The Toronto International Film Festival has so far issued few surprises – after all, most of us were surely expecting that Cloud Atlas would divide, Argo would be solid, The Place Beyond the Pines would enthrall, and that Thanks for Sharing would play like Shame-lite – but there has been one film whose praise has surprised many, most of all this writer. The pieces of David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook are all good – the director, the source material, the cast (including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro) – but the film’s first trailer just hinted at a film that was light and amusing.
Apparently, though, the film is much more than that, and a number of critics are already throwing “awards-worthy” praise all over it. That said, it seems like the casting of Cooper (swapped out for Russell’s frequent star, Mark Wahlberg) was an unexpectedly solid choice, and neither Russell nor Cooper seem ready to let that magic go.
Speaking with THR, Russell revealed that he and Cooper had long wanted to work together and had even talked about working on projects like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (bleh) and The Bends together before Silver Linings came together. Post-Silver Linings, the pair are already set to work on the once-titled American Bullshit together and have “discussed” American Sniper, which Cooper recently acquired. Sorry, Wahlberg, you’re not the golden boy anymore.
As we noted back in May, Cooper will produce the film through his new production shingle at Warner Bros., 22nd & Indiana. Back then, he was just deemed “likely” to star, but this news seems to make it pretty clear that Cooper will take on the role of real life U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kelly, the man who holds the honor (?) of having the most recorded career sniper kills in United States military history. Sounds like a fun (possible) fit for the duo.
