Director Report Card: David O. Russell (2015)

8. Joy

Any time a new David O. Russell movie comes out, inevitably I sigh. The man who made quirky screwball comedies like “Flirting with Disaster” or “I Heart Huckabees’ is no longer with us. David O. Russell makes prestige dramas that win awards and star Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, and Bradley Cooper. When “Joy” was announced, it was clear which David O. Russell was responsible for this. Not only did it star all of the above actors, not only was it slotted in a plum award season-friendly release date, it was also based on the inspiring true life story of self-made millionaire Joy Mangano. Do other people get excited for this stuff? Or is everyone else as tired of this bullshit as me?

As a kid, Joy had a talent for creating inventions. As an adult, these ambitions had to be put aside. Joy got married, had three kids, got divorced, fell into a dead-end job, and had to deal with her dysfunctional family. As her home life becomes more stressful, Joy is struck by a moment of inspiration. Using her daughter’s crayons, she draws up a design for a self-wringing mop. After cashing in some favors and investing a lot of her own money, Joy gets on a television shopping network. Functioning as her own pitchman, Joy’s invention becomes an best-seller. However, her troubles are only beginning.

Mediocre reviews and underwhelming box office now means “Joy’s” Oscar chances are in peril. Whether or not the film scores any nominations remains to be seen. Considering it aims for the fences in that department, it might still snag a few. Yes, “Joy” is based off an inspiring true story. Yes, it sets out to be both quirky and heart-touching. The film is narrated by a character, quickly revealed to be deceased. At all turns, this narrator reminds us of Joy’s can-do, never-say-die attitude. The whole thing wraps up tied with a perfect, little bow. An emotional, touchy-feely note concludes the film, showing us the character in a “happily-ever-after” ending. Not only is the oddball filmmaker David O. Russel once was gone, he’s dead and buried. If “Joy” baited the Academy any harder, it would collapses in a black hole of self-importance and self-involvement.

Yet one of the director’s trademarks refuses to die. Even in stock parts, Academy bait like “Joy,” David O. Russell remains obsessed with family. An early scene has Joy’s dad moving back into his daughter’s house, forced to share a basement bedroom with his former son-in-law. Joy’s mother sits in her bedroom all day, watching soap operas. The protagonist’s grandmother, meanwhile, remains her inspiration. There’s the combative, jealous sister. There’s the dad’s new girlfriend, an ambiguous character. There’s Joy’s three daughters, none of which are defined very well. Whatever heart the movie has is found in the interaction between the dysfunctional family. Though it’s gimmicky, and not well utilized, this remains the sole link to Russell’s better films. We cling to what we can in this dark time.

At times, you can see the more interesting filmmaker Russell once was striving to poke through the routine material. “Joy,” for example, has a soap opera framing device. The film begins with a lengthy sequence of a black-and-white soap opera. As Joy’s mom watches her shows throughout, we gets peaks into the overheated world of day-time television. (One of the soaps, with a supernatural element, seems inspired by “Dark Shadows.”) In the first half of the movie, Russell’s camera often cuts to the soaps. At one point, Joy enters one via a dream sequence. After the first act, this element disappears. Why is it in the movie? How does it comment on the story’s event? Concrete reasons are never provided.

Maybe Russell was compensating for the rest of the movie’s utter boredom. There are other quirky elements tossed into the movie, seemingly for the hell of it. There’s a burst pipe in the mother’s bedroom. The plumber brought into fix it stays around longer than usual. Before long, the mother develops a relationship with the man. In another dream sequence, Joy and her ex-husband share a musical number. Was that moment tossed in to give the movie a shot at the Best Original Song category? “Joy” feels that way often, incredibly mannered yet also strangely slapdash and tossed together.

When Jennifer Lawrence broke onto the scene with “Winter’s Bone,” I thought for certain we had found America’s next great actress. Sadly, Lawrence has done nothing but disappoint me since then. When not sleep-walking through franchises like “The Hunger Games” or “X-Men,” she’s been shrieking grotesquely in “American Hustle” or “Serena.” As mediocre as “Joy” is, at least Lawrence seems engaged with the material. She’s feisty, determined, focused on her goal and able to cut through the bullshit. At the same time, Lawrence never takes it too far over the top. Joy remains grounded, wracked with fears and doubts that her dream is sinking her family into debt. It’s a good performance, maybe Lawrence’s best in a while.

“Joy” has a sturdy protagonist but its supporting cast remains more varied. Many of Joy’s family members fall into the shrill, overdone character types Russell has visited in his weaker films. Robert DeNiro as the dad plays a clueless mook, whose “good” advice comes close to ruining his daughter’s life several times. Virginia Madsen as the mother has such a cartoonish, one note part that even an actress as talented as Madsen can’t bring any real life to the role. Elisabeth Rohm as Joy’s sister probably gets the worst of it. The character is in the same mold as the bickering sisters in “The Fighter” or Lawrence’s obnoxious wife in “American Hustle.” She’s annoying, broad, and exists to manufacture contrived drama.

Yet there are a handful of decent supporting performances. Bradley Cooper dials back the over-the-top intensity he’s displayed in Russell’s other movies. As Neil Walker, the head of QVC, Cooper is understated and calm. Even when forced into dramatic situations, Cooper keeps his cool. Edgar Ramirez is the ex-husband, Diane Ladd is the wise grandmother, and Isabella Rossellini is the dad’s prickly new girlfriend. Truthfully, these roles are as one-note and stereotypical as anyone else in the movie. Still, the performers are talented enough to bring something to the role. Rossellini is fun in a bitchy way. Ladd occupies the bland mentor role with some charisma. Ramirez has a decent sense of humor. They help make a bland script go down a little smoother.

In the second half, “Joy” becomes especially joyless. The character we all know is destined to die dies. The emotional beat is so tired, so expected, that it hits with no energy. Eventually, Joy become involved in a tiresome legal battle. We all see this one coming. Turns out, the owner of the factory that’s been producing Joy’s mops have tried to claim ownership of her design. There’s lawsuits and hand-wringing, as Joy wonders if her entire life is going to be wrench away from her. Even the moment when she sneaks into the factory, stealing back her patent, hits all the expected beats. The drama feels contrived, the screenwriters hitting all the expected plot points in the “awards contender” outline.

Yet for everything dull about “Joy,” there’s a handful of decent moments. Most of these moments focus on Lawrence alone. When Joy is trying to get people interested in her product, she stands outside department stores. She performs a little routine, showing the effectiveness of her product. It’s a cute moment and one cut short by intervening security guards. Joy’s first appearance on QVC has her stumbling, before finding her groove. Watching the numbers increase, the sales rolling in, is a rare moment of fun and energy in the flick. The climax of the picture has Joy confronting an enemy, previously unseen on-film, and easily dismantling him with her words. There’s plenty of problems with this, on a scripting level. Lawrence doing her thing, cutting into the guy verbally, at least wraps the boring film up on a decent moment.

Lastly, what’s with the on-the-nose soundtrack? During a sad moment, the forlorn “Expecting to Fly” by Buffalo Springfield plays. Before a character stumbles into a bad relationship, some one sings “Mama Told Me Not to Come.” The Rolling Stones’ “Stray Cat Blues” kicks in while someone performs a daring escape. Those are just the most obvious examples. If the script telling us exactly what to feel wasn’t enough, the soundtrack hammers the intended emotions into our heads. Russell’s growing budgets have given him access to pricier musical choices. That’s not really a good thing.

Maybe “Joy’s” less-than-stellar box office performance can be blamed on the advertising. At Christmas dinner, the conversation turned towards the film. A few members of my family seemed interested in it. None of them knew what the movie was actually about. The studio was wrong if they thought a sassy Jennifer Lawrence was enough to sell the movie. Whether or not “Joy’s” blatant campaigning wins it any major awards waits to be seen. If it happens, it wouldn’t be the first time the Academy took such obvious bait. As it is now, “Joy” is another mediocre David O. Russell movie, another sign that a once-exciting filmmaker has lost the spark he had. [Grade: C]

Director Report Card: David O. Russell (2013)

8. American Hustle

David O. Russell isn’t the guy who makes quirky indie comedies anymore. Russell is in the Oscar Bait business, these days. Right after “Silver Linings Playbook” finished cleaning up awards, Russell and co. got to work on “American Hustle.” Originally entitled “American Bullshit” and loosely based on the ABSCAM operation, the film combines the seventies setting of “Argo” with the relationship drama of “Silver Linings Playbook.” With a cast packed full of previous nominees and winners, it’s unsurprising the movie wracked up a shitload of nominations. It will be even more unsurprising when the movie inevitably walks away with several wins on March 2nd. However, myself and many other reviewers have wondered: Is the movie actually good?

“American Hustle” is truthfully two very different types of films stitched together. The main plot concerns conman Irving Rosenfeld and his mistress/partner-in-crime Sydney Prosser. The two are caught by FBI agent Richie DiMaso, forcing the two into a plot to catch New Jersey mayor Carmine Polito and his bribery. The other plot involves the complicated, interacting romantic relationships of the character. Irving loves Sydney, despite being married to his shrewish wife Rosalyn. Sydney eventually gets swept up in a love triangle, as Richie quickly develops an attraction to her. Rosalyn eventually winds up with a very minor character. Amazingly, the movie resists pairing up the Mayor with the crazy cat lady or something. This balance is set up during the very first scene, as a money switching deal is complicated by the cast’s romantic entanglements.

The political plot is stop-and-go. The tone shifts back and forth between comedy and drama during these scenes. When an actor meant to play an Arabian Sheikh turns out to be Mexican that is blatantly humorous. The man being taught his lines and routine actually generates a decent laugh. However, a little scene, when the same actor is faced with a murderous mob boss, played by an uncredited DeNiro trotting out his gangster act for the umpteenth time, that moment plays out with baited suspense. The FBI getting a mafia meeting on tape obviously plays out seriously. The following scene, of agents riotously celebrating, is more humorous. The Mayor getting nervous about a money drop is later contrasted with a goofy scene of characters talking at dinner.

The tonal shift of the crime plot works decently. The humor frequently deflates most of the suspense and not in a positive way. For example, DeNiro’s mob boss is introduced with a violent flashback where he randomly shoots a dude. Bob winds up being a one-scene character, all that build-up pretty much for nothing. Scenes involving Louis C.K. as Richie’s boss are hopelessly awkward, plot mechanics dressed up with character humor that feels as fake as it is. Sometimes, the lighter scenes make for a decent contrast. An FBI boss’ light-hearted reaction to a sudden setback is a good moment. Russell has, in the past, been good at balancing the comedic and dramatic. “American Hustle” is not his best job in that regard but, occasionally, it does work.

However, the romantic subplots wind up being far more problematic to the tone. In “The Fighter,” any serious intention the plot might have had was frequently derailed by Mickey Ward’s obnoxious sisters and mother. “American Hustle” has a similar problem. Jennifer Lawrence impressed me and many other film fans with her phenomenal turn in “Winter’s Bone.” She won an Oscar for “Silver Linings Playbook,” which she may or may not have deserved. But her performance in “American Hustle” comes close to destroying the entire film. As Irving’s wife Rosalyn, she is nothing sort of cartoonish. Rambling with an absurd Joisey accent, Lawrence plays the part like the 1970s equivalent of Sookie. The character is introduced by starting a fire with a sun lamp. Later on, she maliciously explodes a brand new microwave by putting aluminum foil in it. After leaving a black scorch mark on the wall, she demands her husband thank her. She bitches and grouses with Adams’ Sydney. Most obnoxiously, Rosalyn nearly winds up getting her husband killed but not keeping her mouth shut around her mobster boyfriend.

Lawrence gets her Oscar-clip moments, a cry in a corner, a plot-advancing monologue on a bed. But it’s too little, too late. Lawrence’s over-the-top theatrics are detrimental to the over-all-film. It’s a good thing the movie is based on a true story because, otherwise, we’d never believe such a selfish, terrible human being could ever exist. Sorry, Jennifer, you look lovely but you better not win an Oscar.

The film’s performances are generally pitched at a high-level. Even the usually subtle Amy Adams screams for no reason while inside a disco club’s bathroom. Adams probably gives one of the better performances in the film. Her fake-British accent slips throughout, which makes it unbelievable when she drops the accent in-story. Still, Adams uses the withering glance she perfected in “The Master” to good effect. It’s effectively used to kill boners a few times. Similarly, she has decent romantic chemistry with both of her male leads. A moment where her and Bale try on clothes in the back of his dry-cleaning building is sweet and funny. She seduces Cooper in a hotel room, climbing on top of a bar, beckoning him closer. Of all the performances in the film most likely to win an award, Adams is the one who probably deserves it.

Christian Bale is famous for dropping a shit load of weight in “The Machinist.” In “American Hustle,” he packed on the pounds. The film begins with his buttoning up his shirt over his bulging belly, gluing down a ridiculous comb-over. Bale also carries a similarly broad Jersey accent but he is, dare I say, a better actor then Jennifer Lawrence. Bale’s trademark intensity is employed here as being a stressed-out guy. Ironically, his criminal dealings stress him out far less then his love life. The affair between DiMaso and Sydney causes him to sweat like a pig. When the situation does begin to get him down, it manifest as cautiousness.

Bale does a good job. Sure. But the best performance in the film is the one that has been widely overlooked. Jeremy Renner doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his role in various action blockbusters. His dry delivery of sarcastic one-liners made otherwise uninteresting characters watchable in “The Avengers” and even, yes, “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.” In real life, Mayor Angelo Errichetti was involved in several criminal empires. His fictional counterpart is portrayed as the nicest guy in the movie. He cares about his community and is willing to break the law in order to help said community. His love for his family motivates him. He is a genuinely good human being, despite his bending of the rules. By turning the entire rest of the cast against him, it adds a degree of moral grey ground to the story, which winds up making the film more interesting then it probably would have been otherwise.

Bradley Cooper has a limited charm as an actor, his frat-bro being insufferable at times. His style is well-suited to Agent DiMaso, a passionate guy who is driven through the wringer. Cooper does fine when trying to charm an imprisoned Adams, with whom he has decent chemistry. His excitement works well enough. However, some of Cooper’s later yelling-and-shouting is amazingly tone deaf. A moment in a hotel room where he screams threats at a superior seem pasted in from a heavier, more intense film. His interaction with Louis C.K. is fine up until they start fighting, which comes off as intensely mean-spirited. Also, mean-spirited is his briefly glimpsed mother and finance. The movie doesn’t care about these characters and presumably the audience isn’t meant too. Despite several of his dick moves, Cooper remains human and likable.

Which makes the film’s decision to cast him as the villain at its very end really strange. This signifies many of the problems that emerge in the last act. Like all movies about con artists, “American Hustle” has to pull a big twist out at the end. Turns out, certain characters you thought might have been working together are actually working against each other. Previous character development is tossed out in favor of “surprising” the audience. Throughout the film, Irving, Sydney, and Richie are against each other. Irving loves Sydney, Richie loves Sydney, and Sydney doesn’t seem sure who she loves. By the end, Sydney definitively picks one of the guys and any previous conflicts seem tossed away. It ends the film on a sour note.

Most of Russell’s directorial quirks disappear beneath the movie’s Oscar-friendly weight. His style is mostly presented through the film’s soundtrack. Elton John, David Bowie, Chicago, Steely Dan, Donna Summers, Tom Jones, and many others are deployed skillfully, frequently playing perfectly with the images on-screen. My favorite shot in the movie is one of Bale and Adams walking through the passing dry-cleaned clothes, a weirdly sweeping, romantic moment. “American Hustle” is deeply, incredibly uneven. The film feels, at times, more like a delivery systems for its exhaustingly faithful seventies costume and production design. I can only assume its critical praise is mostly from critics being blinded by the big, loud acting of the talented cast. Is it a bad movie? Not really. But it’s not exactly a good one either, plagued by some shaky writing and screenplay composition. [Grade: C]

Director Report Card: David O. Russell (2012)

7. Silver Linings Playbook

While watching “Silver Linings Playbook,” a very obvious fact occurred to me for the first time. The majority of David O. Russell’s films, with maybe the exception of “Three Kings” and possibly “I Heart Huckabees,” are about family. (And you can make the case for those two.) In retrospect, this is fairly obvious. More over, the director seems particularly obsessed with dysfunctional families. Whither it be the incestuous angst of “Spanking the Monkey,” the desperate desire for familial acceptance in “Flirting with Disaster,” or the petty in-fighting, guilt, complication, and ultimate acceptance of “The Fighter,” David O. Russell is singularly focused on how mentally unbalanced people are stringed together by their blood. “Silver Linings Playbook” is about a bunch of different stuff but family looms large over the majority of the story.

It’s also about mental health. Pat has just ended a stint in a mental hospital after brutally beating his philandering wife’s lover. It’s been eight months but he is convinced the marriage isn’t over, obsesses over his ex-wife despite a restraining order, and is determined to win her back. He starts the movie out on a hugely positive streak, running, smiling, constantly talking about how every situation has a silver lining, repeating his catch phrase of “Excelsior!” That night the first crack in his façade of mental health show when throws a copy of "A Farewell to Arms" out the window and wakes his parents up at four o’clock in the morning, swearing and screaming about the downer ending. Pat is bipolar and the film portrays the condition accurately, with the character fluctuating between high highs and low lows, living much of his life in a mildly depressed medium. He’s constantly trying to improve his life but numerous freak-outs over the course of the film show that he was let out of the institution much too early.

Mental illness hardly makes Pat stand out among his friends and families. His father, played by Robert DeNiro displaying some passion and interest for the first time in decades, is slightly OCD and deeply superstitious, displaying a number of quirks while watching football games, his primary passion. Ronny, a close friend of Pat’s, puts on a happy face for his wife but the stress of a new baby, refurnishing his home, and his marriage in general is secretly shaking him apart. Most important to the film is Tiffany, Ronnie’s sister-in-law, played by Jennifer Lawrence. A recent widow, Tiffany has worked through a period of depression and promiscuity, and like Pat, is working hard to get her life back together.

Tiffany is indicative of the film’s strengths and weaknesses. She is prone to launching into somewhat long-winded speeches that spell out other character’s flaws. She has a quirky streak especially when ambushing Pat on his runs on a daily basis. She seems awfully preoccupied with bringing an unhealthy man out of his shell, in this case by involving him in a dance contest. It’s tempting to shout “Manic Pixie Dream Girl!” Truthfully, the character doesn’t totally resist the label, especially in scenes later in the film where she pulls obscure facts out of thin air. Yet, at the same time, the movie is frank about her flaws. Her quirks aren’t overly precious or meant just to endear her to the audience. Like pretty much everyone in the film, she’s got problems. Lawrence commits fully to the material, filling her role believably, frequently being quite funny, even if she can’t sell some of her dialogue. And, for the record, the tights she wears during the dance sequences don’t do her any disservice.

The cast is what mostly carries the film. The part of Pat was obviously written for Mark Wahlberg. When you can so clearly hear the dialogue coming out of his mouth, I don’t know why Russell cast someone else. (Maybe Wahlberg’s Boston accent would have been too distracting in the Philadelphia setting.) Bradley Cooper does well in the part, successfully expanding past his pretty bog image. He’s actually overdressed for most of the movie. The handful of scenes of him loosing it allow Cooper to show some depth as an actor. He doesn’t overplay it. (The movie doesn’t earn any points for just kind of brushing over the character’s sexism though.) His best scene comes when the character quietly, kindly dissuades one of Tiffany's would-be beaus from her doorstep. The chemistry between Cooper and Lawrence, what the movie is really built on, generally works. Those early going scenes are a bit rough but, as you watch the film, you start to feel a connection between them.

After so many years of forgettable tough-guy parts, it’s nice to see DeNiro indulge in his neurotic side. The best scene for Bob comes at the end of the second act, when the emotional, upset father starts to cruelly berate his son. The scenes of family bickering reminded me a lot of “The Fighter,” though they’re less shrill. I’m not sure why Jacki Weaver got a best supporting actress nod. She doesn’t have very much to do, mostly sticks to “worried mom” mode, and only varies from that a few times. I much preferred John Ortiz as Ronnie, who sells his much more quiet mental breakdown with a huge amount of humor and subtly. In maybe the most unexpected performances of the year, a visibly older Chris Tucker has a small though strong supporting part as a frequently escaping sanitarium patient. I’ve only previous known Tucker for broad schtick so to see him give such a down-to-earth, relaxed, honest performance is kind of mind-blowing.

It took some time for me to warm up to the film. The first act, with its expected scenes of Pat readjusting to life with his parents and visiting a shrink, feel very constructed. It’s no fault of the performers, who mostly elevated the somewhat routine material. As I said earlier, the romance between Pat and Tiffany at first seems unconvincing. It’s not until their first “date,” a frank scene where Tiffany openly discusses her sexual history, that the movie started to pull me in. After that, the various montages of their dance sessions together, though totally cliched, are effortlessly charming and likable. You really start rooting for these kids somewhere around the hour mark. Simple scenes of Cooper and Lawrence dancing together are the highlight of the movie.

Even then, I’ve got some complaints. The big dramatic plot moment at the end of the second act, a fight outside a football stadium, feels badly contrived. It’s pops out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly, an obvious plot mechanism if I’ve seen one. The drama of the finale similarly feels somewhat engineered. In-between a major plot reveal concerning Pat’s parents being brushed aside and Tiffany’s sad-sack attempts to fall back into bad habits, it’s so obvious the screenwriters were raising the stakes for the climax. A plot twist concerning a letter is obvious from the beginning. The movie not-too blatantly rips off “Lost in Translation” by leaving a whispered message unheard. The resolution is perhaps too clean cut, especially considering the character’s known mental problems. Despite the super happy ending, you can foresee issues arising for the characters in the future.

And yet… It almost doesn’t matter. The big dance-off climax is so fucking joyous, so infectiously fun. The actors and the screenplay meet half-way, creating lovable characters that you want to see succeed and be happy. Despite a few obvious contrivances, the movie feels surprisingly life-like, without any of the surreal exaggeration or over-the-top melodrama of the director’s previous films. Russell’s direction is stylish without being intrusive. I especially like a POV shot during a key flashback. Danny Elfman contributes one of his best scores in a while, totally devoid of jaunty tubas or Burton-esque woodwinds. I liked “Silver Linings Playbook” and it might be one of the most agreeable crowd-pleaser in recent memory. Taking that into account, it’s numerous Oscar nominations aren’t surprising at all. [Grade: B+]

Director Report Card: David O. Russell (2010)

5. The Fighter

At this point in his career, David O. Russell seems to have alienated most industry people with his massive dickish behavior. His career was built on eccentric comedies so making “The Fighter,” a mainstream, true-to-life, Oscar-baiting film, was probably solely a business decision. (His next movie is a video game adaptation, so maybe it wasn’t…) I wasn’t anticipating the film, expecting a typical underdog story swiped from “Rocky.” Well, yeah, it is that, but it’s also the story of a normal guy’s relationship with his wildly dysfunctional white trash family.

Right from the beginning, Russell spices up the story with racing cameras and other tricks. There’s a lot of training montages, obviously, but there are all dynamic and a few actually got me kind of pumped. The actual boxing scenes show Russell’s talent for action. The two boxing matches near the end of the film are, in particular, extremely exciting and rousing. Russell even visually quotes “Raging Bull” without it coming off as obnoxious or obvious.

As is expected of an awards courting production such as this, the performance take center stage over everything. Mark Wahlberg, seemingly the only person who can stand Russell, is a real hit-and-miss performer. He sleepwalks through action hero roles but, when given comedy, he does better. He does a decent job, undergoes an impressive physical transformation, making Mickey a sympathetic sad sack. Christen Bale and Melissa Leo both won Oscars for their roles here. Is it warranted? Leo plays Mickey’s mother and manager, a manipulative, selfish, narrow-minded, bitter old evil shrew of a woman. She’s always surrounded by her posse of five daughters, all of which are just as trashy and stupid as she is. Leo certainly makes this despicable human being well-rounded but, as far as I’m concerned, she stole the Best Supporting Actress award from little Haliee Steinfeld.

What about Bale? He’s got the juiciest role in the movie, as the crack head has-been brother that is pretty much directly responsible for ruining Mickey’s life and career. Oh, it’s a good performance, don’t get me wrong, and Bale probably deserved the award for it. It comes off a bit like an inner city trash minstrel show but Bale, naturally, commits everything to it. But Bale has given better performance and, personally, nothing will ever top Patrick Bateman for me. Amy Adams did better then Melissa Leo, as Mickey’s supportive girlfriend. She’s had a rough life but still has the ability to see the good in people. Adams is really a strong dramatic actress who will probably be doomed to stupid leading roles in stupid rom-coms for the rest of her life, simply due to the nature of the industry.

The movie is watchable character study through the first hour, but also a somewhat depressing slug through miserable human lives. But, after Bale’s character winds up in jail and Mickey cuts his asshole family out of his life, actually gets his life together, and starts to find some success as a boxer, the movie actually becomes a legitimately inspiring true life story. The family drama ties in dramatically in the last act. “The Fighter” doesn’t completely escape the conventions of the genre but there are a number of reasons its worth watching. If this represents the next step in Russell’s career, I guess I’m okay with that. [Grade: B]

Director's Report Card: David O. Russell (1999-2004)

3. Three Kings
If nothing else, “Three Kings” shows David O’Russell at his peak as a stylist. The film is shot in way that’s halfway between MTV and the art house. While the slow-motion explosions and scenes of gun play are action movie 101, the swirling skies and internal body parts aren’t exactly something you see all the time. On a purely visual level, it’s O’Russell’s most impressive film. It’s pure eye-candy if nothing else.

The movie is, in itself, Not Your Typical War Story. The First Gulf War is still an under-explored piece of history in our country, as far as cinema goes. The lack of action seen during the war seems to be a reoccurring concepts in these movies. The beginning of the movie is real promising. Our ragtag team of heroes, all perfectly normal dudes with shitty day jobs, head off not to save the day or rescue anybody, but for gold. It’s a selfish, immoral motivation and very refreshing. If the characters had remained like that throughout the entirety of the story, I’d have a more positive reaction.

But, no, within thirty or so minutes they wind up defending a group of captured Iraqi rebels and my interests went way down. The heroes decide to be all honorable and stuff and do the right thing. Soon, the story gets wrapped up in political stuff and big action parts. While the directorial zest keeps things spicy, the story is strictly hoo-hum from here on in.

Not to say the movie totally looses me at this point. The cast is a winner, if nothing else. George Clooney, still primarily known at this point as that handsome doctor on “ER,” really distinguish himself as an actor with parts like this. The character plays up his roguish, cynical aspect to good effect. Spike Jonze is highly amusing as the redneck private that would probably come off as annoying in a lesser movie. The same goes for Jamie Kennedy’s role. Mark Whalberg brings in a balanced, thoughtful performance and his subplot proves to be the juiciest part of the later second part of the flick. All of the torture is handled dynamically (and comes off rather eerie these days) and the philosophical conversation he has with his interrogator makes for intriguing material.

The movie has been sold as a dark comedy. The subplot involving the reporter lost in the desert is the primary source of humor, in addition to American pop culture stuff cropping up unexpectedly. (Seeing high-end luxury cars driving around the desert sure is unexpected, if nothing else.) So, “Three Kings” probably could’ve kick a whole lot more ass then it does, but it’s still a daring, exciting film. [Grade: B]


4. I Heart Huckabees
The concept of an existential comedy is one that is bound to cause a certain amount of “Huh?”-ing among the audiences, but I totally dug it. First off, the movie is hilarious. The story moves in a hundred different directions at its own bent pace but, within in the context of the film, it really works. Russell’s direction is on the same wavelength as he allows himself to go off into the deep end with many of the images presented within. There are so many hilarious scenarios here that it’s hard to narrow them down.

Russell has assembled an excellent cast, as the material requires a very talent assortment of actors if it is to work at all. Everyone gets their fair share of the hilarity, from wacky-everyman Jason Schwartzman to the continuously surprising Mark Whalberg.

Best of all, the movie does manage to actually get something out of it. There is truly some interesting existential philosophy presented. It’s not for everybody but those with a flavor for the lucidly loopy and the philosophic are bound to have a field day. [Grade: A-]

Yep, I skipped the short films. Because I'm lazy.

Apparently, Russell is a crazed, childish, control-freak of a director and you can find some real horror stories about that. But who cares, right? I don't have to put up with him. And, heck, he makes some pretty amusing movies.

Right now, Russell has two movies in post-production. "Nailed," the long in development Jessica-Biel-gets-a-nail-in-the-head political satire, is finally close to completion. More likely to come out first is "The Fighter," an Oscar-friendly sounding movie about Irish boxers in the 1980s with Mark Whalberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams. Out of those two projects, it's probably not hard to figure out which of those I'm more looking forward too. Either way, I'll see both of them, because of my crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Director's Report Card: David O. Russell (1994-1996)

I know I haven't updated this blog in a long time. So, sorry. Finals and working on various projects have kept me busy. Here's the David O. Russell report card.

1. Spanking the Monkey
“Spanking the Monkey” starts off as a dry, low-key, character and dialogue driven comedy with occasional moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity. (Most of which involving dogs and masturbation.)

Jeremy Davis does really well and, with his distinctive voice and unique screen presence, immediately drawls the audience’s eye. Alberta Watson gives a very thoughtful performance and it’s obvious a lot of work went into the role. The two actors have a definite chemistry and a certain amount of tension between them that is pivotal to the film’s success. Benjamin Hendrickson and Carla Gallo have less to work with in their parts but both also give good supporting roles.

Towards the midsection of the story, things become more dramatic and the comedy values begins to all but disappear. As with almost all films that shift gears like that halfway through, the final half is decidedly less successful and entertaining then the first. The attempts to pull of a “serious indie film” look, even when aided by Russell’s nice visual work, are never fully convincing. Still, two wonderful lead performances hold your attention and keep you watching even through the depressing final act and heavily symbolic ending. [Grade: B]


2. Flirting with Disaster
I can’t even begin to imagine how David O. Russell’s mind works. As an amateur screenwriter, I have enough difficulty putting together a straight ahead story that flows properly. How Russell can create a story like this that takes so many different twist and turn, goes in several different directions and then goes back on those choices, and yet never falters in pacing or comical punch is just beyond me at the moment, I guess. That “Flirting with Disaster” works so well even with a story that is too wacky for the adjective “madcap” is a testament to the skill of the makers.

Maybe it works so well because, despite all the insanity that unfolds and all the varied and distinct characters brought in here, we have a likable two lead characters to relate too. Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette play off each other very well and are totally believable as a married couple, even when the characters are at odds (which is during most of the movie.) The naming of their baby is also the main quest here (even if it doesn’t appear to be) and that steel objective keeps the story grounded as well.

The ensemble cast is really phenomenal with more great performances then I have room to point out. I will single out a young Josh Brolin, who plays a character much different then the type your use to seeing him in, and great supporting turns from instantly recognizable character actors Richard Jenkins and David Patrick Kelly.

If I haven’t brought to attention how funny this is, I will now. The movie is hilarious in spots and totally surprising. You never know what will happen next and that level of unpredictability makes this a hugely successful comedy. I’ll admit, despite being really funny in spots, its never as gut busting hilarious as it could be. There is also a minor gripe about Stiller’s character (whose selfishness is annoying at times) and a gag involving Indian wrestling which seems contrived. Still, I liked the characters and the out-of-control pitch of the story enough that these aren’t really issues. “Flirting with Disaster” is an extremely well-written, lovable, funny movie that you can watch over and over again and never looses its strengths. [Grade: A-]