In a movie where it feels like anything is possible, David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook is not only very original, but also incredibly entertaining.

The movie chronicles Bradley Cooper playing Pat, a former school teacher who suffers from bipolar disorder. He has recently been let out of a mental institution following his assault on the man who was having an affair with his wife. However, he still suffers from mood swings, and he is placed in the care of his parents, played by Jacki Weaver and Robert De Niro.

Adjusting to home life, though, is difficult, as he is still under the impression that he will be able to win back his wife despite the fact that she left him. He is solely committed to impressing her, though it is hard to do with the restraining order against him. To try and communicate with her, he enlists the help of Nicole, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who agrees to help him in exchange for help from him. It soon becomes evident that Nicole also suffers from bipolar disorder, and she is just as unpredictable as he is.

This is the core of this movie: these two characters and their interactions with each other as they both try and get their lives back on track. Bradley Cooper is excellent, as we really see his fragility and wildness in his mood swings. However, the real star is Lawrence, as she shines as the struggling girl trying to recover from the death of her husband. Lawrence is absolutely mesmerizing, believable, vulnerable and funny. She’s everything her character should be and more. They both have so much chemistry, and it’s tantalizing to see them on the screen together.

Director David O. Russell was inspired to make this movie because his son also suffers from bipolar disorder, and he has truly created a film that explores how the disorder affects not only the afflicted, but also those around the person trying to help.

It’s not often that a movie comes out of Hollywood that feels as fresh and unique as Silver Linings Playbook. But that’s exactly what this movie is: it’s original, it’s emotional, delicate and overall one of the best movies of the year. It’s so ambitious in its design that it completely breaks conventions of other movies of its genre and creates an emotional ride. You truly do not know where it will go. I can’t recently recall a movie-going experience where I was as engrossed and moved as this one, and it’s a film that will resonate in my mind for a while.