Jake Gyllenhaal's Berlinale duties and a Valentine kiss

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.

Jake Gyllenhaal puckers up and some new old photoshoot pics

This gratuitous post is brought to you courtesy of this wonderful new video that has made its way to YouTube in which Jake Gyllenhaal kisses his way through nine movies (albeit in reverse). Yep, not only can you see the changing looks of Jake through such wonderful movies as Brokeback Mountain, The Good Girl, Donnie Darko, Prince of Persia, Love and Other Drugs, Rendition and Source Code, but you can also judge his puckering up skills. While obviously the kisses between Jack and Ennis pull at a very special heartstring that is preserved for this film, I must also admit to loving that kiss in Rendition. I remember when the film came out and we saw this scene for the first time and I don't think I was the only one to melt. And so, are there any special kisses here for you?



Apologies if this video doesn't work for you in your region. I'll try and do something about that (see comments).

Many thanks to IHJ for posting some new old photoshoot pictures of Jake. Here are a couple of my favourites. Noone wears a cardie quite like Jake. I miss you, hair! Even the face pet...

My review of Fright Night 3D at MovieBrit.

Jake Gyllenhaal pipped to the post at Mme Tussaud's, and some memorable smooches

While not being one to partake in commercialised smooching days - I'm quite happy to be wined and dined on any day of the year, not just one - my attention was caught today by news that Madame Tussaud's in London has been polling visitors on which A lister they want to see waxed as a Valentine date. Jake Gyllenhaal was indeed amongst the forerunners but he was pipped to the waxy post by a certain Bruce Willis. This video tells us a bit more. Arguably, one is much better off with the real thing. A perfect excuse to post some favourite pics (the US Open, September 2009).



PoPSugar has been taking the opportunity to recall thirty of its favourite movie kisses and if you take a peek you may spot a rather special one.



This seems like a good time to direct you to my comprehensive Guide to Kissing Jake Gyllenhaal. Please study it closely, there may be a test later...


And finally...

Many, many congratulations for winning the Best Director BAFTA last night for The Social Network. You probably heard my cheers from there.



Includes pictures from IHJ.

Kissing Jake Gyllenhaal - 'Occasionally, I've been into it. I won't talk about with whom' and it's all about chemistry

Jake Gyllenhaal may have seduced the lucky attendees of the New Yorker Festival on Saturday night but there was a presence in that room that sought to push Jake into the shadows while seizing the limelight and centre stage for itself. It was noticed by all but none dared to speak of it; no questions were asked about it and yet many an answer was sought. Jake's Beard. Hot on the heels (or should that be chin?) of the WDW Should Jake Shave Poll, the Washington Post has now done its own poll, in which you can vote for the relative hotness of Jake's Beard. If you ever wanted to call Jake's Beard confusing, now is your chance.


While we have yet to get the full details of Saturday's Q&A, more teasers come our way, including a lengthier snippet of Jake's discussion about movie snogging [Please note that I have corrected the spelling of Jake's surname - Not good, NBC!]: 'It's inevitably uncomfortable," Gyllenhaal said. "It's inevitably awkward. And everybody's in on it. No matter how intimate it is, everybody's in on it. Occasionally, I've been into it. I won't talk about with whom." Gyllenhaal, joined on stage by film critic David Denby and director of his latest film "Love & Other Drugs" Ed Zwick, said it's hard to get hot and heavy when there's a crew watching.'


Lucky crew...


So, with whom was Jake into it? What do you think? I have my own favourite Jake love scenes, thinking Brokeback and looking ahead to Love and Other Drugs, and I wonder if Jake is referring to Anne and to Jen and maybe to Ellen? Possibly not with Gwyneth.


Love and Other Drugs has a page in the brand new November issue of Empire, which is great news because it sticks with the 29 December date! Ed Zwick has this to say about Jake and Anne Hathaway: 'When you see what they have together, that is the heart and soul of the movie... Chemistry is an elusive thing, in real life as in movies, but you do know it when you see it.'


I'm adding this video here for no other reason than that it's funny and I just watched it again.



Back to Jake's Beard.



So where is Jake now? Having no doubt celebrated Ramona's birthday yesterday with an exorbitant amount of jelly, trifle and PoP lego, one person, located in Boston, had this to say: 'best thing about my day.... saw Jake Gyllenhall. Worst thing about my day....almost stepped on a rat.' I must say that I would agree with both.


And finally...

53 years ago today, Sputnik launched and so began the Space Age. And so it makes me think of Jake and his portrayal of Homer Hickam. Jake even made an astronaut cry with his portrayal of a boy's dreams to look starwards.




Includes scan from WDW and pictures from IHJ.

[Update] PoP is top grossing film outside US this weekend! Jake Gyllenhaal is not your average person. The Prince Dastan Work Out and Diet Plan

Update: Prince of Persia was the top movie outside the US this weekend, beating both SATC and Shrek. According to THR: 'The Disney film drew $59 million from 7,100 screens in 47 territories for an early international cume of $87.5 million. Taking second place on the weekend was " Sex and the City 2," which opened on the foreign circuit with $27.6 million from 3,700 screens in 17 markets.' Things may have been slow in the US this weekend, but this is great news! I would like to point out that I am not responsible for all of those cinema tickets, just a healthy bunch of them.


No doubt many of you have now seen Jake Gyllenhaal as a Prince of Persia and it is possible that once you have finished feasting your eyes on the stunning panoramic scenery, the beautiful kasbahs and palaces, the exotic creatures, the fine weaponry, the splendid costumes and extraordinary horseriding displays, you may have noticed that Jake Gyllenhaal is bloody hot in it. If you haven't, please go and see it again; if you have, please go and see it again. Jake's trainer, Sam Waterson, has been talking some more about how he got that body into shape (admittedly, some of the credit muust go to Jake).


'"I made sure he trained when he need to train. He was fed when he needed to be fed. And rested when he needed to rest. You have to bear in mind, this was an intensive four months of training. He was living an athlete's life... The average person isn't going to be climbing walls and running through sand wearing a suit of armor. Jake had to be conditioned in a way of being capable of doing those things while cameras were rolling hours a day on set."'


'Even at his peak, Gyllenhaal had a few moments of weakness, like anyone else. "Like anybody, you always have a little bit of self doubt," Waterson said. He did every exercise with Gyllenhaal. Set for set, rep for rep and mile for mile, he helped push the actor -- even when there were intense moments of throwing in the towel. "He was 110 percent committed. And I think I trained him too well, because he was a lot fitter than me by the end of it," Waterson jokes. "I have to give Jake a lot of the credit. Yes, I was his trainer, but for this part, he was very disciplined. I have a massive respect for him because at the end of the day, he is an actor and very committed to being the best."'

Here is Jake's diet, so you can emulate it next time you're 'climbing walls and running through sand wearing a suit of armor'.


► Pre-workout Snack: Half a banana, some nuts and an espresso.

► Morning Workout: An hour-and-a-half cardio workout while wearing a 20 lb. flak jacket to simulate the weight of armor. Interval training (10 minute uphill sprint, followed by abs exercises). Repeat sequence five times, then a 10 minute run, followed by stretching.

► Breakfast: An egg-white omelet, a small protein shake and an isotonic drink to replenish salts lost during training.

► Lunch: Baked potato with tuna and salad.


► Evening Workout: An hour of resistance training using cables to simulate sword fights; pull-ups, press-ups, abs exercises using weights; finish with stretching.

► Dinner: Soup and a protein shake

► Snacks/supplements: Two liters of water, protein bars, dark chocolate, supplements rich in omega-3, 6 and 9. No foods containing refined sugar, occasional glass of wine allowed. (Source: Simon Waterson)

Actually, I'm half way there - I already have plenty of dark chocolate and wine in my diet. The Entertainment Weekly scans here include a question put to Jake about whether he'd be willing to go through all this training yet again for a sequel: 'With a plate full of protein', replies Jake.

Kissing Jake

For a fun read about the complexities of 'Kissing Jake Gyllenhaal' please take a look at this article.


And finally...

The Pixel Project contacted me to publicise their first Voters’ Choice Celebrity Male Role Model Poll and Petition, which is part of their project to raise funds in a campaign to fight domestic abuse in the US and Malaysia. Jake is among the nominated actors and you can vote for him here, as well as find out more about the project.


Thanks to BBMISwear for EW! Scans by WDW, pictures by Disney.

Smooching and smoochers - the Selfridges kissing list celebrates Jack and Ennis while Anne is to announce the Oscar noms

Valentines Day is still quite a way off - although so is Easter and the shops are already full of chocolate bunnies and cadbury creme eggs (not that I'm complaining about those). Nevertheless, kissing booths seem to be springing up all over the capital in order to pour warmth and sunshine into the hearts and lips of Londoners. To mark the opening of Selfridges' very own kissing booth, the world famous easy-to-get-lost-in store has announced its top ten kisses of the Noughties. And number three on the list is a kiss shared by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. Now that does warm the heart.


Number one is, I'm sorry to say, Madonna and Britney's out to shock while failing miserably MTV awards snog. The runner up is that revolting upside down rainy kiss in Spider-Man. You can see the rest of the list here and they're an odd bunch.


Apparently, the factor these kissing booths have in common is that if you don't fancy kissing your own chum, you can pucker up with a Victorian gent or lady on a red couch. There are added benefits - at the Tabernacle booth, your kiss is appraised and you are given a list of ways in which you can improve your technique. Very romantic. But at the Selfridges kissing booth you get a glass of gin. Hmmm, let me think a moment while I make up my mind.


The run up to the Oscars feels like it lasts at least a year and we haven't even had the nominations yet. But that will change next Tuesday (2 February) when they will be announced by none other than Jake's regular co-star and his very own Love and Other Drugs smoocher Anne Hathaway. As you'll read, the Oscars have been put back a couple of weeks to make way for the Winter Olympics. That way stars can win awards and still compete in the luge.


Includes pictures from IHJ.