David O Russell's 5 top-rated movies to watch
Hollywood filmmaker David O Russell has been through many ups and downs and controversies in his career. But over the years, he created a niche for himself with films that received critical acclaim. He has also received five Academy Award nominations so far. Here's a list of five top-rated films by the filmmaker that you should not miss.
'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012)
Russell cast Anupam Kher and Robert De Niro in supporting roles for Silver Linings Playbook, which starred Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Cooper is featured as a former teacher who is released from a mental health institution for bipolar disorder eight months after he attacks his wife's lover violently. The film is reportedly inspired by Matthew Quick's eponymous 2008 novel.
'Three Kings' (1999)
Apart from directing Three Kings, Russell also wrote the screenplay while its story was penned by John Ridley. With George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Spike Jonze, and Ice Cube in the lead, it also featured Jamie Kennedy, Nora Dunn, Mykelti Williamson, and Cliff Curtis. It revolves around four soldiers who are on a job to find the gold that Saddam Hussein had stolen from Kuwait.
'Flirting With Disaster' (1996)
With Ben Stiller in the lead, the film, written and directed by Russell, is a fun watch despite its sad setup. Stiller essays the role of a neurotic new father who embarks on a journey to find out his birth parents. During the journey, Stiller and his wife (Patricia Arquette) go through many mishaps before they eventually find his real parents.
'American Hustle' (2013)
Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and Lawrence, American Hustle is inspired by FBI Abscam sting operation that took place in the late 1970s and early '80s. Bale and Adams were featured as con artist lovers who are forced to work with an FBI agent (Cooper). Lawrence played Bale's wife in the movie. The film earned 10 Academy Award nominations.
'I Heart Huckabees' (2004)
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Isabelle Huppert, Naomi Watts, and Mark Wahlberg, among others, this 2004 film is co-written and directed by Russell. The film revolves around a detective couple who together probe existential problems. They get a client, an environmentalist, who is trying to stop Huckabees, a chain of departmental stores, that plans to build shopping malls on endangered marshland.
