Mental illness can be a touchy subject that is difficult to navigate, but there are neither kid gloves nor sledgehammer applied here. It all feels very natural and believable without becoming patronising given the themes being explored.
There are some very funny moments, mostly through the inappropriate bluntness with which Cooper's Pat unknowingly treats people due to his illness. The drama is also very successful and there are some stirring scenes between Pat and his family as they struggle to cope with his issues and the difficulties in keeping him healthy. The pace of the film is also pretty spot on, with the narrative moving along at a satisfying clip and never feeling like it gets bogged down in unnecessary exposition, which is subtly provided through character interaction. It's not perfect by any means (the last twenty minutes felt a little out of place to me), but very enjoyable on the whole.
On top off all this, what makes the movie so successful is the performances - not only of the two main actors, but also the impressive ensemble cast. The chemistry between Lawrence and Cooper is solid, whilst not being spectacular, which is fine. It works well.
I've only seen bits and pieces of Bradley Cooper's previous work (The Hangover movies, Limitless) and can't really say I've been that impressed with him. Not that I've disliked him exactly, just that he hasn't delivered anything that I've found memorable. This film changes that. Whether this is down to the role being more challenging, or maybe the company in which he finds himself (though he did work with De Niro previously in Limitless), or perhaps just a decent character to work with, he is excellent here.
As far as Jennifer Lawrence is concerned, 2010's Winter's Bone is the only meaningful experience I've had of her thus far and that was mightily impressive. I did also see The Beaver, but remember very little of her for whatever reason. I have thus far not checked out The Hunger Games as I have heard some dreadful, dreadful things about it, though curiosity will no doubt get the better of me. Here she is volatile, yet vulnerable and draws you in further with each outburst and tender moment. She does seem to be everywhere at the moment (four films in 2012, with a further three scheduled for release in 2013), but I'm nowhere near being sick of her just yet.
Finally, what can I say about Robert De Niro. He is uniformly superb in most things he appears in, even if those things aren't always worthy of his talents. Thankfully this is not one of those occasions.
The Verdict:
7.5/10
There's plenty to appreciate here, the main draw being the performances, which are impressive all round. The comedy and drama are balanced well, and the film is uplifting without being cheesy. A satisfying watch that's certainly worth a second look.
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