Jake on GMTV (video), on Ellen, in Little Red Riding Hood, in Restaurants

Rendition Day here at last! For all those who are able to see it, I hope you have an amazing time.

This morning Jake Gyllenhaal briefly appeared on the UK's breakfast show GMTV. It was a case of blink and you'll miss it and also a case of, well maybe I should have blinked it and missed it. It provides a perfect contrast to the delightful Alison's interview and shows how polite but chilly Jake can be with interviewers who refuse to focus on the matter at hand - ie Rendition. Thanks to Twisted Logic, WDWTL Productions is pleased (if that's the right word in this case) to bring you the clip here.

While we're mentioning Alison and This Morning, I had these little beauties waiting for me in my inbox today (thanks TL!) - and yes, I can now agree that it was a kiss on the cheek. I still wouldn't say no.




In stark contrast, the Ellen Show was an absolute masterpiece and was a treat of the highest order after the emotional experience of Rendition. Did I really see Jake cook Starbursts? Are sauteed Starbursts a delicacy in the US, or just in California? There was nothing to dislike on that show (except I wanted to see Jake cook for an hour or more), it was all good. Highlights had to be Jake's flexible mantra, wearing a t-shirt so he wouldn't have buttons to undo - although kindly reaching for his belt instead, the flick of the pan and the two-handed grip of the wineglass - definitely a man after my own heart. I was able to enjoy Ellen thanks to the efforts of IHJ - thank you!



Little Red Riding Hood

There was a funny little Q&A exchange in the Washington Post this week. This not only allows me to revise Jake's favourite tipple, but it also provides another glimpse into Jake's musical tastes - a favourite subject of mine. Arcade Fire, Kanye West and Rufus all have pride of place in my playlists, but Bruce Springsteen? That is one step I cannot take. I must add that I have frequently regretted the passing of Mork and Mindy. Heath's Venice outfit slightly reminded me of Mork. As for Little Red Riding Hood, I can just see it.


"Last great book read: "The Known World," by Edward P. Jones.
On his iPod: Arcade Fire, Kanye West, Rufus Wainwright, Bruce Springsteen.
Movie that never gets old: "Major League."
All-time favorite "Saturday Night Live" sketch: "Okay, give me a second, and this pause is important. 'Toonces the Cat Who Can Drive.' Look it up." (Hint: It's a Steve Martin-Victoria Jackson bit.)
Drink of choice: Stella Artois.
Favorite place on Earth: The cliffs of Gay Head near Martha's Vineyard.
TV show he won't miss: "I don't really watch that much TV. Okay, okay, 'Mork & Mindy.' "
On the family act: "We just did 'Into the Woods' at the family reunion. Peter [Sarsgaard] played the wolf, and I played Little Red Riding Hood. It's always really intense but really moving. . . . We all cry at the end. When we sang that number, 'No One Is Alone,' it really got me. 'Cause Peter has a beautiful voice -- I don't know if you know that about him."


Peter's Rendition surprise

Wolf Peter has been discussing more about his role in Rendition and I found it interesting to hear that Peter hadn't seen the film before Toronto. This was the first time that he saw his scenes and his storyline in the wider context and he found it a little troubling:

'Sarsgaard shot his scenes first, in a brisk 2 1/2 weeks, and he never traveled to Morocco, where the bulk of filming took place. "To be honest, when I saw the movie at Toronto, I had never realized how graphic it was going to be, and I thought, 'Oh, people are definitely going to hate my character now."'


Jake cheers Reese up

Reese has been doing her fair share of publicity for Rendition as well during the last week and I hope to catch up on some of that. In the meantime, I read an interview in which Reese revealed that Jake has been doing a good job of cheering her up through recent troubles by making her laugh.

'Recently Reese has been seen out with Gyllenhaal, although she denies there is any romance between them“I have known Jake for years through different friends and he is just wonderful,” says Reese. “He’s very kind, generous and funny. It’s been nice these past days to laugh a little bit. Yeah, he’s great and I look forward to maybe making another film with him.”'


'I shook Jake Gyllenhaal's hand'

This is the title of a captivating video in which a young waiter describes what it was like when his idol Jake Gyllenhaal visited his restaurant. I enjoyed this video not only for the charming and kind picture it presents of Jake offduty but also for the waiter's sheer joy at being able to shake Jake's hand, telling him what a big fan he is, and for his pride in having this passion for Jake. There's no intrusion here, no videos, no photos, just a guy sitting there, wanting to share with anyone who'll listen, his joy at seeing Jake. Love to a good friend who also saw this video, loved it and shared it with me.


And finally...

... if this turns out to be true.... I can't even express how abhorrent I find the idea of a Brokeback Sequel.

ENJOY THE FILM!

Pictures from IHJ.