Critic’s Choice: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

If you follow the movies, you’ve long heard about “Silver Linings Playbook,” David O. Russell’s film that took the Oscar-predictive People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. If you’re smart, you’ll see it right now, before all your friends tell you how good it is and ruin your chances of enjoying it for yourself. Rich in life’s complications, it will make you laugh, but don’t expect it to fit in any snug genre pigeonhole. Dramatic, emotional, even heartbreaking, as well as wickedly funny, it stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence doing wonderful work as a pair of obsessive, unbalanced individuals whose lives threaten to spiral out of control on a daily basis. This film has the rare gift of going its own way, a complete success from a team of singular talents.

ALSO:

VIDEO: A guide to Thanksgiving movies

In the film: A blueprint for a fall sleeper

Best actress Oscar: Jennifer Lawrence takes the lead

Supporting actor Oscar: One of the best races in years

PHOTOS AND MORE

VIDEO: What to see during Thanksgiving weekend

The Envelope: Awards Insider

PHOTOS: NC-17 movies: Ratings explained