Jake Gyllenhaal on the coming together of 'incredible' Duncan Jones' and the 'crazy guy who did Donnie Darko' - and much, much more

Source Code has a doublespread in the March issue of Total Film. It includes a brief interview with Jake Gyllenhaal in which he shows yet again how eager he was to work with Duncan Jones, a director hailed as one of the most promising of his generation. When Jake is asked if he's a fan of Duncan Jones' debut film, Moon, Jake replies: 'Yes, I was a huge fan. That was what made me want to work with him. He rightfully holds the badge of one of Britain's new talents, because he is incredible.'


Did Jake get a grip on the plot when he first read the script? 'It's a hard one to explain. Ultimately the story is about a soldier who wakes up in somebody else's body, and has to relive eight minutes on this train over and over and over again, until he solves a problem that's going on.'

'So this is you in Jarhead mode? Jake: 'I'm more the person in that body than I am the soldier. But the personality of the soldier is there. The point of view of the audience is my point of view, as I see myself. But ultimately the other people on this train, and in this scenario, don't see me this way.'


More of a head-spin than Donnie Darko? 'It sort of it! But ultimately, it answers a couple more questions than Donnie Darko did. I think Donnie Darko posed more questions than it answered. And this poses questions and answers them. And also, there's this sort of hum to most of Duncan's work so far, and it carries this incessant hum that really gets into your brain after a while. And he really puts his touch on it. Duncan mixed with the crazy guy who did Donnie Darko!'

Here is what Duncan himself has to say: 'It has been a seismic shift on how I would normally work, but I think I have adjusted... Source Code is very different than Moon.. It's quite a bit different from a lot of films, to be honest, and I hope that when we are ready to show people, the patience will pay off.'


Cary Grant

Natalie Portman is continuing to pick up every award going, almost, for her compelling performance as Nina in Black Swan. Last night she picked up a SAG award and used the red carpet to repay Jake for his Palm Springs compliment, when he described Natalie as the Audrey Hepburn of her generation. Natalie told Access Hollywood: 'Well, he’s the Cary Grant of our generation. He’s so charismatic, and so dapper and smart. He’s wonderful.' You can see the interview in the right hand corner at the end of that link.


Talking of red carpets, a stylist for Kansas City has named Jake as someone to follow: 'If you like to take your style cues from celebrities, she recommends Jake Gyllenhaal — “he’s down-to-earth, athletic but knows how to get dressed up and put it together” — and Jessica Alba. “She’s eclectic, and she’ll play around with anything. I think Jennifer Aniston is always an icon, too.”' I know these pictures below aren't very red carpetty but I didn't want to leave out some of the new pictures from Jake and Atticus' walk on 29 January (thanks IHJ!)



Making more than fluff

I'm still catching up on Love and Other Drugs publicity and here are three video interviews from Australia. In the first one, in response to being teased as usual by his co-star Anne Hathaway, Jake describes the responsibility of being not only an actor but a movie star. 'I feel a responsibility, I definitely do, I think somewhere to make movies that I think are not just fluff and I feel a responsibility to make movies where I was brought up, to entertain and also to say something that I think I believe in and have some balls to be honest. Your work is your voice and so I consider whatever it is that I have to be an opportunity to say something.'

This draws a great response from Anne: 'A conscientious movie star, but a movie star nonetheless.'


The second video includes a discussion by Jake of what Anne brought to the role while at the end of this video, Jake is interviewed on the Sydney red carpet and admits that when it comes to partying, the Australians are hard to beat! Thanks to BBMISwear for the heads up!

And finally...

Many thanks to Eureka from sending in this photograph of a sign for Love and Other Drugs from a theatre in Madrid. But this is no ordinary poster. As befitting a very old cinema, this poster is hand painted and beautiful. One hopes films don't swap over too often.


Includes pictures from IHJ, Eureka and scans by WDW.