December 28, 2012 -- Being in love is a kind of insanity. It makes you do crazy things. If you are crazy to begin with, maybe love gets even more intense than it does for other people. That's the premise of this romantic comedy about two people in love who have discussions over dinner about the mind-altering drugs their psychiatrists have presribed for them.

Pat (played by Bradley Cooper of “Limitless”) has just gotten out of a mental institution, against the advice of his doctors. He is trying to reunite with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee) who has a restraining order against him. Pat had always had emotional problems, but he really went off the deep end when he came home and found Nikki having sex with another man. He beat the man severely, landing him in a mental hospital. Well, he was provoked.

Pat is trying to get his life back on track. He is exercising and has lost weight, but certain things still set him off. Being back home doesn't help. Pat's father, played by Robert De Niro, is about as crazy as Pat is. Having lost his job, Pat's father is making money as a bookmaker, but he can't go against his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He lays a crazy bet with another bookie, betting his whole future on the Eagles. He loses the bet. Pat's father thinks that Pat is a good luck charm. If he doesn't watch the Eagles games with him, the Eagles will lose. Pat's father can't go to the games himself because he has been banned from the stadium for fighting.

Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence of “The Hunger Games”) is broken up over the death of her husband, which she feels responsible for (and she is, in a way). When she meets Pat, the sparks fly and Tiffany sets her sights on Pat, who is still hung up on Nikki. Tiffany said she will get a letter from Pat to Nikki if Pat will agree to dance with her in a big dance contest. Pat finds himself falling for Tiffany, but he resists. He still wants to win Nikki back. The big dance contest, of course, is on the same night as a big football game in which Pat's father hopes to win all the money back he lost on the previous big bet.

All sorts of additional complications set in, especially when Nikki decides to show up for the big dance contest. Things all come to a head during the dance contest and the big game. The plot is clever and a bit unconventional. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro all turn in wonderful performances in this very funny, very warm comedy. This film rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .