Nothing New Under the Sun

I missed this film when it came out a few years ago but do remember that it generated a lot of interest as well as critical acclaim.

I eventually caught it on TV recently and while Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have undoubted screen chemistry, I don't really get the hype surrounding this movie. I was expecting something fresh and exciting, but for me the story seemed pretty derivative, as was the ending. I can't help feeling that I've seen the same story told on screen many times. Frankie and Johnny starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer immediately springs to mind.

I also find it interesting that both films have very attractive actors in the lead roles. I am not arguing that they are not fine actors, they are. It would just be so refreshing if, for once, film studios were unafraid of portraying romantic themes with actors who look just like regular folk.

Frankie and Johnny is a case in point. Kathy Bates created the role of Frankie on stage but was replaced in the film by Pfeiffer. Although the on screen pairing of Pacino and Pfeiffer works perfectly well, I think it would have been a much better and more interesting film had Kathy Bates not been replaced.

The USP for Silver Linings Playbook seems to be the theme of mental illness. Having no professional experience in this field, I wondered if the film had portrayed mental illness in a realistic and appropriate manner. It would be interesting to hear the views of a health care professional.

CARRY ON CLEO
Ceasar: If Cleopatra and this other upstart ...
Brutus: Ptolemy?
Ceasar: I am telling you!