[Updated]More SBIFFing Jake, with a look from the past, and DGA news

There are more pictures today from Friday's celebration of David Fincher at SBIFF, and the more you look at Jake Gyllenhaal working this look, new for him, it's almost as if Jake is playing a role, one from another decade. I hate to mention Torso again - but now I have mentioned it, could it be that Jake is giving Fincher a taste of a possible Ness? Thanks to IHJ for the new photos, as well as to the photographer of Santa Barbara Independent newspaper, Paul Wellman.





We know that Jake had this to say about David, 'I want to tell you a secret about David Fincher. He has a big brain and a big heart.' But one wonders what was said to cause this response!


Last night was the Directors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, David didn't win (Danny Boyle had another victory) but the event was marked by a panel discussion between all five nominees, during which the directors discussed their influences.



Christopher Nolan was among the five and he spoke of the importance of Heath Ledger's opening scene in The Dark Knight - to smash the iconography of previous Jokers. '"I wanted to have Heath with an iron-clad opening," Nolan added in explaining the importance of the film's beginning.' Nolan also revealed during the evening that, should Heath win the Oscar, the award would be accepted by Heath's family. It is unlikely that any moment of the entire awards season would be more memorable and emotional than that one.

ETA: I enjoyed this account of the awards: 'Presenter Jodie Foster said of her Panic Room director David Fincher, "I don't know if I've ever worked with a crazier person in my life," and though she said it with a smile, it was clear she wasn't really kidding. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button star Brad Pitt went another route, saying, via a taped message, "[David] has got a great ass."' Lovely!


OT but I saw Milk this afternoon and I certainly hope that film gets some recognition as well. Sean Penn did a fine job (as did the man with the 'perfect head' James Franco).

ETA: Some people have had an early glimpse of the Prince of Persia poster at preview screenings of Confessions: 'And since this is after all a Bruckheimer movie, a special shout-out for the special effects. These mannequins were just superbly done and they really scared the guys. Yes, I saw this movie with 3 guys. They were very impressed with the Prince of Persia poster. I mean, very, very impressed.' Sounds good!

Includes pictures from IHJ and links.

'One of the good guys' - Get ready for a celebration of Heath's work

July is approaching, which means that we can expect much more from the sensational publicity campaign that is heralding The Dark Knight to our theatre screens. Hot on the heels of Empire magazine's Dark Knight cover, we have Total Film. The whole article is presented as an exercise in Joker vandalism, with all of Maggie's words as Rachel ('Stupid girl') Dawes words scribbled out, photographs of Batman grafittied and comments about the Joker highlighted - all in big red pen - the colour of the Joker's smile.


But left untouched is a section in which Christian Bale, Emma Thomas (producer) and Christopher Nolan pay tribute to what it was like to work with Heath Ledger who brought this terrifyingly charismatic Joker to larger than life.

Christian Bale: Heath's performance is fucking fantastic. As was working with him. he was great fucking company. Wonderful guy. Fantastic working with somebody who will immerse themselves as he does... did. I hope that this will celebrate his work... People love to talk about actors staying in character all the time but it's just totally implausible for seven months straught, You do what's appropriate, you do what's necessary... It's not for me to tell anybody or pretend to have insights beyond what I absolutely know, but my instincts are that [the idea Heath was disturbed by playing The Joker] is ridiculous. Heath was somebody who, like myself... it's what I act for... I act for that immersion. It's not an unusual thing. And from working with him and knowing him, I don't think that was unusual for him, that's all.


Christopher Nolan: It was absolutely wonderful working with Heath. I'm very, very excited for people to see his performance. I think he really has done something pretty incredible in the film. And at this point I'm just very, very keen for people to get their eyes on it and enjoy it.

Emma Thomas: Heath was a hugely talented actor and really just one of the good guys. With a role like that - and being as serious an actor as he was - going in, I wondered if he was going to be somebody who would inhabit the character at all times. He was really amazing, in that he could turn it on and then switch it off between takes.


Includes pictures from Total Film.

Maggie in hot NYC

Rachel Dawes may not have got a word in edgeways with this article, thanks to the Joker, but here we have Maggie Gyllenhaal at the end of last week in the heat of NYC.


More pictures at Pop Sugar.

In need of some Jake

And because I don't feel able to do a post without some Jake...

Fresh in our minds

Big thanks to Twisted Logic for letting us know that Empire has yet again proven itself a wondrous publication by putting Heath Ledger on the cover of its summer The Dark Knight special edition. Alternatively, you can buy a Batty version of the cover but I think I'm going to stick with this one.


I have also scanned the other images of Heath from the article, as well as the photograph of Rachel Dawes, or Maggie Gyllenhaal. You can read a full transcript of the article here (many thanks to them!), and its tributes to Heath, who, as immersed as he must have been in this extraordinary role, must have been an incredible presence on the set, leaving lasting impressions and memories.


Director Christopher Nolan says of the Joker: 'I like to say he cuts through the movie the way the shark does in Jaws. He just kind of comes and goes and causes complete mayhem.' Christian Bale drew pleasure from his opponent: 'It's a funny meeting of these two characters," reflects Bale. "Batman I always kind of view as having this slight urge towards sadism and having to control himself in that, but the fact is, he's got an opponent who's a sadist and a masochist. Batman can punch The Joker all he wants and he knows he's actually giving him a great deal of pleasure! So he's a new kind of opponent. It's been very good and entertaining for me to do those scenes with Heath.'


But that's the Joker, as for Heath, his death 'is understandably a sensitive one for his colleagues on The Dark Knight. "It's so fresh in my mind, I'm not comfortable talking publicly about what has happened to him," says Bale. "It was devastating. It's still unbelievable. It's difficult for me to talk about Heath in the past tense," offers Aaron Eckhart. "It's so hard to talk about how it's affected me personally," explains Maggie Gyllenhaal. "It's been really hard for me. And the media has shocked me with the way that they've been disrespectful in some ways." She's referring, at least in part, to the speculation in both the press and the blogosphere that taking on the vicious, twisted role of The Joker might have somehow pushes a troubled Ledger over the edge. This is unlikely. It ignores the fact that this was a role Ledger had long since finished with (The Dark Knight wrapped in November), as well as one which, by most accounts, he enjoyed.'

'Indeed, when Empire met Ledger at the LaSalle Street production base back in August, he had this to say about The Joker; "It's the most fun I've had playing a role. I'm really surprised Chris knew I could do it, or thought that I had something in me like this. And I don't know how he came to cast me. but, yeh, it's the bomb. Definitely the most fun I've had, and the most freedom."'


Christian Bale tells one story that certainly bears this out. He recalls their first scene together, in which Batman interrogates The Joker down at Gotham P. D.. "It was wonderful," Bale says, chuckling slightly, "because you're doing it, and you're into it, and someone in the crew will have a question and it pulls you right out, and you turn around, and they have these two-way mirrors, so everywhere we looked we were looking at ourselves, and you suddenly see what you're looking like to everybody else. And we were just a couple of freaks!" He laughs loudly. "I'm standing there in the suit and he's there, you know, with his Chelsea smile, and it was just a couple of complete nutters. We both couldn't stop laughing!

"He was very good company, Heath," continues Bale. "I really enjoy it when somebody is pushing the work as much as he did. You can see how much he loved it."


Nolan, meanwhile speaks of his own "huge sense of responsibility to make sure that the film is as good as Heath's performance", and confirms that The Dark Knight will be dedicated to Ledger. He stops shy of predicting that this will stand as Ledger's greatest performance, though. "I think that Heath has some pretty amazing performances under his belt. Certainly, his performance in Brokeback Mountain was that most impressed me of what he'd done. Monster's Ball as well. This performance is completely different from anything he'd ever done before. I just don't think that people will even recognise him. He's a completely different guy: the voice, the movements, what's going on in his eyes... It's completely different. i think it's his most iconic performance. In taking on The Joker I suppose that's inevitable, but the fact that he pulls it of... I think it's a pretty stunning piece of work. Honestly."' Can't wait to see it.


Pictures from Empire magazine.

Jake leaves the medical centre in BH, 18 March - ShoWest misses Heath

Yesterday (18 March), Jake Gyllenhaal had to run the gauntlet of a scrum of photographers in order to collect his car and leave the medical centre on Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills. The good news is that, although Jake's left shoe is still undone, he is undoubtedly receiving treatment for his ankle and it looks like it's working. The bad news is Jake liked that shirt enough to wear it more than once.





There is a pap video to go with these photos - Jake is calm and cool throughout and the paps aren't hurling insensitive questions about, but it's still quite a melee and all credit to Jake, who no doubt was thankful when he reached the peace of the complicated oneway system of Beverly Hills. So only click the link if you want to.


ShoWest video - Missing Heath

Last week was ShoWest in Las Vegas and The Dark Knight was one of the films which received the most attention for the coming season of releases. As mentioned here the other day, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan took to the stage as part of the showcase for the film and Heath Ledger was painfully absent. This video shows interviews from that night, in which tribute is paid to Heath, especially by Christian Bale, and the included Batman Trailer just emphasises even more, as if emphasis were needed, of what and whom we're missing.



Pictures with thanks from IHJ.

Two years ago today - Ennis Del Mar and the Joker - celebrated

Many of us remember the day that we first saw Brokeback Mountain - when an event, in whatever form, changes or alters your life in someway, it's hard to forget. Today is my second anniversary. I remember celebrating the date last year - I could never have imagined that, in 2008, 29 January would coincide with the first week's anniversary of Heath's death. But it has, and so, in remembering and celebrating the glorious fallout that Brokeback Mountain showered on my life (hopefully never to be undone), this time I am also remembering and cherishing its two men.


Brokeback Mountain's 'classic' status has perhaps been sealed, even for those still in doubt, by the tragedy of last Tuesday. There is also a good possibility that Heath's death will tempt new audiences to see this film and another gang of Brokies will measure their lives against Jack's dream in Brokeback, find them wanting, and change them. We have a lot to thank Heath for, and not just Heath, Jake too. And all those involved with Brokeback Mountain, at every level.


I have a real sense of inadequacy when it comes to expressing what Brokeback Mountain means to me. So better to look at an essay or elegy such as this, which, written in the aftermath of Heath's loss, bears witness to the achievement of Heath, Jake and Ang in creating this 'imperishable' masterpiece. Here are some quotes that spoke to me.

'In their comments about the actor, some, seeking to express their sense of loss, have said that it's especially sad because he was at the start of what promised to be a great career. I understand what they mean, but we should recognize that, because of his commitment to his art, Heath Ledger already had attained greatness.'


'While I'm unable to aspire to poetry, I can appreciate and attempt to describe the beauty of what Heath Ledger did in Brokeback Mountain. His performance is poetry enough. I think it's appropriate to honor the man who did so much to make the film so powerful with an elegy recognizing and celebrating what he achieved.'

'The sensitivity and beauty with which Ledger and Gyllenhaal present the men is deeply moving; Gyllenhaal gently embraces and reassures Ledger, who gradually relaxes and embraces him, showing not merely the sexual desire, but more importantly the deep need to be close to another man which motivates both men. At least for those with eyes to see and hearts to feel, the scene is as beautiful and moving as any depicting a man and a woman.'


'His incredible ability in projecting Ennis's raw rage culminates in the awful final argument with Jack, when Ennis threatens to kill the man he loves for needing sexual involvement with other men, since Ennis's fear and shame have caused him to refuse to accept Jack's invitation to live together. It's frightening, especially in light of Ledger's death, to think of the cost such acting must have exacted. I'm fortunate, in my teaching, to be able to teach the astonishing poetry of Emily Dickinson; Ledger's acting spontaneously brings to mind the opening line of one of her most searingly confessional poems, in which she demands, "Dare you see a Soul at the White Heat?" In Ledger's performance as Ennis, we do. Though I want to resist involvement in speculation about the causes of his death, it's impossible not to have noted that some have speculated that he put so much into preparing for and incarnating himself in every role he took on that it may have led to impossible stress, sleeplessness, and dependence on medicines. I have no idea whether this is correct, but it's possible to think it, given the intensity with which Ledger gave himself over to representing the torment of Ennis del Mar.'

This elegy was written by Eric Patterson, an associate professor of American studies and American literature at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. 'He is the author of a newly published book On Brokeback Mountain: Meditations about Masculinity, Fear, and Love in the Story and the Film.' This title is available for Europeans here.


Philip French's tribute for Heath in Sunday's Observer newspaper in the UK culminated with: 'Ledger inhabits his character to an overwhelming degree as he charts Ennis's painful emotional progress over two decades. The visit to the home of his dead lover's parents, where he silently inspects Jack's old bedroom, is among the most poignant, delicately understated sequences in movie history.' Without doubt, this is the most painful scene that I have ever seen in any film, and I doubt that will change through my life. It's good to see it recognised here.


It's a sad state of affairs, but it's true, that many people, especially men, maybe even our men, have yet to see Brokeback Mountain, put off by its tabloid tag as the 'gay cowboy movie'. This is what was addressed in Tony Parson's tribute in the UK's Mirror newspaper: 'I have an amazing number of mates who have never seen Brokeback Mountain because it's "that movie about two gay cowboys". What they are missing is an almost perfect storm of talent. Brokeback Mountain was directed by the great Ang Lee from a classic short story by Annie Proulx. It has an Oscar-winning screenplay by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry (a great novelist himself and author of The Last Picture Show), and Jake Gyllenhaal will never be better than he was as rodeo cowboy Jack Twist.'


'Most of all, what my friends are missing is the portrayal of ranch hand Ennis Del Mar by Heath Ledger. A performance that ranks up there with Al Pacino in the first Godfather film, Robert de Niro in the second Godfather, Brando when he was young and thin, Montgomery Clift in From Here To Eternity, and James Dean in the three films he made before his early death. Heath Ledger truly was as good as that, and nobody who has seen Brokeback Mountain could ever doubt it. Heath Ledger had the kind of talent that only comes along once every 20 years and his death is a horrible waste.'


Brokeback Mountain is a film you rarely see the like of but Heath had more to offer us. We were all looking forward to the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, many of us had some red carpet expectations as well. By the time The Dark Knight is released - in July - we will no doubt be ready to celebrate Heath's portrayal of this iconic figure. The film's director Christopher Nolan doesn't have the luxury of the time. He is currently working on his film in post-production and has to cope with the raw pain of seeing Heath on film everyday.

Here is part of Chris' tribute to Heath in Newsweek: 'One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I'd fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.'


'Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.'

'When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we'd have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we'd done with all that he'd given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.'


I'd been looking forward to my anniversary Brokeback Mountain post - I would never have dreamed... Includes pictures from IHJ and AP.