It can only be a good thing that, in the last few days, the environment has become a subject that everyone - wth the possible exception of the politicians and billionaires than could actually bring change about - can have an opinion on. Jake Gyllenhaal, just like the rest of us, has talked about how he does the little things himself that we all can do, such as turning off lights. But Jake is in the position where he can be a part of one of the most influential forms of communication, through movies. Jake said in the Today Show interview about The Day After Tomorrow that 'every movie should have a reason' and it is very possible that he believes that he should also have a reason for every role and that responsibility comes with success. However, it should also be fun - to do and to watch.
The Day After Tomorrow is the perfect example of how Hollywood treats a global catastrophe and some people will never like big summer blockbusters. I have a weakness for them myself, as I believe Jake admitted once, and I think that, despite its many preposterous presumptions and situations, its skewy science and some dodgy lines, it's a film that many people went to see and it would have left them with a very stark and dramatic picture of the very worst that could happen as a result of our damage to nature. That has to be a good thing.
Fortuitously, another video interview has turned up, from the premiere for the trailer of The Day After Tomorrow, in which Jake discusses the shock to his system that he felt in taking on an action movie and all of the new challenges that this presented to him as an actor. "It was so different from anything I've ever done... It was a whole different muscle in my brain, it was whole different muscles in my body! A whole different experience for me and in some ways a lot harder than what I've been used to because it took a lot of imagination - it felt like I was kind of a kid again - looking at something that didn't really exist, realising that I was the one that was going to make it look real. I was the one going to mke people go like 'that's crap', or it's not. And that is really fun."
As for the message of the film: "We ourselves are the antagonists in the film, which is the overall message, and I think that nature is pretty benevolent in everything that it delivers... We have the opportunity to create hope and destroy it." This video is worth watching alone for Jake's embarrassed giggle and little squirm at the end on being asked if he is ready to be America's next heartthrob!
Jake is always careful about what he reveals in interviews but he is never worried about voicing an opinion if he believes it is one worth hearing. This Gyllenhaal trait is not reserved for Jake alone - yesterday Maggie Gyllenhaal was the subject of one of those cerebral and penetrating interviews in The Guardian that the paper is so good at. Maggie, like her brother, is extremely careful and reticent when it comes to talking about the specifics of her private life but when it comes to general issues - such as motherhood - she talks eloquently and reveals more substantial truths about herself - just as on those rare and wonderful occasions when Jake talks about what love and spirituality mean to him. In this interview, Maggie is brutally honest about how she explores the nature of the women she plays, some of whom are severely damaged.
Specifically, here Maggie discusses SherryBaby (out in the UK on July 27) and her portrayal of Sherry Swanson who leaves prison, a recovered heroin addict, determined to regain custody of her young daughter. Se enjoys playing "troubled women. The ones that are a real challenge. They really need me."
It's interesting to learn that Maggie did not enjoy aspects of her LA childhood and was glad to return to New York where she had been born. "Movie sets work like the army. Everyone has a job. If you're extra, you're in the way." Maggie finished college, unlike Jake, which meant that he achieved film success that little bit sooner than his elder sister. Maggie says that, not surprisingly, this was tough to handle but that now she appreciates the maturity that college gave her. "College gave me validation: I gained a lot of confidence, just from once or twice saying something in class and the professor saying, 'Great idea.' That experience has certainly helped me say to a director, 'Actually, I think my idea is at least worth talking about.' " Jake's career has been coloured by the relationships that he has formed with his directors, all forming a crucial element of that role and that experience. Maggie is the same: "After making Secretary, it was a real shock to me to learn that some directors just aren't interested in what actors have to say. They just don't want to collaborate."
Maggie emerges from this interview as a fascinating, independent and strong woman, who is not afraid to appear stripped of makeup, or to expose herself so completely and bravely in her roles.
So - with the certainty of going completely off topic, here are a couple of pictures from yesterday's Live Earth extravaganza at Wembley Stadium. As you can tell, I was more than a little distance from the stage but the atmosphere was incredible and many of the bands showed that they can dominate a stadium - Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini and Keane being my personal favourites. Others, such as Genesis and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, looked to me like they were just going through the motions while Duran Duran demonstrated that too much self-righteous preaching is not a good thing - leading to a hunt to find some more food. There was a lot of talk and it did make one think that it felt a bit rich to be told over and over again not to overboil a kettle or not to go to a shop without a bag by people who could make much more difference than you or I.
We left before Madonna because of real fears about how on earth we would get home with 70,000 people all after the same few trains! As it was, Mr WDW and myself ended up squished in separate carriages until we could regroup at another station. Therefore, if Wembley doesn't want people to drive to the stadium in their cars, they should do something to sort this out as I expect there were more than a few disgruntled people sleeping on platforms last night. So, not only was that off topic, it was an off topic rant too!
Includes pictures from IHJ and JJ.
