart script and the film’s ability to deliver a feelgood romcom about love without descending into cuteness or schmaltz. They highlight the strong, likeable performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as the central mismatched couple. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-silver-linings-playbook) ## The Guardian 25 November 2012. David O. Russell alternates between comedy and psychological drama in this hugely enjoyable film about a bipolar man released from a mental institution who connects with a young widow. The critic praises the director's ability to retain a comic tone while engaging with the characters' pains and anxieties, and singles out Jennifer Lawrence's depth and pathos in the role of Tiffany. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/25/silver-linings-playbook-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 9 September 2012. Festival review. Russell returns to off-kilter comedy with an odd but charming film about ordinary people’s struggles and obsessions. It showcases strong ensemble work, particularly from Cooper and Lawrence, with genuine vulnerability amid the quirk. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/silver-linings-playbook--bradley-cooper-jennifer-lawrence-robert-deniro-toronto-review-368930) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating Critic's Pick. 16 November 2012. The exuberant film does almost everything right as it tracks the feverish ups and downs of a head case named Pat returning from a mental institution. Russell is a virtuoso of chaos who maintains supreme command over a movie that teeters on the edge of hysteria. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/movies/silver-linings-playbook-directed-by-david-o-russell.html) ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin 22 November 2012. Silver Linings Playbook has enough corn, contrivance and cheap sentiment to power a midsummer rom-com, appearing as a sheep in wolf’s clothing beneath its serio-comic surface. The critic notes it is buoyed by US reviews but finds it ultimately a bundle of matted fleece, while praising Jennifer Lawrence as the sole glittering element. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9696430/Silver-Linings-Playbook-review.html) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating A. 28 November 2012. The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, commending the nuanced handling of family turmoil and mental health alongside standout performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence that ground the rom-com elements. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/silver-linings-playbook-review/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating A. 15 November 2012. An enormously entertaining, crowd-pleasing winner with big heart, hilarious comedy and real emotional stakes. Cooper and Lawrence give career-best, awards-worthy performances in a focused yet vibrant film. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-big-hearted-hilarious-silver-linings-playbook-a-touchdown-from-david-o-russell-20121115/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2012. The critic highlights Bradley Cooper's best performance to date in a deliriously funny and poignant love story, praising the sharp banter, chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence, and David O. Russell's screwball approach. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a437852/silver-linings-playbook-review-bradley-cooper-makes-the-world-shinier/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 January 2013. Russell's film is a revealing look into a very American family that captures spirit of place with unsightly nuances rarely seen in Hollywood. The world feels authentic and mental illness is confronted directly rather than ignored. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/silver-linings-playbook-2012-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2012. The critic calls the film an extraordinary balancing act that succeeds despite its difficult premise of mixing mental illness, ballroom dancing, and football fandom into a romantic comedy. Russell is singled out for drawing strong, empathetic performances from the entire cast, including Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/silver-linings-playbook-review-mental-illness-ballroom-dancing-madcap-surprise-65141/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 16 November 2012. Festival review. The film is a sharply comic and surprisingly sweet take on mental illness and dysfunctional families, with strong performances and unfiltered dialogue that highlight the chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence. It delivers crowd-pleasing entertainment without challenging viewers too much. [Read the review](https://collider.com/silver-linings-playbook-movie-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Lewis Bazley Rating 3.5/5. 2 November 2012. The film is a bruising, surprisingly touching and frequently funny bulldozer. Cooper and Lawrence deliver tremendous, award-worthy performances that drive the story. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-silver-linings-playbook-review/) ## Paste — Michael Burgin Rating 8.4. 20 November 2012. Russell deftly mines comic nuance from mental illness with a top-notch cast, dancing dialogue, and earnestness, resulting in a revelatory turn from Cooper and strong work from Lawrence. Minor flaws like an extraneous character do not detract from the satisfying whole. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/silver-linings-playbook) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/silver-linings-playbook.md