Director's Cut

Prisoners broke it's award nominee shut-out with a Critics Choice nominee for Best Cinematography for Roger Deakins while it looks like one of Jake's previous director is finding another full award season. David O. Russell has been on an award roll since Nailed with The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and now American Hustle.  It make you want to watch Nailed as least the version Russell created just to see what kind of performance he capture with Jake. 

Early in his career Jake seemed to pick movies even more by the director than the screenplay.  It looked like he was creating his own film school working with some of the best directors in the business.  Each brought a difference to the screen,  then seem to be change - an evolution perhaps? Jake started working with "young" directors - those with only a few movie under their belt or those directors who had success outside of mainstream Hollywood, with a sprinkle here and there of a bigger name.

So here's the question:  Which director do you think had

Had best Director/Actor relationship with him?

Seem to have the best off screen rapport?

 Captured the best performance from Jake?

Who influenced Jake the most?

Who was the most challenging?

Who do you think Jake respected the most?

Didn't work as an actor director?


October Sky - Joe Johnston

Donnie Darko - Richard Kelly

Bubble Boy -  Blaire Hayes

Lovely & Amazing - Nicole Holofcener

The Good Girl - Miguel Arteta

Highway - James Cox

Moonlight Mile - Brad Silberling

The Day After Tomorrow - Roland Emmerich

Proof - John Madden

Jarhead - Sam Mendes

Brokeback Mountain  - Ang Lee

Zodiac - David Fincher

Rendition -  Gavin Hood

Brothers - Jim Sheridan

Prince of Persia - Mike Newell 

Love & Other Drugs - Ed Zwick

Source Code - Duncan Jones

End of Watch - David Ayer

Prisoners - Denis Villeneuve

And including two not seen on screen but based on off screen:

Nailed - David O. Russell

An Enemy - Denis Villeneuve

LL Cool J

Don't know what it is but there is something about Jake for several of his leading ladies. There some kind of magic something there. Clearly theses ladies love their Jake.

An interview that begins in the ladies room of Man Ray restaurant in NYC actually talks about working with these three leading ladies. Older, successful and smitten by our guy Jake, Susan Sarandon, Catherine Keener and Jen Anniston.
When Susan got her star on the Walk of Fame, Jake was there to help celebrate with her and her family. He looks like a part of the family.
Catherine talked about Jake's natural charm in the extras for Lovely and Amazing, and how he was the main man in the female dominated film, and you can tell he won them all over and not just her. Catherine and Jake's connection on screen was completely believable in terms of their feelings in what is now popularly called a cougar and her much younger man.

Catherine got the chance to work with Jake again in Nailed, maybe one day we get to chance to see their second project and if that wink is still there.

And then there's Catherine's friend Jen, who refers to herself as his Mrs. Robinson. Just like with the others, there is a honest affection and love for each other, but there is something different with Jen. Totally at ease with each other and a sparkle to that just happens when together.





What is it about his connection with these co-stars? It is that feeling of safety which allows this affection to bubble up? Is the affirmations? The approval? The what?