“David O’ Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” shows that it’s sometimes hard to separate the keepers from the inmates.”

The first part of this review is more a commentary upon the behavior of the director, David O’Russell.  If such things don’t interest you, please continue reading below the second Youtube clip.

I saw David O’ Russell’s 2009 film,“Three Kings” a few years ago, and enjoyed it.

His next film was “I Heart Huckabees,” which I didn’t see.  It wasn’t the type of movie I tend to seek out, though I did see an Youtube video associated with the film soon afterward.

That’s when I decided that I just didn’t like the man.  He struck me as a bully, someone who threw their power around, and there are few things I despise worse than bullies.  Now, that’s not to say that you can’t be a great director and mediocre person (after all, Alfred Hitchcock seemed to do pretty well), I won’t use my hard-earned money to lend tacit approval to such behavior.

And Lily Tomlin wasn’t the only person who has had to deal with his antics.  Now, perhaps George Clooney and Tomlin somehow brought O’ Russell’s ire down upon themselves, though I am not sure what anyone could do to warrant such treatment, particularly in the case of Tomlin.

So, as much as his prior film, 2010’s “The Fighter” interested me, I ignored it.

So why did I just watch “Silver Linings Playbook,” David O’ Russell’s latest film?

I’d have to say it was the interview that he gave to The Wrap, in which–while never actually apologizing for his earlier actions–at least admitted that he had a bit of growing up to do.

“Silver Linings Playbook” is a type of movie that we don’t see all that often.  It’s about individuals, about what breaks us down, and what it takes to put us back together again (or an approximation thereof). Bradley Cooper plays Pat, who was held in a mental health facility for eight months, for attacking the man who had an affair with his wife, Nikki.

Ordered by the court not to come within 50 yards (or thereabouts) of her Pat tries to get his life together while holding on to the remnants of his marriage, mainly because that’s all he knows.

He moves in with his parents, Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro) and his wife, Delores (Jacki Weaver, who looks more like Sally Struthers than Struthers does) who appealed to the court for his release.

The cast includes Chris Tucker (who turns in a performance more restrained than he typically does), Anupham Kher, John Ortiz and Jennifer Lawrence, all of whom do well with the material.

The cinematography, by Masanobu Takayanagi, looks like it uses hand-held cameras and steadicams primarily.  It also looks like it was done digitally, as opposed to 35mm film because of the graininess of the night scenes.

“Silver Linings Playbook,” is far better than I thought that it wold be, and a welcome respite from the zombies, giant robots, and uber-violence I tend to watch.