This is a movie that I never watched because it seemed slated to be just another romance film and it was just the latest fad that would fade away. I was watching a YouTube channel called Cinema Therapy that I found last year where a filmmaker and a therapist react to movies and one of the films they reviewed was this movie. They discussed the nature of the relationship between the two people, the conditions they live with and how they interact together. Apparently this movie is far deeper than I originally thought. Seeing the scenes where Bradley Cooper's mania was taking over shows a far more emotional performance than I expected out of this movie. When I saw the trailer, what I got out of it was two generally incompatible people training for a dance competition were they learned to work together and began to find an interest in each other. I think I even remember some scenes where Bradley Cooper was with someone else, so I might have even thought that he was breaking up a current relationship because of his dance partner. I have more of an understanding of the film now after watching that episode of Cinema Therapy, so I won't exactly expect the same as I did before. Now that I understand the general plot, I totally had to watch this for Mental Health Awareness Month because it's all about bringing awareness to a situation that so many people live with every day and how important it is to find ways to cope with issues that affect our daily lives. So, on that note, it's time to start the movie!
So, I totally get the hype now. This is a really good movie. In the beginning, there was a lot of awkwardness that made it difficult to watch, but that's generally true in reality when someone's mental state isn't balanced and they're struggling through difficult moments. It's not easy and it's not comfortable, but sometimes standing by them through it is all they need and it's worth dealing with feeling uncomfortable for that moment. This was a man going through the most difficult transition of his life and it was a long and straining process. I've never been in a manic state like he was in parts of the movie, but Bradley Cooper did an amazing job at conveying the intensity of the emotions and the obsessions in those manic moments that I felt I could empathize and had an understanding of it. I also started to learn what his triggers were and knew an outburst was coming before it happened.
This movie was definitely an intense ride and it's hard to remember everything that happened. There were moments I sat in awkward silence because it was a difficult scene, and others where I was angry and wanted to shove him, then other moments I was laughing so hard I barely could wheeze. When Pat was in such a panic about his wedding video and he was lashing out at his mother and father, I got so angry with him that he couldn't pull himself out of the state where he absolutely NEEDED to see that video to see the people he was hurting around him, but that's the nature of this condition. I am glad that he finally started to take medication after that moment though, to show that he understood himself a little better after calming down and getting a little clarity. For many dealing with mental imbalance, medications can make a huge difference in their day to day life if they take them regularly. The problem comes when they're not taking the right medication for their body chemistry or they're taking the wrong dose. I've had many describe the fog they lived in with certain meds and I've even seen the light dim in the eyes of my friends who were on medications that were too heavy hitting for them. The scene of the dinner where Pat meets Tiffany may be uncomfortable for the couple who invited them, but the pair find a commonality with the different treatments they've gone through to deal with their own personal brand of "crazy." I thought it was a great moment to show that their personal journeys through psychiatric medicine wasn't something no one else could understand. That they aren't alone in their successes and setbacks. When something can be seen as understandable and relatable, it makes it easier to cope with. The two have different issues to deal with, and there are times that they clash with each other, but they find ways to navigate through their episodes together, as well. Also, the dance training seemed to really help Pat find a sense of peace and entertainment outside of his obsession with his marriage. It gave him a focus for his excessive energy, which he really needed.
When it comes to Tiffany, she really seemed to understand him, including the buttons she needed to press when she wanted to get a reaction out of him. I had a feeling she had written the letter to Pat when she first handed it to him. It was a little too ambiguous and carefully planned to be written by a woman with a restraining order on her ex. I still wonder if she actually gave Nikki the letter he originally wrote or if she was stringing him along about it. I'd like to think she actually did since that was the deal they had, but who knows. I was also stunned with her statistics of the Eagles' wins when she was with him and felt like that was an amazing moment when she started spouting out information that had everyone's heads spinning. Utterly brilliant.
I had some concerns about the therapist, though. Playing a song you know is a trigger for someone with slightly violent outbursts is dangerous for your other patients and completely irresponsible. Also, how is it that the people around him keep mentioning what he said to his therapist when that should be private and confidential? It just didn't make sense. Then there's the question of how and why Pat's mother called Tiffany when he would go for a run so she knew to run past him. How did his mom know her or her phone number? Did Tiffany swing by the house to talk to his mother at some point? They never explain that. Just loose threads that need finishing.
As for the final scenes for the completion of the bet, the dance was brilliant. When they didn't pull off their "big move," I cringed for them. It leaves you biting your nails when the judges are scoring them, just hoping for a 5 so they can win the bet. And their excitement for getting a 5.0 was a pure joy to watch. I was excited for them, especially considering how tough that last judge was with the previous two performers. Now, why Pat thought it was a good idea to walk away from Tiffany without a word to walk over to Nikki, I'll never know. A simple, "I'll be right back," would have sufficed. Instead, in the peak of the excitement, he just walks away to go to his ex without a word. If he had this big plan to give Tiffany a letter, then he shouldn't have left her hanging. It was rude and inconsiderate and since he'd been making such progress about his impulsive behavior, you would have thought that he would have thought of what that would do to her. At least he made it up to her by chasing after her and I couldn't help but think that all the running was paying off in that moment as he ran after her.
This was definitely an enjoyable movie and I'm glad I finally watched it. It was also very fitting for Mental Health Awareness Month since this movie is all about learning to live with a mental illness and to find a balance in the chaos. Next week I will continue the trend of mental health by watching I Am Sam with Sean Penn and Dakota Fanning. It is streaming on HBO Max right now if you want to watch it with me. I'll see you next week!
For more movie love, check out my other blog, "You're Watching That Again?!"
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