11/16/07

Warm fuzzies

Happy birthday to Jake's big sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal! Maggie turns 30 today.

Maggie rocks, and I love the family resemblance in this photo
This makes me happy. Esquire calls Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in Rendition one of six Performances of the Year in their December issue.

Jake Gyllenhaal in December's Esquire: someone get the crash cart, I just died
Looks like Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere would have gone with option number three in my poll at right.

It's not that Gyllenhaal plays his Egypt-based CIA guy badly or ineffectively, but that Egypt-based CIA guy is written as such a revoltingly passive wuss....For me, Gyllenhaal's inactivity is infuriating. He's not just a guy doing nothing, but an emblem of do-nothing types the world over.
He sounds like he's blaming Jake for Douglas's actions, or inaction, as the case may be, which misses the point entirely. If you found him infuriating or revolting, Jeff, then he kicked ass, because you were supposed to feel all those things. I'd do anything to keep Jake looking this way, alwaysAnd Wells's statement about what Douglas's character lacks expresses precisely why Jake's was an incredibly difficult role, and why his performance was that much more worthy of praise. I'm glad the editors of Esquire recognized that, even if Wells doesn't.

Something else that makes me happy: seeing Jake happy. IHJ has posted those photos from Jake and Reese's recent Napa Valley visit, and while the level of paparazzi interest in this relationship still bothers me, seeing Jake so obviously at ease and happy literally brought me to tears. Even Reese smiled at the camera this time. That's the way I like to see them.

Random sexy coolweather!Jake, because I felt like itMeanwhile, it looks like Jake's about to become the subject of a sniping showdown. Slash writer (it's amazing the things you can learn while browsing around Jake's fandom) royandronnie's opening bid remains the only one so far, and the auction ends at 6 pm EST. At least, I'm sorta hoping it will be sniped. Well, I mean, I totally will understand if no one can afford to bid $5,500, because I can't, but I guess I'd like to see the promise of his company bring in more than the bare minimum for the charity of his choice. Plus it would be fun to watch and see just how crazy Jake can make people.

Update: Well, here's another nice treat I hadn't seen before. This transcript, which the source claims to be from the Los Angeles Rendition press conference, has lots of priceless Jakeisms. I don't understand why I'm just now finding this. This stuff is gold and should have been all over the 'net by now. Some examples:

Reporter: You and Peter shaved your heads in Jarhead. Now, you both have beards.
Jake: Peter and I are dating (laughter). I can see the headlines now.
~~~
Reporter: What qualities do you admire in Reese, as a person and an actress?
Jake: She can grow a mean beard, that's for sure (laughter)! I don’t know if you’ve seen her beard--it's amazing!
~~~
Reporter: Will you comment on rumors that you are dating Reese?
Jake: No. Apparently, I am dating a lot of people, not only of the opposite sex (laughter)--it's very interesting and amusing.
Reporter: The first time we interviewed you, you talked about not having enough sex...
Jake: Are you offering or what? (Laughter)
Reporter: You talked freely during that interview. You have become a star since. So, has your sex life changed?
Jake: I've become an ascetic--I live in a cave now. That's why I am growing a beard. I have no sex, so I’m much more interesting!

Damn, Jake. Could you be any more lovable?

Photo of Maggie thumbnailed from The Internet Movie Database; all others from IHJ.

5 comments

BirdGirl said...

Happy Birthday Maggie

Awww. He is lovable isn't he?

He looks so happy. That will always make me happy. She is the luckiest girl in the whole world. Not to sound 13 or anything. :)

Can you even imagine having him alone in a cabin, in Napa, for a romantic weekend? No wonder they didn't want to leave the room. Shit, I would have him anywhere. Back ally, fast food restaurant bathroom, I could go on and on and on….

You get the point. ;)

Cherita said...

Whatever do you mean? Jake lives in a cave and has no sex. ;)

I'm telling you, I so wish I could remember my dreams. Looking at some of those pictures was really strange...recognizing and feeling so completely familiar with the back of his head or just those broad shoulders in the sweatshirt that won't die, imagining I could be the one to put my hands there. He really does have something beyond what other celebrities convey. No one else has ever, ever been so compellingly touchable to me. I really do ache with the desire.

And what about that Esquire photo? Holy shit. I wonder if the photographer was telling him to look sexy. :D

Xenia said...

Obviously, Happy Birthday Maggie, I like you girl...:D

Did Jeff Wells even notice that the faults he attributed to Jake's performance represent its own value?...ah critics...

Inquire Interview confirmed me that Jake is one of the smartest, wittier creature I've ever heard speaking...and this last year he convinced me even more...even when I didn't agree with him...;)
An Italian journalist who interviewed Jake during the European Zodiac Premiere at Cannes, wrote in his article (quoting from memory): 'He (Jake) always thinks a lot before answering a question, pondering if what he's going to say is really necessary to make his message more intelligible...a very rare quality among the movie stars interviewed here at Cannes...'
And of movie stars at Cannes, there were a fiew.;)

I know what you mean about Jake's 'touchableness'...
I think that's because of that divine 'carnality' of his...so innocent and seducing at the same time...

OT
Cherita, my friend, you'll have to teach me how to insert HTML tags in my posts sooner or later...I couldn't find out by myself...have mercy...:D

Xenia said...

Oh and the Esquire pic...well...it became my 'sexy pic that deserves a thread' of the day IMMEDIATELY! :D

Cherita said...

Did Jeff Wells even notice that the faults he attributed to Jake's performance represent its own value?...ah critics...

My point exactly, thank you, Xenia. Apparently the answer to that is, uh, no. And as you said, critics. Yeesh. :P

An Italian journalist who interviewed Jake during the European Zodiac Premiere at Cannes, wrote in his article (quoting from memory): 'He (Jake) always thinks a lot before answering a question, pondering if what he's going to say is really necessary to make his message more intelligible...a very rare quality among the movie stars interviewed here at Cannes...'

Wow, thanks for letting us in on that comment. I always love to hear unbiased praise for our boy. It just backs up everything I already feel myself. :)

Must remember later to send you email about HTML and Blogger replies. I can't really explain it properly here because of the way the characters get read by Blogger's system.

And yes, the Esquire pic has just become my new work desktop! It's remarkably stimulating for the chasteness of it. It's all in what does show: that face with those eyes, those lips, and guh! those arms. *fans self*