It's a busy night for the Gyllenhaals

Tonight I am faced with a host of Gyllenhaal choices - more of that below - but it can't have escaped your attention that today is 24 July - a most anticpated date for some of us. It seemed like we were made to wait for Zodiac forever, with all those delays without explanation. And the wait for the Zodiac trailer... the only wait that's seeming longer is that for the Rendition trailer. But now all that is in the past (for Zodiac anyway), because today the DVD (barebones as it is) is out in the US. This release has been accompanied by a whole fanfair of reviews, some of which have been critical but many more have positively raved about the film and are looking ahead with more excitement to the release of the all-singing and all-dancing edition, possibly in the New Year.


So I've been looking around at some of the reviews and enjoying this spotlight upon Jake Gyllenhaal, because he surely deserves it. For instance, Chicago's Daily Herald says: 'Fincher abandons the look-at-me camera tricks and pyrotechnics that have marred his previous films... and lets himself disappear into the story. The result is a stripped-down but elegant narrative that mesmerizes for the film's full 2¨ hours. The three lead actors - Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal - are similarly low-key in their performances, and all the more effective for it. "Zodiac" resembles the morally complicated cop movies of the 1970s; it's an absolute must-see.'


Blogcritics Magazine says of the 'criminally ignored' Zodiac: 'The procedural form of the narrative doesn't allow for the visual kinetics that are something of a trademark in Fincher's films. However, that does not mean that this is a bland looking film — this is Fincher doing mainstream, which is better than mainstream. There is still room for some visual flourishes, and he even makes a static shot of a conversation interesting to watch... Despite the lack of outside touches, this is a movie that delivers the goods. It is an engrossing twist on the serial killer genre. It is highlighted by a tight script, effective editing, and good performances. This is another winner for David Fincher, and a fascinating look at the way a life can be consumed with the search for the truth, and the procedures employed in that search, a personal procedural, if you will. Methodically paced, but never slow, despite the lack of gunfights, car chases, and explosions, creating a more intellectual journey.'


The Toronto Star says of Fincher: 'A fan-boy fave ever since he edged up the serial killer genre with Se7en and nailed cubicle-culture nihilism with Fight Club, Fincher has made his most assured, intelligent and resonant work with Zodiac. And while the apparent maturity may cost him his geek base and some initial box-office action, it bodes well for those who miss movies that lure you into darkness and slowly close the door.' Interestingly enough, the San Francisco Chronicle itself is little affected: 'David Fincher's dramatization of an infamous unsolved serial murder case certainly doesn't drag on as long as the investigation itself, but the overlong movie sometimes feels like it.'


In a new interview, Robert Graysmith describes how he felt during the reality of one of the film's most frightening moments, which will now affect how I view it. I won't describe that here as I know not everyone will have seen Zodiac yet and are waiting for their copies. But I will highlight his description of his next project: 'I've got on my screen right now Shooting Zodiac which is those three years I followed David Fincher around taking his picture and all that. It's an odd choice for a book. Usually, they do something as they're filming. Well, my book actually ends before they film anything. It's just simply them writing the script and all their adventures and becoming obsessed with the case. Also, trying to convince the studio to make this film. It simply ends with, "We've been greenlit, we're making the film." I love that. It's simply three Hollywood detectives. I think it really gets down to that.' It seems as if Zodiac will remain Robert's lifelong obsession.


In a previous interview, Robert Graysmith described the different approaches of Zodiac's actors: 'Now I spent a few days with Jake Gyllenhaal (who plays Graysmith in the film) – he was just off of filming Jarhead, and his cell phone was all scratched up from being dropped in the sand so much. Now, I think he must act a lot internally, because I never told him I was a Boy Scout., but that's in the film. But anyway, he's so different from Mark Ruffalo, and from Downey too. They really got three different kinds of actors. But Jake, he isn't doing an impersonation, although somehow they got the same clothes I used to wear, the same car -- not the exact one, but the same make and model, and even the license plate number... So one of the things is that Ruffalo, he's a very good actor – he plays Inspector Toschi, who's been my friend for many years. And Ruffalo, he is Toschi all the way, it gets a little annoying after awhile, because he is Toschi, he's got the hair and everything. But one of the things he doesn't have is Toschi's way with a gun. So he's got this one scene where he's supposed to cock this gun expertly and do something with it. And Ruffalo just couldn't get it. So they only shot him from here up (indicates his chest), and they dub in the sound of the gun cocking. That's the only way that scene was ever gonna get done. So you've got Downey who transcends the physical, and Jake who does everything internally, and then you've got Ruffalo who is Toschi. So it's a good mix.'

When I see the below picture of Jake and Robert Graysmith from the New York screening of Zodiac, I find myself thinking that Jake can't help himself from reverting to character when beside this man.



Today is Gyllenhaal Night on UK TV

I'm faced with a dilemma tonight - I'm more than ready to settle down with the wine and chocolates to wallow in all 2 hours and 38 minutes of Zodiac, but the UK's Film 4 has decided to coincide the DVD's release (I feel unintentionally), with a Gyllenhaal night! This begins at 9pm with The Good Girl, which is followed at 10.45pm by Secretary. Finally, at 12.50am there is a brief programme in which Maggie discusses SherryBaby. At least one site, has started to associate Maggie's performance in SherryBaby with an Oscar nomination - I fear this is wishful thinking.


This has given me the opportunity to continue my selection of photos of Jake at premiere events and screenings! Here we have Jake and Jennifer Aniston at screenings of The Good Girl in Hollywood and at Sundance, both in 2002. The photographs with Maggie are from the New York premiere of Secretary.





Talking of The Good Girl, here is a video from The Today Show in which Jake, fresh from filming Moonlight Mile, discusses working with Jennifer, and what it was like to walk into a room and people think you unbalanced. And if you want to hear Jake tell you how to pronounce his name, this is the perfect video for that. He concludes with Dustiin Hoffmann's advice, "You're good but you've got to get better. Get on stage". Of course, that is exactly what Jake did and we are reaping the benefits of that with Zodiac and, no doubt, Rendition.



Includes pictures from IHJ.