Jennifer Lawrence charms at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

“It’s exhausting and an honor. It’s an exhausting honor,” said “The Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence while on the red carpet at the Arlington Theater in downtown Santa Barbara this Saturday. Though last week the 22 year-old actress was reportedly suffering from pneumonia, she looked terrific in her off-the-shoulder Stella McCartney pant suit. Behind her was a throng of squealing teenage girls who would periodically shout her name in unison.

A frontrunner for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” Lawrence was in town to receive the “Most Outstanding Performer of the Year” award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; one more prize to put on her increasingly cluttered trophy rack.

Indie Roundup: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

David O. Russell’s movies often feel like a visit from a cantankerous relative. After all, a large chunk of both “The Fighter” and “Flirting With Disaster” is basically people standing around shouting at each other. His movies are marked by characters that are wounded and not yet wholly formed, who inevitably clash, loudly, with parents who are just as screwed up as their kids. With another director, that formula might make you want to flee from the screen, but Russell has the ability to walk the line between grating and ingratiating. He not only keeps you engaged, but also wins you over. Though his latest film, “Silver Linings Playbook,” is his most accessible, awards-friendly movie yet, Russell still gives the movie plenty of the sharp edges.