This is the best romantic comedy (that isn’t really a romantic comedy but nevertheless contains comedy and romance) that I’ve seen in years. Possibly that I’ve ever seen. It’s magnificent.

First: Bradley Cooper. Who knew the man could act? I haven’t seen Limitless yet (it’s on my last), so my only encounter with the man was through The Hangover, which was hardly a considered piece of filmmaking. He portrays bipolar disorder without being ridiculous or condescending, and is a perfect core around which the other (also brilliant) roles revolve.

Actually, before I go on to the others, let’s just focus on that one: this is a film that portrays mental illness (in various shades) brilliantly, threatens to ass-fuck the one (incredibly minor) character who tries to fetishise it, and actually ends happily for pretty much everyone. It’s a feel-good movie without glossing over the harder parts of family dysfunction. It’s clever, but sweet. Not many films achieve all of this.

Jennifer Lawrence is also on fire (get it) in this, but that’s less surprising - she’s established her acting chops, though it’s a welcome change from The Hunger Games. She’s also jaw-droppingly beautiful in this, which I wouldn’t mention if not for those costumes at the end. The cinema was filled with the sound of about forty people shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

I loved the camerawork in this - a lot of zoom-shots that would be awkward or hackneyed under the guidance of any other director, but David O. Russell nails it. He does claustrophobia well, along with… whatever the opposite of claustrophobia is.

I cried once or twice, and laughed a lot more.