Silver Linings Playbook Gets Boost in TIFF

Both Indiewire’s Anne Thompson and Jeff Wells have invoked the “O” word with the Silver Linings Playbook in Toronto. The David O. Russell film stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Anne says:

#TIFF12 the Oscar race is on: silver linings playbook with a happily smiling harvey behind it will be a major contender across the board.

And Jeff says:

I haven’t felt this knocked over & blown away by such a surprise hit in years. David O. Russell’s biggest hit of his career. Total winner!

Jeff goes on to write a longer review but it seems like a big celebration all the way around. It looks like a good year, once again, for the Weinstein Co. Silver Linings might be sappy enough to win Best Pic (if anyone can convince them David O. Russell is a nice guy and Bradley Cooper is an Oscar-worthy leading man it’s Harvey Weinstein). Also on their slate, The Master, which just won in Venice (but getting 6,000 Oscar voters to pick that one? Nearly impossible) and way, way overdue cinematic genius, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. You have to choose, Sophie. I don’t know how they will juggle these three titles.

Funny, of all of the films the Weinstein Co. showed footage of in Cannes, this one seemed the least interesting. But maybe coming from the behind is always the better way to take on Oscar. But without solid reviews yet it’s hard to say where it will go. This is always the case with much buzzed about films at festivals by bloggers and not critics. Announcing a film is going to be a major Oscar player is incredibly difficult to do early on. But if you go by festival buzz, Argo, The Master and The Silver Linings Playbook just entered the Oscar race, joining Moonrise Kingdom, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Wild cards would be The Dark Knight Rises and Anna Karenina.