Bradley Cooper Will Work “Again and Again” with “Silver Linings” Director David O. Russell

Hmmm…Doesn’t seem like yesterday when David O. Russell was in contretemps with actors like George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman, and Lily Tomlin? Well, people mellow and mature, and that’s certainly the case with Russell. First it was “The Fighter.” Now with “Silver Linings Playbook,” Russell has come of age. Everyone loves the movie. Everyone loves working with him. It’s a happy ending.

At last night’s “Silver Linings” premiere in Los Angeles, star Bradley Cooper only sang Russell’s praises. “I’m going to work with him again and again.  That’s the biggest testament,” Cooper told our LEAH SYDNEY.

Cooper is riding high towards an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in “Silver Linings,” along with all three of his co-stars Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki Weaver, and Robert DeNiro. Lawrence and Russell were there last night, as well as Chris Tucker, who comes of age himself as an actor in the great ensemble piece.

Also at the screening: producer of the film Bruce Cohen, co-star John Ortiz, songwriter Diane Warren, who wrote the ‘Silver Lining, Crazy ‘Bout You,’ song, composer for the film Danny Elfman, plus Peter Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Dermot Mulroney, Robert Loggia, Sharon Lawrence, Sally Kellerman, Dane Cook, Jane Seymour, Ron Burkle and more.

Jennifer had to jet back to shooting ‘Hunger Games’ but she helped introduce the film and quipped to the crowd, “Thanks for coming and please don’t judge my dancing.”  There’s a lot of dancing in “Silver Linings” in the mode of the various reality shows on TV. But it’s far less tacky and very funny.

Cooper very much dug the surroundings last night– the famed Academy of Motion Pictures in Beverly Hills. “I was here for a Q and A recently for the first time. And there’s an amazing feeling here.  You definitely feel the history, look around, there’s a great Stanley Kubrick exhibit here and it’s so exciting. I’m kind of overwhelmed by it all, and really grateful. ”

He could see that the audience has embraced “Silver Linings,” too. Cooper:  “People seemed to really like this movie.  It’s connected in a way that I’m not used to.  That’s the goal though.  To make movies that people appreciate. You don’t always do that.  But I think we did with this one.  I think this one really scored.”

Coincidentally, Cooper and Lawrence have another coming up– they’re a team now. They costar has husband and wife in a Depression-era piece directed by Suzanne Bier called “Serena.” And then Cooper works with Cameron Crowe. What’s his favorite Crowe film?  “Jerry Maguire.  The show me the money scene, every scene really.  But that’s hard to pick one, because Cameron’s work is so interesting to me. ”