Friday, October 17, 2008

Via Memoria

This article is a reminder that this was Rendition weekend in the U.S. last year. Kudos to Box Office Prophets for recommending that people take a look at Rendition now. And to Esquire, among too few others, for recognizing Jake Gyllenhaal's acting in it:

It's a near-silent performance, apart from some minor heroics near the end, and most actors would likely have felt the need to signal their disapproval to the audience via exaggerated winces. Gyllenhaal refrains, allowing us to project our own turbulent, conflicted emotions onto his placid expression. Knowing when to do nothing is one of the least appreciated of an actor's skills; here's one who's learned it early.

It's a criminally underrated movie, and Jake is stunning, visually and emotionally.



Of course, this time last year was the culmination of Jake media week. Oh, what a fun time that was.



Gooberballs



Conan O'Brien

Regis and Kelly

Of course, Rendition weekend in America was the Roma(nce) Film Festival in Italy:






I had to post those side by side because I am convinced that they coordinated their outfits, as they did at the premieres in Toronto and LA. And if you're going to coordinate, you should have your picture taken together, damn it!

Oh, look - they did, at least once.


The title of the pic is "Jake/Reese/Brindisi" or "Jake and Reese make a toast." It put me in the mind of La Traviata's
Brindisi, so watch/listen, enjoy and raise a glass to Rome, to Rendition (the movie!), to whatever makes you smile!

(Photos courtesy of IHJ.)

48 comments:

Bette said...

I wonder what agency carries that photo! The one of Jake and Reese I've never seen it before now. I'd love to have it in HQ. Sigh. I miss Rendition promo.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post UV.

Rendition was ignored last year by movie goers and it was a shame. I hope everyone does take another look a t this film. I think it did better on DVD though.

A very solid and mature performance from Jake.

I've never seen that pic of Jake and Reese either, great find!

Anonymous said...

I liked Rendition. It was underrated , it would have deserved a better box office. It was an important story and very good movie.

Anonymous said...

Watching these videos again was fun. (David Letterman is my hero!)I love it when Jake and Jon Stewart spar. Great post, UV!!!

Remembering the euphoria of Rome was lovely. That dress is one of my all time favorites. Reese kicks ass! Heh. I believe they absolutely did coordinate their outfits for every one of those events!

Rendition is one of my all time favorites. Period. There wasn't a weak performance in the film, the storyline was compelling, and Gavin Hood cast it perfectly. I will always feel warm and fuzzy about Rendition because I got to meet some wonderful people as a result of going to TIFF.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post, it brings back such great memories. I loved all the interviews Jake did for Rendition, a very important film and underrated. It deserves to be viewed again and praised, it was such a shame it was pretty much ignored when it came out.


The Rome pics are my favorite!!

Anonymous said...

I loved the description of Jake's performance from Esquire. I hope everyone who hasn't seen Rendition yet, please do because it's an important film and one of my favorite performances of Jake.

Love looking at all of the videos of Jake's appearence from last year, thanks for posting and thanks for finding the picture of Jake and Reese!

PS: And thaks to brothers spy from the prevous post for the Pop update!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the links UV. People should take a look at this film now. Shame that it was rejected by the public due to the subject IMO because it's well acted, directed and an important film.

Jake's performance was , quite, subtle making it even more powerful.

And thanks for posting all of Jake's apeearences from the Rendition PR tour, i miss Jake on the talk shows, I was looking forward to Brothers this year, oh well.

The Pictures from Rome reminded me that J&R returned there this year, sigh.

UltraViolet said...

I could have done two posts or more on Rendition. Adore the movie, loved the promotion. And Rome...

And Bobbyanna, that's one of my all-time fave Reese dresses, as well. She just looks fantastic.

Maybe I'll watch Rendition tonight to distract myself from the Red Sox!

UltraViolet said...

Liz Smithhas a bit on Reese's Vogue cover article. She talks about Reese and Reese and Ryan and Reese and Jake:

Witherspoon wants to have fun? Well, she certainly is having fun with her significant beau, Jake Gyllenhaal. The tabloids and weekly glossies have had this beautiful couple breaking up or on the verge. But last time we looked, Reese was hopping a plane to London to visit Jake on the set of Disney’s “Prince of Persia.” They sequestered themselves at the famous Dorchester Hotel, the scene of many Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton dramas. (Reese and Jake were lovely and quiet. No staff had to be called to get an ambulance or knock at the suite to please ask them to stop yelling.)

Anonymous said...

Love the movie too UV,thanks for the post. Hopefully it wil get people to check out the DVD.Very underrated and powerful.

I can't believe a whole year has gone by, Rome, Rendition and Jake everywhere promoting! I adore that dress on Reese, my favorite and what a great find with that picture of them oasting each other in Rome.

Love the bit on Jake and Reese from Smith, love reading stuff like that about them!

Good luck with the Red sox tonight, with the Mets out of it and the other teams that I was rooting for in their place:cubs, brewers and dodgers, as a natinal league fan i'm having a hard time rooting for the phillies for obvious reasons!

Unknown said...

Great post, UV. I love the way you collect the videos so we can see a bunch in a row.

I too think Rendition was criminally ignored.

And I'm getting warm fuzzies at the idea of Jake and Reese coordinating their clothing. A subtle way of telegraphing the relationship.

Since the Tigers tanked, UV, I'll hope for a Red Sox victory for you.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Barbara is me. I'm having a Margarita.:)

Monica said...

Good night, babblers!
Great post, UV. Rendition is a good movie with great performances. Will still be recognized.

Thank you for videos and photos. These videos are wonderful.
Jake always funny and entertaining everyone.

Anonymous said...

I'm having a Margarita.:)

I'm having a whiskey and soda, twist of lemon. :)

IMO, Rendition was a far better movie than most reviews indicated. I actually prefer it to Zodiac. It has everything that makes a good film...... a compelling storyline, beautiful production design and art direction, uniformly stellar performances from the entire cast and it was about something important. And Jake looked insanely hot! :)

I agree with lawgoddess, I think their "matching" outfits last year really were deliberate....... sort of their little private joke.

And that one picture from the Rome Rendition photo call..... please, how could anyone not notice their body language, and the expression on Jake's face gazing at Reese? I think that pic was published before the all the lovely Rome(ance) photos..... when people were still doubting they were a couple. That picture was a dead giveaway IMO.

Thanks for this wonderful post, UV. I'm thinking it's time to watch Rendition again!

sass said...

Howdy UV FL babblers all,
Fantastic post. I absolutely love that dress on Reese.I'm oh So glad she found her style niche; color does her luminous skin and beautiful hair and eyes real good.
I never thought they coordinated of their outfits, but looking at them this year; if course they did just that:)
Thanks for finding a pic of them...and toasting no less.. I have Never seen. The vibes they projected in Rome were so precious and so hot. Jake couldn't take his eyes off her, which made me love their Critics Choice awards pictures even more.
TY again. They are my favorite couple. I hope Jake and Reese are happy for many years. Jake has had a tough year. I wish him love and much happiness with Reese and his new family especially as his primary family dissolves.
UV...GO Red Sox!
Red Sox Win

love to all,
sass

UltraViolet said...

What a great post, sass. And thanks for the good Red Sox wishes. That means a lot coming from a New Yorker :)

I wonder if Jake is managing to catch any of the games? Just like last year, his team wasn't doing "so great." But they're turning it around!

sass said...

Backacha UV,
I'm waiting up for my boy. He's off watching a boxing match at Jack Dempsey's Pub while I sit here feeling jumpy and high from IV steroids I received with my chemo yesterday. Steroids are awesome; they make me feel pretty good--as in pain free in the joint dept. :) but they also make sleep hard to come by.

Some people in my great city are not so happy with the Yankees; the artifacts taken from the old stadium to be sold, aren't selling.

I checked...sssssh...the divorce papers; of course I Googled the lawyer and find her firm a very interesting choice.

Lawyer for Naomi sssh...I hate my nosy nature sometimes...and sometimes I give in and share.
xoxoxo
sass

Anonymous said...

From the red carpet in Rome, and oldie but goodie:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?ndsp=18&um=1&hl=en&lr=lang_it&as_qdr=all&q=reese%20witherspoon%20jake%20gyllenhaal%20roma%20cinema%20festa&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iv#

Anonymous said...

I just got back from the Making Strides Against Cancer walk in Central park, it was an amazing experience. I walked with a group from my job. My aunt passed away from breast cancer and I have several friends that are coping with it right now.

I was thinking of you today Sass, I hope all is going well.


UV/F: Your guys pulled it out again last night, good luck tonight.

Met fans have a special place in our hearts for the Red Sox!

Anonymous said...

Great post,love all the videos of his interviews for Rendition.

Rendition deserves to be seen again, I really liked the movie and Jake's performance.

Love the trip down memory lane from Rome.

Anonymous said...

I'm taking a break from laundry (last load!)..... thought this would be a cute trifle to share.

This is UsWeekly's version of J & R's visit to Myla. And yes, even though this falls into the "grain of salt" category, I've got to give them props for coming up with a far more plausible version than the Star's dressing room strip show account.

"Sexy silk undies or plain grey PJ'S? Reese Witherspoon chose the latter on a shopping trip with beau Jake Gyllenhaal...... during a romantic weekend in London (where he is filming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time). On October 10, the couple stopped in at Nyla.......where Witherspoon, 32, checked out an emerald green bra and matching thong. "Reese was browsing and Jake was sending an email from his phone", a witness tells Hot Stuff. "It's how it is with couples - the guy is usually awkward and will just stand around." But Gyllenhaal, 27, perked up when Witherspoon showed him the bra. "She said, 'Like?' and he had a big smile!"

Anonymous said...

With news that Brothers was pushed back to '09 i was so dissapointed not only having to wait to see this movie but miss seeing Jake promote it!

Thanks for posting hese videos, you can tell Jake enjoyed doing them.

Rendition was overlooked/ignored/dismissed last year and it's a real shame. I fine film with some really good performances and i loved Jake in it.

Rome was a special time, thanks for finding that photo UV.

You're right suvee, that version of J&R is more believeable than the Star vesion!!!

Anonymous said...

I think I'd be willing to believe US Weekly. BTW. Isn't that the magazine that seems to get the photo spreads and nicer articles on Reese and Jake?

Sometimes I think the tabloids in general remind me of some sophomoric writing exercise where the instructor shows the class a picture and tells them to make up a story. ;) Thanks suvee.

Anonymous said...

I just finally had a chance to enjoy our musical selection on YouTube. Cool. This is better then NPR!;)

Anonymous said...

I just checked it out too bobbyanna!!

UltraViolet said...

I'm definitely an opera dilettante, but I do love me some Placido Domingo! He's very sexy in that movie. I can't get the video to play, however. Youtube is being cranky.

I don't think we've ever been compared to NPR before :)

Here's a ginormous HQ of one of Reese's Vogue pics. I covet that necklace!

And her eyes really pop there.

UltraViolet said...

Make sure to double click that pic for full effect.

Anonymous said...

Linky doesn't work.

UltraViolet said...

What link, narcissa? The Reese picture? It works for me.

Try going here and click on the right, where it says Attached Files, under the thumbnail.

Anonymous said...

The necklace is to die for. :)

She really has a Grace Kelly vibe in that picture. It was great to see it all embiggened.

And I love the perfect manicure with the navy or black polish.

Now, where's Jake?

Anonymous said...

UV, I 've tried and tried, but all I get is a blank white screen with a tiny box with a red "x" in it in the upper left hand side of the screen. Then I right click on that and click on "show picture" but nothing happens at all.

UltraViolet said...

Thats weird - it works for me. But for Bobbyanna and anyone else who can't see the pic: I uploaded it to my LJ. Remember to click on the pic to get full size. Here you go.

Anonymous said...

In that little tiny inset picture with the toast, I love the way Jake is looking at Reese.

I wish it was bigger.

Anonymous said...

UV, you're an angel for trying, but I am having no luck at all with that picture!!! Baffling. I even deleted a huge amount of old e-mails and pictures, etc. to make sure my computer memory was ok.
Oh well. And I'm not having problems with any other pictures at all.

Going to make some phone calls. See you all later.

Monica said...

Good night, babblers!
I'm also having the same trouble seeing the pictures. Appears a red X!

UltraViolet said...

Hmm - I don't know what's going on. Sorry about that, Monica and Bobbyanna.

LGB, I would also love to see that Jake/Reese photo in a bigger size. I can't quite figure out what his expression is. It's annoying to know there are pictures out there that we haven't seen.

Monica said...

Uv, fine.
:):)

Anonymous said...

New Reese sighting...

http://ryneanddani.blogspot.com/2008/10/california-lovin.html

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that link. What a sweetheart!! She is all smiles. Is it me, or does it appear that Miss Laura Jean has a preoccupation with lingerie lately...:)

Anonymous said...

Great find anon. That was cool of her.

UltraViolet said...

That was a fun sighting. No wonder the guy's smiling - she has her hand on his ass!

Oh, and look - no bangs or hair extensions!

Also - what is this, the fourth version of what Reese bought?

And yes, Bobbyanna, she is spending a lot of time in lingerie, it seems :)

UltraViolet said...

Jake has clearly established his London CZ:

Sunday afternoon was a lazy day for us, since we just got back from our week long trip to Italy. We did manage to get to Whole Foods, and on the way out the door Michael spotted Jake Gyllenhaal. This is Michael’s 2nd celebrity sighting here in London (the 1st being Russell Brand). I think he has either been reading a lot of OK! magazine, or he is just a teenage girl at heart…

Lucky Mike!

Anonymous said...

Still can't get anywhere with UV's links. Weird. Anyway, googling Reese + vogue brings up plenty. In particular I love the shot with long black/white dress. So glamorous.

Anonymous said...

What a great sighting of Reese, thanks anon! Yeah, it looks like she has her hand on his tush!

I see Jake found a Wholes food in London, thanks for the link UV!

I knew that picture last week was old, and yes a lot of lingerie shopping for Reese and so many versions of her shopping for it in London, LOL!!

I was having problems with the link too, but I googled like narcissa, the necklace is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Being short has it's compensations!

Monica said...

Reese in Brentwood

:)

Anonymous said...

Love both sightings, thanks!!!!

Reese looks really great and happy in the fan pic and the pictures monica linked to (thanks monica).

So twice in one month X17 has posted old pics of Reese placing her in L.A., even Us picked it up from that site. And as we can see the pics of her from last week were old, what's up with that?

Well my theory is: maybe someone wanted to make it LOOK like Reese was in L.A. and she was really somewhere else? Like maybe some who would think that it would not look good to some people if she took off to see her BF in London or wherever everytime she got a chance therefore "leaving" her kids to go. You know hot pants Reese can't stay away from hot BF for 2 minutes!!!!

Now mind you that's not my thinking, if I was her I would do the same! But I could see some of her handler's being a bit anxious over that so maybe pics are put out there as a favor to her and the sites don't bother asking when or where they came from.

Even though the news has been filled with the lingerie story, that was supposed to have happened on 10/10, the week she was there (the week of 10/7).

My other theory is: she flies over to see him every other weekend which would include this weekend, she had more time the first weekend of the month so she spent the whole week there, off last weekend and back this past weekend.

Now this is just speculation on my part and she could have been right there in L.A. or in Thailand for all we know but I just think it's odd that someone thatis papped pretty often as she is that sites would have to post old pics to post.

Ok, you can flame away now!

PS: Speaking of speculation, I see she is still wearing that gold band on her left middle finger....

UltraViolet said...

New post.