We Can't Wait #9 Nailed

Directed by David O. Russell
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, James Brolin.
Synopsis Jessica Biel gets a nail shot into her brain. Yay! Oh, okay, so after that she starts acting all crazily and ends up going to Congress for some reason and runs across helpful Congressman Gyllenhaal.
Brought to you by Whoever is crazy enough to partner up with David O. "Some F***ing C***" Russell (i.e. Red Wagon Entertainment)
Expected release date Given this movie's checkered history, who knows?

Joe: Nailed's tumultuous (that's putting it lightly -- production stopped at least 2-3 times as they ran out of money) road to completion almost made me forget what an intriguing prospect it is creatively. Yeah, yeah, Jessica Biel -- but look at all that other talent. Plus: Paul Reubens! Jon Stewart! Kirstie Alley! Even if it's bad, it could be a total glorious car wreck. I am way excited to find out.

JA: Way excited doesn't even BEGIN to cover my expectations. Yes, David O. Russell's is by all accounts a terrific (as in size, not nature) prick. So is very nearly every director whose films I enjoy. I don't want to be his assistant, I want to watch the wonderful insanity that springs forth from his corrupt brain.

If I were the sort who was into making lists - wait, what are we doing here? - I Heart Huckabees would probably make my top 10 for the decade so far, and I didn't even like it that much the first time I saw it. But then I saw it again. And again. And again, and the fucker swallowed me whole.

And that cast! Yes give or take a Biel - although I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt as of right now - it's like Russell took an ice cream scooper to my skull and splatted my deepest fantasies out onto a marble surface and rolled them up into human form like some sort of brain-to-human version of Cold Stone Creamery.

Whitney: I think putting a nail in someone's head sounds funny. There was a dude that actually happened to. A spike went through his head in a mine and it changed his personality. While he was once friendly and sweet, he suddenly turned into a totally asshole. I learned all about it Psych. 101.

Fox: The premise for this film sounds amazing in it's absurdity. Huckabees was that way, too... I guess everything of Russell's is that way if you think about it.

And come, come now... you guys are being a bit harsh on Biel. True, she hasn't shown anything significant yet, but neither has Gyllenhaal (dudes, come on... he's completely overrated). I mean, if Jake gets a pass simply because he's a cutie, then so should Jessica.

Nathaniel: I'm generally okay with mediocre actors being in auteur films if the auteurs in question have shown a knack for pulling interesting or best of career stuff from their cast. Auteurs are like painters in that way. Red is red is red unless it's on Chagall or Almodóvar's palettes, you feel me?

i heart david o. russell

And I trust Russell. I'd just wear earplugs and protective gear were I to visit his set. He has such an original comedic voice and he doesn't just rest there, always wedging dramatic tension somewhere inside the laughs. Spanking the Monkey was an attention grabber as debuts go, but he's gotten consistently stronger as a filmmaker. Consider Three Kings, the genius of Huckabees and the still undervalued Flirting With Disaster. This is a goldmine filmography, isn't it?

Your turn. Are you excited for this movie? And even if you aren't, whose head would you like to see nailed?

In case you missed any entries they went like so...
*
We Can't Wait:
#1 Inglourious Basterds, #2 Where the Wild Things Are, #3 Fantastic Mr. Fox,
#4 Avatar, #5 Bright Star, #6 Shutter Island, #7 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
#8 Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, #9 Nailed, #10 Taking Woodstock,
#11 Watchmen, #12 The Hurt Locker, #13 The Road, #14 The Tree of Life
#15 Away We Go, #16 500 Days of Summer, #17 Drag Me To Hell,
#18 Whatever Works, #19 Broken Embraces, #20 Nine (the musical)
intro (orphans -didn't make group list)
*