A Ranking of Every Film By David O. Russel

David O. Russell

With this past weekend's release of Joy, director David O. Russell once again returns with a film that establishes his attempt to be a populous auteur. Ever since his comeback film The Fighter in 2010, the director has made it his goal to make films about the every man; the middle class who strive for a better existence. In a sense, he is doing it more successfully than anyone else. In a time where romantic acting pairs aren't a thing, he has continually made Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper work as a box office draw. To an extent, he is doing the impossible by making throwbacks to feel good films, often with an edge that makes his experiences wholly unique. The following is a ranking of every one of his films from his earlier and angrier days of Spanking the Monkey to the more recent happy side of Joy. Even if these two films are wildly different, it doesn't mean that they're any less interesting as a progression of behavior and craft from a director not known to always be pleasant.

Review: "Accidental Love" is Russell's Worst Film Despite Being Occasionally Ambitious

Left to right: Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal

A lot can be said of director David O. Russell's recent resurgence with his past three films that have garnered him 25 Oscar nominations and even a few wins. He has come to embody one of the finest Oscar bait directors currently working with top notch performances from up and coming stars. However, there has been a notorious legacy around the film that immediately predates these three: Accidental Love. It was filmed in 2008, abandoned in 2010 and released unceremoniously this week on VOD. For a director who would come to define modern mainstream prestige, it is easy to see why he refuses to have any association with this offbeat and sometimes incoherent political satire/sex comedy. It is good, but not Russell good.

The First Trailer for "Accidental Love" Reminds Us How Much Better Russell Has Become in 7 Years

Left to right: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel

After years of delays and long ago being disowned by the creator, director David O. Russell's Accidental Love (formerly Politics of Love and Nailed) is finally seeing the light of day. Last that we heard, a studio was working on a cut that wouldn't be approved by the filmmaker and that the film would be released earlier in the year as to not compete with Russell's recently made film called Joy. Today marks the first footage released from the trailer and things are beginning to make sense. At least in the realm of explaining his disowning of the project.