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Silver Linings Playbook

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Silver Linings Playbook - 21/11/2012 9:12:37 PM   
Empire Admin

 

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Brilliant - 21/11/2012 9:12:38 PM   
fatboycheese

 

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I loved this film as did everyone in the cinema watching it. A funny off kilter romance. Often moving with brilliant performances from everyone involved especially Cooper and Lawrence. I don't know a thing about Baseball / Soccer! Doesn't matter.
Go and see it, please.

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- 22/11/2012 10:35:41 AM   
fatboycheese

 

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Joined: 8/12/2005
Can I also say. How the hell can you rate this film the same as the latest Twilight Crap? You should be embarrassed!

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RE: - 22/11/2012 9:50:27 PM   
dolfinack

 

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From: Belfast
 Hmmm, some funny and endearing moments, but was a bit too scatty with far too much freewheeling improv. Felt a bit A-level drama.

30 minutes too long but worth a watch if you've nothing better to do.

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RE: - 23/11/2012 8:25:05 PM   
UTB


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quote:

ORIGINAL: fatboycheese

How the hell can you rate this film the same as the latest Twilight Crap?


Its a limited choice of five, really.

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Post #: 5
- 24/11/2012 12:42:47 AM   
Masked Dave


Posts: 46
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Manchester
 Not-too-disastrous? This is probably the best performance I've seen De Niro give for years. The film is charming and nice and purposefully small, managing to make high stakes from small victories. Cooper is the lesser performance when put next to Lawrence and De Niro, but in most films would be a stand out.

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Post #: 6
Could have been spectacular - 24/11/2012 10:25:19 AM   
Swedle

 

Posts: 92
Joined: 11/2/2010
I loved this film, to use the crappy film student vernacular 'it made me laugh and it made me cry' but i felt there was something missing which could have turned this from a lovely human story to some sort of breathtaking testament to the human spirit, anyway i think it deserves 4 stars

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RE: Could have been spectacular - 24/11/2012 9:48:53 PM   
Bickle


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Joined: 30/9/2005
I really enjoyed this. Great performances. Had the same dark humour as The Fighter. A decent depiction of bi-polar disorder too.

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Post #: 8
Loved it! - 27/11/2012 10:52:59 PM   
tysmuse

 

Posts: 255
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What?! this film is terrific! a bit too long, but engaging from start to finish. I loved it.

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Post #: 9
Definitely worth 4 stars - 28/11/2012 10:10:20 PM   
LeelaBlue

 

Posts: 1
Joined: 28/11/2012
Really enjoyed this movie and thought that Bradley Coopers portrayal of a bi-polar guy was pretty damn good. Really felt the intensity in the scenes where he loses it in the middle of the night and wakes his parents...very tense. The writer of the Empire review for this film seems to have missed several elements and nuances to the mental health part of the story.

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Post #: 10
RE: Silver Linings Playbook - 29/11/2012 6:27:06 PM   
R W

 

Posts: 268
Joined: 23/6/2006
In reality, mental illness is no laughing matter but somehow in film, you can find the bright and funny side to it, such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. A few weeks ago we had Paul Thomas Anderson’s divisive masterpiece The Master which took a dark and non-conventional look into this illness, whilst director David O. Russell’s latest flick is hoping to be a crowd-pleaser whilst talking mental illness as well as marital failure.

Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), who has bipolar disorder, is released from a mental health facility into the care of his parents after eight months of treatment. Despite a restraining order from his wife, Pat is still hoping to win her back with the help of his friend’s equally damaged sister-in-law Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), under the condition he becomes her partner in an upcoming dance competition.

Unlike the real edginess of Russell’s previous work like Three Kings or even the bizarre originality of I ♥ Huckabees, Silver Linings Playbook is perhaps a sign to show that the known tempered director has gone soft, given the trailers are fairly upbeat. As before, Russell has a sense of humour depicted through his witty dialogue which brings out the best of his actors, whilst the story of Pat coping with his illness in the social light can be seen as a psychological drama.

Going for a more subtle direction after the chaos of war of Three Kings and the boxing of The Fighter, David O. Russell here is concentrating the behaviour of the characters which can lead to disastrous results. Despite the plot contrivance of the dance contest which somehow becomes the most important challenge of Pat, Tiffany and his family, you can forgive the film for going into a conventional approach as the climax is terrifically upbeat.

The film’s big highlight is the actors who are at their finest such as Bradley Cooper who as Pat is both difficult and charming as he tries to win back his wife despite his unsupportive friends and family while his odd friendship with Tiffany is touching. As for Jennifer Lawrence who may look young to be in a rather grown-up role, she is extraordinary as a recent widow who knows her own madness whilst trying to help the problems of her dancing partner. With a triumphant chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence, let’s hope their performances get award consideration.

On the supporting cast which includes Jacki Weaver as Pat’s sweetly sympathetic mother, Robert De Niro is doing his best performance in years following silly turns in recent genre films. As Pat Solitano Sr., De Niro is seen as the tragic figure of the piece with an illness of his own as well as having trouble bonding with his recently-released son. Five years after Rush Hour 3, Chris Tucker returns to acting in an actual funny performance as Pat’s friend from the mental health facility.

As a dramedy that has to tackle mental illness and marital failure whilst applying the laughs, David O. Russell has made a real crowd-pleaser with actors at their very best, particularly from Jennifer Lawrence.

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Post #: 11
deserves 4 stars... - 30/11/2012 10:18:48 PM   
megank13

 

Posts: 95
Joined: 14/1/2009
I thoroughly enjoyed the film. it was dramatic, funny, romantic. charming. you don't need to know anything about American football to enjoy the film. the performances are brilliant. the chemistry between the characters is perfect. especially Lawrence & Cooper. I'm happy they're working together again in a new film.

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Post #: 12
Nurse Gladys Emmanuel is Bradley Cooper's mum! - 30/11/2012 11:40:41 PM   
TheMightyBlackout


Posts: 89
Joined: 28/4/2012
From: Oxford, UK
 Silver Linings Playbook is nicely paced, neatly scripted and beautifully acted. It's not quite in the same class as Wallflower, but it's of the same school, certainly. The ending is perhaps a tiny bit too neat considering the tone of the rest of the film, but it's pulled off with enough style to leave you with a grin.

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RE: Nurse Gladys Emmanuel is Bradley Cooper's mum! - 2/12/2012 1:54:02 PM   
Filmfan 2


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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheMightyBlackout

Silver Linings Playbook is nicely paced, neatly scripted and beautifully acted. It's not quite in the same class as Wallflower, but it's of the same school, certainly. The ending is perhaps a tiny bit too neat considering the tone of the rest of the film, but it's pulled off with enough style to leave you with a grin.


I'd agree with this.

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RE: Nurse Gladys Emmanuel is Bradley Cooper's mum! - 3/12/2012 1:11:47 PM   
rick_7


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From: The internet
 *VERY MINOR SPOILERS*
CINEMA: Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012) – At last! I’ve been waiting all my life for a film about a character who’s a bit like me. And now it’s here. Because Bradley Cooper’s bruised, bipolar protagonist really fucking hates Stevie Wonder’s Ma Cherie Amour. Just like me! And that’s not the only reason to celebrate, since Russell’s original, screwball-y film of two lost, damaged souls connecting, is the best film I’ve seen at the cinema this year.

Cooper is a psychiatric patient released after eight months in a hospital, following an explosive episode brought on by his wife’s infidelity. Invited to dinner by his best friend, he meets a bereaved, "slutty" depressive (Jennifer Lawrence) who offers him a deal: she can get a message to his estranged wife, if he helps her compete in a dance contest. Its rom-com framework may appear conventional, but the film consistently surprises. It’s true that most depictions of mental illness ring false, because a realistic work would usually be really fucking boring, but this is a film that manages to entertain without trivialising its characters or their problems. While angling on the humour of their situation, spotlighting the obsessiveness and lack of social skills that are often a symptom or by-product of mental illness, it takes the subject seriously, an admirably honest approach in a genre often beset by duplicity. Simply put, it’s nice to see these kinds of characters – and specifically these characters – on a movie screen. And like Tom McCarthy or Alexander Payne, Russell can offer escapism while making you think, and feel, a welcome trick on a Friday night, when the temptation can be to immerse oneself in froth.

Cooper, who was just unbearable in The Hangover (a film I loathe), is nothing short of a revelation, and his chemistry with Lawrence – one of the best actresses working today – is really beautiful. There’s also a nice performance from De Niro, his best in years, as Cooper’s father, who may be trying to build bridges with his son – or may just be using him as a good-luck charm to win money betting on football. His sequences seem distracting early on, taking us away from a beguiling burgeoning friendship, but the film’s apparently disparate elements slot together perfectly as it progresses, leading to a wonderfully satisfying finale. I loved it to pieces.

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Silver Linings Playbook Review - 6/12/2012 11:29:40 PM   
the film man

 

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Silver Linings Playbook walks on a tricky tightrope because of the subject matter, but thanks to David O. Russell's sensitive direction and great characters performed superbly by the talented cast gives it true balance.

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Post #: 16
Mental Health - 9/12/2012 9:14:05 AM   
chargomp


Posts: 27
Joined: 1/3/2006
From: Austria
 Went to see this movie last night. Some brilliant performances and great to see a relatively accurate portrayal of mental illness.

Now we come onto Damon Wise's review. You should be ashamed of yourself. Using phrases like 'bipolar and brutal' to describe Cooper's tortured character may be accurate in one sense but they also show an utter ignorance of the illness. Coupled with describing De Niro's character 'is OCD' really did make my blood boil. I strongly suggest you do some research before even attempting to write on this subject again. Anyone who suffers with OCD [as 1.2% of the population of the UK do] would be devastated to be defined completely by their condition. And please don't assume that I am just having a politically correct rant, I am not. I was just bitterly disappointed that the film managed to address the subject sensitively and accurately whereas you, Damon Wise, clearly did not. It seems to me that you missed the point of the whole movie.

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Post #: 17
Empire got it wrong on this one I'm afraid - 10/12/2012 12:53:13 AM   
Cameron1975Williams

 

Posts: 200
Joined: 5/12/2005
From: Cardiff
 A contender for film of the year.

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Post #: 18
- 23/12/2012 7:45:29 PM   
jezy

 

Posts: 10
Joined: 1/5/2006
I saw this last night and thought it was amazing. The cast were outstanding especially Jennifer Lawrence. Great to see De Niro back on form . I have been collecting Empire scince 1990 and there has been quite a few dodgy reviews of late. This review is way off. The American football was easy to follow and "a single note performance " from Bradly cooper as suggested from Damon wise makes me wonder if we saw the same film.I Love Empire and each Empire reviewer is of course entitled to their opinion but I have known of a few friends that have stopped collecting it scince their reviews have been constinley off the mark. This film is one of my favourites of the year .Judging by the the reviews above this seems to be another " Iron Man " and " Taken" momen regarding Empire getting it wrong. .

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Post #: 19
- 23/12/2012 7:45:31 PM   
jezy

 

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I saw this last night and thought it was amazing. The cast were outstanding especially Jennifer Lawrence. Great to see De Niro back on form . I have been collecting Empire scince 1990 and there has been quite a few dodgy reviews of late. This review is way off. The American football was easy to follow and "a single note performance " from Bradly cooper as suggested from Damon wise makes me wonder if we saw the same film.I Love Empire and each Empire reviewer is of course entitled to their opinion but I have known of a few friends that have stopped collecting it scince their reviews have been constinley off the mark. This film is one of my favourites of the year .Judging by the the reviews above this seems to be another " Iron Man " and " Taken" momen regarding Empire getting it wrong. .

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Post #: 20
RE: - 13/1/2013 7:03:03 PM   
skippy82

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 7/9/2007
From: Milton Keynes
 I know a review is subjective but i'm surprised anyone would only give this 3 stars. From a bloke's perspective it is possibly the best romantic drama/comedy i can remember seeing. It had football, De Niro, crazy people, fights & Jennifer Lawrence in skimpy costumes. During the 'Wedding Video' scene i felt genuinely tense and because of the tone of the film i had no idea which way the dance contest would go and i actually cared about the outcome. Highly recommended.

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Post #: 21
RE: RE: - 16/1/2013 3:31:36 PM   
sligonian

 

Posts: 21
Joined: 8/6/2012
Loved it, great story which had you on the edge, magic acting outstanding cast that reached new heights, in fairness I didn't think Bradley cooper had this in him, all I can say is take a bow, brilliant, well done, Lawrence is a revelation, she is a class act, de Niro is immense as is all the cast. Brilliant pacing as someone said. Really enjoyed. 4.5 stars for me.

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Post #: 22
Bullshit Review - 22/1/2013 9:26:38 PM   
jaysonski

 

Posts: 33
Joined: 2/3/2006
I watched this film last night & absolutely loved it, great performances from DeNiro, Laurence & Cooper,
How the hell Empire came up with a 3 star review is bewildering,
They were way off the mark with 'Safety not guaranteed' also,
The fact im not usually a fan of Romantic comedies is testament to this movies heart, watch it & ignore the review

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Post #: 23
MAYBE THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH FART JOKES OR EXPLOSIONS FOR... - 1/2/2013 1:58:28 AM   
osage1948

 

Posts: 1
Joined: 1/2/2013
Evidently, dark humor laced with a charmingly idealized depiction of flawed human beings doing the best they can to find a little happiness in their troubled lives was not this reviewers cup of tea. However, this is one of the best movies I've seen in decades. And David O. Russell deserves the credit for getting uniquely nuanced performances from well known actors. Bradley Cooper was a real surprise. Robert DeNiro nearly steals the movie. Jennifer Lawrence will win her first Oscar. Chris Tucker was "quietly" funny and lovable. If you want to see a movie that you'll enjoy watching the tenth time as much as you enjoyed watching it the first time, go see and then buy Silver Linings Playbook. It is a joy to experience.

< Message edited by osage1948 -- 1/2/2013 2:00:56 AM >

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Post #: 24
Every Silver Lining has a cloud - 14/2/2013 4:20:37 PM   
bad_dancer

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 31/3/2008
From: West London
 I found this film to be quite nasty.
Horrible people saying mean things to each other.
I'm not being prudish and I fully understand that this film is dealing with mental health problems, but these characters are exaggerated and unconvincing.
He's 'undiagnosed Bi-Polar' which, in his case, means he speaks his mind and throws tantrums; she's a widow who's using sex as a coping mechanism perhaps brought on by guilt relating to the lack of 'action' with her late husband. And Daddy De Niro? Well he's OCD you see. You can tell this because he likes his remote controls in a neat line. Other than that, he's just overly-superstitious.
After watching (I'm glad it was after) this film, I found out that director David O. Russell based some of the situations on his own experiences coping with a son who is Bi-Polar. Well don't I feel like the $#@*? No. Not really. I too have some very close experience of this and Bradley Cooper comes across as more Asperger's than Bi-Polar to me. Or maybe just a self-involved, rude and violent man. There have been unsympathetic characters like this on screen before: Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets for example. And here's where the problem lies: Bradley aint no Jack. And so I never find myself caring, even slightly, for this horrible man.
Robert De Niro cries in this. It's all over the internet - go look it up. This is the film where De Niro cries. I knew that going in. I waited. This is gonna be something I thought. At least that bit will be something. It wasn't. Not much anyway. The line that makes him cry is relating to his lack of attention as a father. So Mr D seems to have used something in his own life relating to that sentiment. That's all I see: Robert De Niro being upset about his own failings as a father. I don't feel the connection with this story.
Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as usual. She makes the best of a cartoon caricature. She doesn't have enough of an arc for me - as it's the Bradley Cooper Show. And, while he's proven himself as an interesting screen presence, it's with him and David O. Russell that this film falls down for me. A usually reliable director trying to be 'real' and a leading man who doesn't, yet, have the chops to portray such a complex character left me cold cold cold.

< Message edited by bad_dancer -- 14/2/2013 4:24:05 PM >

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- 22/2/2013 9:46:52 PM   
TheGodfather


Posts: 5092
Joined: 21/10/2005
From: Sin City
Silver Linings Playbook
A pretty solid drama film in wich pretty boy Bradley Cooper finally shows that he cán truly act. The story itself isn`t anything special though and is (as is common in these kinda films) a pile of cliché`s and predictability.
Therefor it`s a question why on earth this has been nominated for the Best Picture and Best Direction Oscars.
Luckily we still have Jennifer Lawrence...


7,3/10

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A triumph - 4/3/2013 1:31:09 PM   
jakesfake

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 25/1/2008
From the honest writing, the superb directing and performances this is a great offering from Russell and a career defining moment for Cooper!

Edit - please don't advertise your blog etc in posts

< Message edited by elab49 -- 7/4/2013 2:09:09 PM >

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(Reviewed by Sean Conroy) - 19/3/2013 2:31:49 AM   
Conboy

 

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The writing is rapid fire and it positions the characters with mental health issues as the truth sayers. David O’Russell’s latest film is a tribute to his own son who has been diagnosed with bi-polar. He has gathered a terrific ensemble to bring his words to life.

Based on the novel by Mathew Quick the story centres on Pat (Cooper) freshly released from a psychiatric institution into the care of his parents. He had undiagnosed bipolar prior to beating his wife’s lover in an act of rage. His parents Pat Snr (De Niro) and Dolores (Weaver) welcome him back with cautious arms. His mission and his mantra is excelsior which in Latin means ever upward. His ever upward mission is to get his wife back by only allowing positivity into his life. He wants to remake himself. “If you stay positive you have a shot at a silver lining.” He is clearly off his meds.

David O’Russell has made some terrific films since his debut in 1994 with Spanking the Monkey, my personal favourite is Flirting with Disaster a madcap road trip where a man goes in search of his birth father. From the start he’s been interested in the awkward conversations people have between each other. He seems to have the rare ability to mix both comedy and drama in the same scene. Early in Silver Lining Pat throws the Hemingway novel Farewell to Arms out his bedroom window. He storms into his parent’s bedroom at three in the morning and yells a tirade about how tragic the novel is. It’s a moment that captures the mental state of Pat mixed with comic pathos…

A proponent of the hand held camera O’Russell believes in immediacy. The shaky camera can be annoying in modern films today but this film has two things going for it, a great screenplay and an exceptional cast. Bradley Cooper has never been better, a risky casting choice he delivers in spades. Pat is in serious trouble psychologically yet Cooper navigates the growth of his character beaut

< Message edited by elab49 -- 7/4/2013 2:11:18 PM >

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(Reviewed by Sean Conroy) - 19/3/2013 2:32:27 AM   
Conboy

 

Posts: 13
Joined: 7/1/2013
The writing is rapid fire and it positions the characters with mental health issues as the truth sayers. David O’Russell’s latest film is a tribute to his own son who has been diagnosed with bi-polar. He has gathered a terrific ensemble to bring his words to life.

Based on the novel by Mathew Quick the story centres on Pat (Cooper) freshly released from a psychiatric institution into the care of his parents. He had undiagnosed bipolar prior to beating his wife’s lover in an act of rage. His parents Pat Snr (De Niro) and Dolores (Weaver) welcome him back with cautious arms. His mission and his mantra is excelsior which in Latin means ever upward. His ever upward mission is to get his wife back by only allowing positivity into his life. He wants to remake himself. “If you stay positive you have a shot at a silver lining.” He is clearly off his meds.

David O’Russell has made some terrific films since his debut in 1994 with Spanking the Monkey, my personal favourite is Flirting with Disaster a madcap road trip where a man goes in search of his birth father. From the start he’s been interested in the awkward conversations people have between each other. He seems to have the rare ability to mix both comedy and drama in the same scene. Early in Silver Lining Pat throws the Hemingway novel Farewell to Arms out his bedroom window. He storms into his parent’s bedroom at three in the morning and yells a tirade about how tragic the novel is. It’s a moment that captures the mental state of Pat mixed with comic pathos…

A proponent of the hand held camera O’Russell believes in immediacy. The shaky camera can be annoying in modern films today but this film has two things going for it, a great screenplay and an exceptional cast. Bradley Cooper has never been better, a risky casting choice he delivers in spades. Pat is in serious trouble psychologically yet Cooper navigates the growth of his character beaut

< Message edited by elab49 -- 7/4/2013 2:06:51 PM >

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Post #: 29
[Repost - Please Delete] - 19/3/2013 2:39:03 AM   
Conboy

 

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[Repost - Please Delete] Sorry



< Message edited by Conboy -- 19/3/2013 2:40:46 AM >

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