1. I love Bradley Cooper - I've written about this love before, but I can't express how happy I am that he has succeeded. As an Alias fanatic, I adored Will Tippin, although I was totally in love with Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and man, don't get me started on Sark (David Anders) - sexiest bad guy ever. Anyway, I've followed Bradley Cooper's career post-Alias, and he has done some solid work. His TV show Kitchen Confidential was hilarious (and canceled waaaaaay too quickly), he was a super douche in Nip/Tuck and of course, shot to movie-stardom with The Hangover. Silver Linings Playbook is his best work to date. It's Oscar nomination good. With the film taking place in his home town, he seems really comfortable; exuding a natural ease with the role while still displaying an emotional exposure that is unguarded and wonderful to witness. With this, he's proven he can do it all from comedy, to action, to this little quirky drama. I'm going to ignore the fact that Channing Tatum has the new title of "Sexiest Man Alive" and just pretend that Bradley is continuing the title for a second year. He's got the talent, the looks and the confidence (yes, it's a cliche, but confidence is always sexy. Fact.).
2. I love Philly - There aren't too many movies that come to mind that truly get the "essence" of Philly. Sure, we have the Rocky movies that made Philly famous in the movie world and there is M. Night Shyamalan that always films his movies in or around Philly. But, when I say "essence" of Philly, I mean movies that really showcase the city and all of its eccentricities and quirkiness. This film made me really miss Philly (I lived there for a few years). It's a very neighborly place. Those rejected from the fast pace of NYC and the pretentiousness of Boston are welcomed into Philly with open arms. The whole football aspect is done really well, because the movie is really not about football at all. However, the Eagles are a big part of Philly life and whether you like it or not, they are in the background of life there, everywhere you go. Literally, EVERYWHERE. Grocery store, restaurant, the DMV - inevitably someone will start the Eagles chant. E-A-G-L-E-S...EAGLES!!! I remember sitting in the theater, watching Spider-Man 2, and someone started the chant in the middle of the movie. It's annoying as fuck, and I am not a fan of football at all, but I love passionate people and that is what Philly and this movie are all about.
3. I hate the ending - *spoilers* Now that I've gone on about Bradley Cooper and Philly, I guess I should comment a little on the movie. I loved it. Funny, touching, and memorable with incredible performances from every actor (while Bradley has my heart, I would say Jacki Weaver was the stand-out performance). It will most likely be in my top 10, but it would have been much higher on the list if only it didn't end on such a super positive note. I didn't really mind the love story, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have great chemistry and did a fantastic job of getting me to root for them. However, I didn't need the whole "I wrote that letter a week ago....I'm in love with you" sappiness. These are two people who have a history of mental disorders (bi-polar, depression etc), so it is a bit realistic for them to be on a "high", but I felt like the movie should have ended with at least a hint of the "low", instead of a happily ever after. Mental disorders don't magically disappear because people fall in love, in reality they often get worse (and this deep love for someone is what sets Cooper's character off in the first place). It needed to be addressed, in my opinion, and the opinion of my movie partner, who said "fuck that ending" when the movie was over. He took the words right out of my mouth.
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