With special congratulations to the French contingent to LA that will leave the US with extremely heavy suitcases, it is a shame to say that Jake Gyllenhaal was notable in his absence from last night's Oscars. But even though we don't get new pictures of Jake in a tux, we have the next best thing - Jake with a spade. Yes, Jake appears with his his fellow Garden Revolutionary Alice Waters in the March issue of Bon Appetit. 'He genuinely believes... he has his hands in the ground', says Alice of Jake. Click and it shall be embiggened. Many thanks to BBMISwear for the scan!
Speaking of earthy matters and the great outdoors, enthusiastic Brit Bear Grylls has been talking about his spirit of adventure. It's good to see that Jake was not deterred by his Icelandic experiences. We know that Jake and Bear had dinner together during his recent visit to the UK but it seems that this is very much not a one off.
'Then there was the time he and Jake Gyllenhaal, a friend since the actor appeared on “Man vs. Wild” last season, decided to go for a leisurely boat ride in the Santa Monica Bay. “We pull out of Marina del Rey and, I’m not joking, it’s like standing waves, 30 feet high. Absolute monsters,” Mr. Grylls said. “We just got smashed to bits.” “Hanging with Bear is not for the faint of heart,” Mr. Gyllenhaal wrote in an e-mail. “He is always pushing the limit, and it is infectious to be around.”'
I have it on excellent made up authority that sleeping inside a camel carcass is still on Jake's todo list.
While sightings of Jake Gyllenhaal on trains and in restaurants suggest that Jake is back in the Big Smoke, no doubt trying to work off the apfelstrudel and croissant, End of Watch has taken a big leap forward on the road to release. On Wednesday a buyers screening of End of Watch took place at the Arclight in LA which clearly had the desired effect because by Thursday Open Road had snapped up the distribution rights. It sounds like Open Road will be investing a lot of resources behind End of Watch and putting it on a lot of screens. And in 2012 too.
Of course, this deal wouldn't have happened if End of Watch hadn't wowed the Wednesday audience. People who were there have been posting their responses on the IMb boards. Here's the first:
It was a GREAT movie, it reminds me of the tv show Southland but on steroids. It had its funny, sad, happy, and oh crap moments. What the film is about is the life of two cops who decide to film/document their experiences while on the job, they encounter some pretty rough stuff while working in South Central. The movie had me on the edge of my seat literally from beginning to end. The ending was unexpected, i can hear alot of people around me gasping like "whoa" and "wtf". All in all, it was the best movie i have seen in months.
I also liked that the director of the movie David Ayer opened up the movie by saying the film isnt a finished product, he mentioned that a few minor deatil were gonna be cleaned up and that there would be more blood invloved, in my opinion the movie was perfect as is. i definitly recommend this movie to anyone wanting to watch an action movie that has its fair share of laughs and sad moments.
Hey I went to that screening too...film was great I loved it. The relationship between the cops was grreat really felt natural. And the slang words where spot on. Plus I live in south central and they passed by my house so it was fun seein familiar places. Got to speak to david ayers, michael pena who was a nice guy btw and anna kendrick......fun night hopefully I get to see the finished product in theaters....oh and.btw sum of the pov shots were awesome.
Deadline has more details from the screening and about the film itself:
“David [Ayer] has a unique voice as a filmmaker, he writes with authenticity and portrays real characters from the streets where he grew up,” said John Lesher, who produced through his Le Grisbi banner. “He moves you, but the film is very accessible and with these small cameras fabricated and fitted on characters and other places, it creates a 360-degree environment, like it was shot by the cops themselves and has changed the grammar of filmmaking somewhat. Jake and Mike trained five months to be police officers and it shows.”
Lesher said they decided to re-create a festival environment by showing the film in a recruited screening, which happened last night at the Arclight. They had several distribution options but were wowed by Open Road’s aggressiveness and distribution plans. “We wanted distributors to see it with an audience and it was standing-room only,” he said. “The film is gripping but there is also a lot of humor. It is better than a screening in an empty room with four executives; I’ve been through those. It’s a different experience watching with real moviegoers and buyers responded.”
Also, how good to read confirmation that Jake is Executive Producer!
Thanks to IHJ for the pictures and to BBMISwear for the big help with the links!
Jake Gyllenhaal's Jury Duty may be done but his European Vacances continues with a visit to Paris, barely a hop, skip and a splash from these shores. Jake has been spotted in the company of tasty pastries and Midnight in Paris actress Léa Seydoux. The photo below was taken yesterday by a lucky tweeter at Nanashi, a healthy Japanese eatery. Today, Jake was spotted with Léa in an area of Paris called le Xème. If you're a foodie like Jake, then Paris is a dream (albeit a bit of a pricey one...).
Source Code
Source Code may be one of the most overlooked films of the year - by critics that is, audiences loved it - but The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America recognise a good film when they see it. Source Code has been nominated in the SFWA Nebula Awards, specifically for the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation. Man Made Movies has all the details!
Jake Gyllenhaal has left Berlin and it's quite likely he's going to need to put his feet up for quite a while. Approximately 30 awards are decided and handed out by the Berlinale Jury each year and the time taken for that doesn't even include the time taken to watch the films in the first place. Take a look at the list here. And read below to see just how difficult and time-consuming all this decision making was.
An account of Jake's last evening in Berlin - at the bear dinner (I'm assuming no bear was actually consumed) - has been published and I'm grateful to Mrs JG for taking the time to translate it for us all: 'After the gala award ceremony the jury, the filmmakers and Berlin's high society gather for an elegant and cheerful dinner, this time held in the "Mirrortent" at the Martin-Gropius-Bau.'
'I especially wanted to meet the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. To hopefully find out a bit about his ten days in Berlin, which he had spent watching and judging movies. Smoking in the smoking section, we started talking, although the man from Hollywood does not smoke. First question: "Was it hard?" Good humored and relaxed the young man (31, best known from the movies "Donnie Darko" and "Brokeback Mountain") replies: "We had an awful lot of discussion! Not because the Berlinale film festival is political, "he says," but because our jury president, Mike Leigh, is British. And the British love to debate!" Even in extreme forms. "Once we were seated twelve fucking hours around a table and debated." What he or others decided, criticized or discussed upon specifically, Mr. Gyllenhaal does not reveal, that's not what a Berlinale juror does. "But it definitely was always clear and interesting to see how different actors and directors analyze films." And: "We eight jurors were always very sure right away, what movies we found good or remarkable. We never had to argue whether a competition entry gave enough to wonder about it."
Before the smoking/non smoking-break ends and we move back into the mirror tent room - where guests such as BMW man Hans-Reiner Schroeder, tenor Jonas Kaufmann, model Franziska Knuppe, the arts-and-artists professors Peter Raue and Joachim Sartorius enjoy Zander with lentils and eggplant lasagna - I want to know something about Jake Gyllenhaal's "Brokeback Mountain", the Oscar-winning masterpiece from 2005. After all, thanks to this movie the gay world has, what the heterosexuals have with "Titanic": an irresistibly beautiful, tragic love story. How, Mr. Gyllenhaal, do I convince a non-gay friend to finally watch it? "Tell him it is a universal, although special love story. Told in a uniquely great film!"'
The British love to debate? Surely not... Do we? Can't believe that... Maybe just a little bit.
Many thanks to Mrs JG and to IHJ for the wonderful pictures! I hope Jake has a good flight home (with good movies)
The Berlinale is over. Last night, the end of the Berlin Film Festival was marked by the closing awards ceremony. At the ceremony, Jake Gyllenhaal awarded the silver bear for best actress to the 15-year old star of Rebelle (Witch), Rachel Mwanza from Congo who was clearly thrilled. You can see the closing ceremony in its entirety here. The video of the last red carpet, which also featured Jake, is also there, just scroll through the videos.
I particularly liked the glasses, hooked over the waistcoat.
Jake also marked the end of the Berlinale with a haircut at the Jana Salon in Berlin's Potsdamer Platz. The beanie is hopefully more a result of the cold weather than a verdict on the cut...
Many thanks to IHJ for the photos from yesterday and last night. There are many more there. The Berlinale has been a wonderful event - certainly for us and hopefully for Jake. I hope it's the first of many events we can look forward to this year. If you enjoyed the Berlinale, you might want to vote for Jake here.
WDW Shakespearean Interlude
On the way back from travels up north today, we called in to Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. His actual birthplace is a bit of a tourist magnet to say the least.
Talking of magnets, if you want to buy one with Shakespeare's face on it, you could try the Shakespeare Giftshop next door.
This photo is of a part of the frontage of the Garrick, Startford's oldest pub - dating back to the 1400s and... haunted.
We also popped by the cottage of Anne Hathaway - not the one from Love and Other Drugs but the one who married Shakespeare.
While it is quite possible that Jake Gyllenhaal is not directly responsible for the fall of the German President Christian Wulff, despite the resignation following his reception for Jake and other members of the Berlinale jury, Jake is still causing somewhat of a stir. With thanks to a reader for a link, here is an account by a Hungarian blogger of her birthday treat with Jake, who was very definitely not to be confused with Robert Pattinson, the Pale One. Google will help you with a translation, except if your're Hungarian, in which case you may be able to help us with the translation.
After having seen off the President, Jake and the others went to a reception at the US Embassy in Berlin, as mentioned a couple of days ago. You can watch the video here. Thanks to IHJ for the new pictures from the event.
We also have a photo of Jake arriving back at his Berlin hotel on 15 April, the day after the Golden Bear ceremony with Meryl Streep.
Talking of Meryl Streep, there is a transcript now of the exchange between Jake and Meryl at the ceremony, thanks to Indiwire: "To be frank," he said. "Meryl Streep was not too fond of the 13-year-old version of me. Back in the early 1990s, Hank and I were going around in our baggy pants and listening to the rap artists of the day -- like Warren G and Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg -- pretending to be gangsters. In truth, and it may come as a great surprise to many of you, we were actually just wussies. But for some reason Meryl didn't take a liking to me and didn't really trust me with her son. As we all know from her work, Meryl Streep has a real capacity to be terrifying. We've all seen 'The Devil Wears Prada.'"
'"He was a bad influence on my son," she began. "I remember the first time I met him and he and my son were pretending to be bartenders at his big sister Maggie's birthday party -- which was a cabaret in the basement of their house. They were serving cokes and lemonade, they said. They had little red suits on and fake mustaches, and I'm so glad to see that Jake can grow his own now. But Jake Gyllenhaal is the son of the splendid screenwriter Naomi Fomer and director Stephen Gyllenhaal so he comes by his show business pedigree honestly.'
Jake's appearance at the Berlinale has certainly attracted some positive attention as well for his get up. There are a couple of days left - so much more could happen...
Thanks to IHJ for the pictures and to Mermon for help with some of the links!
Last night, fresh from her shoe-shedding success at the BAFTAs, Meryl Streep received the Berlinale's highest honour, the Golden Bear. There to present the Bear for a lifetime's achievement to Meryl was Jake Gyllenhaal. We've heard before, during the Rendition days in which Jake and Meryl co-starred but never together, that Jake knew Meryl and her family as a child and more of this was revealed last night by 'Hank's mom'. It's been a while since we've seen Jake make such a long speech. Enjoy it!
Many thanks to IHJ for the wonderful photos! There are lots more there.
While the attention of the Berlinale media flutters towards Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal continues his jury duty, sitting through umpteen movies a day whilst also sampling the culinary delights of the city. While Jake has not been spotted much outside the cinemas and galas of the festival, one has to think that Jake is doing all he can to experience the wonderful flavours of Berlin. We have reports that Jake has attended a reception at the American Embassy. He was also invited along with the rest of the jury to a weekend reception with the German president Christian Wulff.
I cannot help but be intrigued by the chairs. They look as if they bounce. Surely they don't really bounce?
There are also photos from a function at Berlin's China Club and at the Berlinale's launch party - many thanks to IHJ for all these pictures!
Let us hope that the Berlinale allows Jake out of the dark theatres soon so that we can see how he's getting on. Meanwhile, let's pucker up and wish Jake a very happy Valentine's!
My gift to you all is a reminder of what might well be my favourite Jake interview ever.
By this stage it is possible that Jake Gyllenhaal is not only square eyed, he may also have overdone the popcorn and have a cinema seat-shaped bottom. Yes, the Berlinale is well and truly underway and, judging by the tweets of friends over there watching the movies, the films are - to put it politely - varied in quality. With Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie probably on the way, Jake is continuing to cause a stir in the Berlin media and among lucky tweeters.
Many thanks to @Lisa_Glamkitty for sharing her experiences of the red carpet with Jake and Diane Kruger, not to mention some great photos! Lisa reported that: 'he said to some fans standing next to me that everyone looks so similiar with all these winter clothes because they had asked him if he remembers them because they met him before.. when he was right in front of me, signing stuff, some people asked for autographs including their names and he seemed a bit sorry but said he can't do this because he wants to sign as many photos as possible in the few minutes he's got and it's too loud to understand the different names, too. He was pretty lovely, honestly, and seemed so relaxed even though it's been busy like hell! ;)' Thanks also to Mermon for her investigations!
We also have a twitter exchange from SweetHomeBerlin about sharing a ciggie break with Jake. Of course this raises the inevitable question over whether Jake was participating in the puffing but it does sound like he's having a relaxed and friendly time in Berlin.
Many thanks to Monica for uploading the videos!
Maggie and Ewan McGregor
Maggie has been filming a HBO drama The Corrections with Ewan McGregor in NYC and I couldn't resist these pictures from JustJared. Also, the NYP has been talking about the co-operative at Maggie's neighbourhood in Brooklyn. It seems Maggie has been doing her shifts and has even been known to bring Jake along - although behind the scenes to 'avoid spills in the aisles'.
You'll be delighted to hear that, according to president Mike Leigh, his Berlinale jury is 'very well-behaved'. That might well be because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, its members all want to work with him. As for Jake Gyllenhaal: 'I was incredibly excited to be asked because I am a big fan of Mike Leigh... I loved his films when I was a young boy. Being in a room with a number of artists and just talking about other work, I consider it a privilege and honor to be part of it.'
Thanks to IHJ for presenting these beautiful festival portraits. There's a lot to catch up on with the Berlinale and so watch this space!
WDW Interlude
I can't let 11 February pass by without mention, especially not this year. Today is five years since the most incredible adventure - the first time I saw Jake in person and met good friends who are a hugely important part of my life today. I can count my life-changing days on one hand and this is one of them. BAFTAs 2007. I've seen Jake quite a few times since over the years, as a fan and as press, for an instant or for an hour, and in all sorts of wonderful cities, but I doubt anything can compare with that freezing cold very long day in Covent Garden. It's not every day you ask Helen Mirren if she would budge so that you can get a better view of Jake Gyllenhaal... Thanks to Ruby, Anouska and Jake for such an amazing, unforgettable, perfect day!
Good days indeed! Today the Berlinale jury gets down to its serious movie-watching work, which means that we can do some catching up. Firstly, many thanks to my lovely friend at Filmaluation for thinking of me when he was at the press conference yesterday as part of his coverage of the festival and took some pictures. He was so close! Thanks to him for letting me share them. Filmaluation is covering the Berlin Festival so do pop by and cheer him on as he sits through what might be kindly described as a mixed bag...
Highlights of the press conference can be seen here
Yesterday evening the opening gala took place - Farewell, My Queen about Marie Antoinette starring Diane Kruger whom, as you might recall, appeared on TV with Jake during the Cannes Film Festival back in 2007. Jake walked the red carpet, posing for pictures and signing autographs and mingling with, among others, Max von Sydow. Thanks to IHJ for the pictures! So, so good to see Jake walking a red carpet again.
In the theatre, Jake and the rest of the jury were introduced and interviewed on stage. Jake's surname broke the ice and, as seems to be the case in 9 out of every 10 live interviews, gets some scrutiny. You can watch the interview here. If you can't see the video below, here is the link.
There are some other videos around. Here is one of Jake and the jury in Berlin (thanks to Monica for uploading):
All in all, a great start and so great to see Jake Movie Star Gyllenhaal back! Thanks again to IHJ for the photos - there are many more there.
As mentioned before, today the work proper starts and early this morning Jake was in his seat ready to go:
Thanks must also go to BBMISwear for the much appreciated help!
