The Playlist

Exclusive: David O. Russell Talks The Humor, Pathos & Women Of 'The Fighter'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 17, 2010 6:05 AM
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0 Comments

Long a personal pet project for Mark Wahlberg, "The Fighter" finally kicked into gear once David O. Russell was brought into the director's chair (replacing Darren Aronofsky who exited and went on to make "The Wrestler"). The film was a rugged indie effort, but one that attracted top tier talent including Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, all of whom are being eyed as very strong candidates for nominations at the upcoming Oscars.

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David O. Russell Says The Making Of 'Nailed' Like A "Stillbirth," Unlikely He'll Return To Finish It

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 13, 2010 3:41 AM
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1 Comment

We had the opportunity to chat with David O. Russell about "The Fighter" recently (more from that conversation soon), but during our discussion with the director, we had to ask what had he been up to since "I Heart Huckabees" hit theaters in 2004.

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Will Anne Hathaway Play 'Barbarella' And Work With David O. Russell? Maybe...

By Oliver Lyttelton
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December 10, 2010 2:22 AM
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2 Comments

David O. Russell Confirms Hathaway's Early Talks In 'Silver Linings,' But Nothing Is Set In Stone YetAnne Hathaway has had a pretty good year, all in all. Considering that her last two films before then were the virtually unseen thriller "Passengers" and the rightfully reviled "Bride Wars," memories of her Oscar-nominated turn in "Rachel Getting Married" and her lead in the comedy megahit "The Devil Wears Prada" were beginning to fade. But she's started off the year by being more or less the best thing in the otherwise awful (but, importantly, commercially successful) "Valentine's Day," appeared in the billion-dollar "Alice in Wonderland," and topped it off with an excellent performance in the better-than-you'd-imagine "Love and Other Drugs."

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Anne Hathaway & Possibly Bradley Cooper Joining David O. Russell's 'The Silver Linings Playbook'

By Edward Davis
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December 8, 2010 11:07 AM
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2 Comments

After the debacle that was the "I Heart Huckabees" video leak, and the financially compromised "Nailed" -- which he eventually took his name off of -- director David O. Russell is bouncing off the ropes hard and having quite the comeback in 2010 with the winning boxing tale, "The Fighter" starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.

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Review: 'The Fighter' Is A Scrappy Little Knockout

By Gabe Toro
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December 7, 2010 5:45 AM
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1 Comment

Picture Is Also A Surprisingly Funny, Touching Story About The Foibles Of Family; Bale Seems Oscar-Nom BoundThere are onscreen dramas that claim to be about family, but they never really involve the protagonist having to make difficult decisions. Often the family is too saintly, or too important, to ignore. Other times, the best route for the protagonist to follow is to form a surrogate family, as blood relatives appear untrustworthy or devious. Rarely does a film come along that respects its audience enough to present the clear conflicts and difficulties of being around the ones who love you. Whether it be their all-encompassing love, their lack of education, or your own stubborness, the bonds that define what a family means can become frayed. When you love someone, it takes more than a mirror to show you that you have the capacity to simultaneously be terrible.

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Watch: Mark Wahlberg Gets Into Fighting Shape In New Trailer For 'The Fighter'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 1, 2010 10:45 AM
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4 Comments

While most early reviews have pegged David O. Russell's "The Fighter" as a mainstream crowd pleasing boxing fix, that hasn't stopped the marketing team behind the film to deliver some very clever teasers and trailers for the film. Back in October, an arty clip was debuted for audiences of "Mad Men" and now, with just over a week until the film hits, a new testosterone heavy spot has been unveiled.

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David O. Russell Says 'Uncharted' Script Halfway Done, Reveals Small Details About The Story

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 1, 2010 9:33 AM
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3 Comments

We have to admit, we initially weren't too thrilled with the news that David O. Russell was signing on to direct an adaptation of the video game "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune." We didn't really see how his sensibilities would flourish in a big budget tentpole, particularly one that would likely be constrained by playing to fan expectations. Guess we were wrong.

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Mark Wahlberg Will Star In David O. Russell's Video Game Adaptation 'Uncharted'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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November 24, 2010 4:39 AM
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2 Comments

Actor Confirms That Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci Are In Talks, Will Play His Father & Uncle If you'd told us at the beginning of the year that 2010 would see David O. Russell sign on to an adaptation of the Playstation videogame "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," we'd have nodded politely, and then dismissed everything you had to say after that. But rumors emerged in the summer that Russell, fresh off his comeback film "The Fighter," was circling the project, and he finally signed on last month. Not long after, another crazy rumor surfaced -- that Russell had moved the globetrotting adventure, at least in part, to the world of New York antiques, and that he was seeking Mark Wahlberg, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci to star in the film.

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New Clips & Images Get In The Ring For 'The Fighter' With Mark Wahlberg & Christian Bale

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 22, 2010 5:41 AM
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1 Comment

Having screened for critics, dropped some enticing trailers and now, and now with some more clips and pictures from the film landing online (here's the clip from last week in case you missed it), all we have left to do is watch the film that is definitely near the top of our list to catch before the end of year.

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Pie In The Sky Rumor: Robert De Niro & Joe Pesci To Reteam For David O. Russell's 'Uncharted'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 12, 2010 4:42 AM
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2 Comments

Mark Wahlberg May Be Interested As WellSo bear in mind, this is from Roger Friedman, the same guy who saw Tony Gilroy at a screening for "127 Hours" and spun a haphazard rumor that he wanted James Franco to lead "The Bourne Legacy."

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