Speaking with Movieline, Academy Award nominated actress Melissa Leo has discussed the difficulties she faced working on “The Fighter” with notoriously erratic director David O. Russell and Mark Wahlberg, whose passion and dedication for the role of boxer ‘Irish’ Micky Ward is pretty much unsurpassed.
“It was hard work,” Leo admitted. “It was hard filmmaking. When you get such big players in there and the director is not getting final cut, and in fact one of the actors is…It was Wahlberg’s project. He’d had it for a long time. He’s very quiet — it’s not like he was manipulative and push-and-shovey — but it was complicated, hard work.”
“I don’t know what to think about it! It’s such a kooky way of shooting a film. It’s all in O. Russell’s head, and he knows it and he’s talking to you while you’re shooting. I have some pretty specific ways in which I work, and I kept trying to work the way I work, and he was like, ‘Don’t do that!’ [The character] is probably a lot more frazzled than I meant her to be.”
Despite the difficulties she faced during production, Leo admits she “can’t wait to see the movie. It was a lot of powerful energy. I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from something feeling so confused — although I never doubted for a minute that we were getting an amazing film in the can.”
Its interesting to note that O. Russell doesn’t have final cut though. Looking back over his eclectic filmography, we’re pretty sure he’s had the final say on most of his films. However, this will be the first time he’s shooting a script he didn’t write and given his famous battles with studios, cast and crew members in the past, we wouldn’t be surprised if Paramount kept his leash a little short this time around to ensure they get the film they want.
Also, after the debacle that was “Nailed,” coupled with the public fallout of fighting on set of “I Heart Huckabees,” with Russell and Lily Tomlin, the director’s reputations was hurt and he attached his name to myriad projects — the Southern-Fried comedy, “Grackle” (which does sound like it’s a thing of the past), the romantic comedy, “Aaron & Sarah,” and the comedic, mental breakdown film, “The Silver Linings Playbook” for the Weinstein Company — so it is possible he was trying to position himself as a work for hire guy who could be trusted, which makes the no final-cut revelation make sense. Maybe the guy was trying to make concessions. After all, whether “Nailed” falling apart was his fault or not (and it sounds like it was more Capitol Films culpability since they were financially in ruin), because of who he is, the picture’s collapse couldn’t have helped reflect poorly on him given his past and the already-reported fighting on that set before money issues flared up (James Caan up and quit in the middle of shooting).
An early test screening review recent hit the internet and, from the sounds of it, is everything they could wish for.
“David nailed it with “The Fighter” – great pacing (takes it’s time like films used to but never gets boring), great performances (can see a Best Supporting nod for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo), and a story that not only plays well with genres (really a sports dramedy – lot of laughs, actually), but it also tells a compelling story about what’s important in life – not just your dreams but who you take with you on the way to those dreams being realized.”
It’s still early days but, and fan reviews are obviously deceptive (they are usually so thrilled to see a movie before anyone else, that common sense goes out the window) so we’re holding off our excitement. We’re also not sure what to make of the fact that the review comes from a self-confessed O. Russell hater (has only watched through “Flirting With Disaster”) but in summary they call it a “very likable movie” with “authenticity and heart abound” that’s “a force to be reckoned with in 2010.”
The film itself centers on the early days of boxer Micky Ward (Wahlberg) with Leo playing his mother, Bale as his brother/trainer (who apparently is “insane” and plays “all kind of crazy”) and Amy Adams as his girlfriend. A theatrical release is expected later this year, probably around awards season and there’s already a November 26 release date in the U.K.
O. Russell is also attached to write and direct the Natalie Portman-produced and starring adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.”