Stunning Jake - Zodiac LA premiere - Dining with the Gyllenhaals

The first time I saw Jake Gyllenhaal I couldn't believe that he was even more stunning in real life than in photographs or even on the silver screen. But he was. And it wasn't a fluke. Each time it hit me anew. It turns out I'm not the only to insist that there is a radiance about Jake that will always make him stand out, even among other movie stars (and I have seen a few for comparison - including Brad Pitt when he was over in the UK filming a few years ago). Lawrence Toppman, the movie critic for The Charlotte Observer has listed the movie stars that have made the biggest impression on him for a range of reasons and Jake is there as the 'most stunning'.


'Most stunning: Jake Gyllenhaal. Virtually all actors look better onscreen than in life. Gyllenhaal, chiseled and magnetic, is a rare exception. His female counterpart would be the jaw-dropping Bryce Dallas Howard.' Others include 'Most thoughtful: Ang Lee. The soft-voiced, slow-spoken "Crouching Tiger" director wasn't afraid to look into his past or his psyche to figure out why he has one of the most diverse, satisfying bodies of work in film.' By contrast 'Most stuck on himself: Ben Kingsley. Insisted on being called "Sir Ben" and explained in finicky detail the differences between being a classically trained actor and an actor with classical training. Not exactly Gandhi, eh?'


So without doubt (and no bias here, of course..), Jake is the most stunning of film stars, but what is he like? At the very beginning of March, the LA premiere of Zodiac took place behind closed barriers at Paramount Studios and without the presence of Jake. But, even in NYC, Jake may have felt his ears burn. In the first video (which also features interviews with John Carroll Lynch, Chloe Sevigny and others), Robert Graysmith is asked what he thought of Jake's performance: 'I love Jake's performance! Am I the luckiest man in the entire universe?'



In this second video, Chloe is asked if she kept Jake's character in check: 'I tried. He was really a sweet boy, very young, surprisingly, but he had a great spirit and enthusiasm and professionalism and that's all you can hope for... Not an inflated ego, he was actually very... a really nice boy.'





Dining with the Gyllenhaals

According to a sighting, Jake, Maggie, Peter, Ramona, Naomi and Stephen had dinner together on Christmas Eve at Babbo's in Greenwich Village in NYC. Babbo's is run by family friend Mario Batali who is a big believer in having a family experience around the dinner table while enjoying Italian food (with local, handy ingredients) and fine Italian wines. I should point out that I'm writing this post at dinner time and I have yet to eat...




The desserts at this restaurant are legendary so I've been through the menu and selected my favourite: 'Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Orange Sauce and Hazelnut Gelato $12'. For main course it would have to be the Grouper but without the pancetta (not a very veggie or fishy menu). The wine philosophy speaks to my heart - it encourages sampling and discovery. And there are almost 2,000 to choose from. The wine list is reason enough to make a reservation - a month in advance, to the day.



And finally...

This picture below is irrelevant but I was reading a review of Chris Rock's current tour of the UK and it reminded me of this photograph.


Includes pictures from IHJ.