As Brothers hits the DVD shelves in the U.S., it has recently opened in Australia. And that has given us another intriguing Jake Gyllenhaal interview, this time from
Alive Sydney. The first answer can be interpreted in many ways, but one can't help but think of January 22, 2008, among other things, when reading it.
Having interviewed you several times over the years, you seem more at ease with yourself nowadays?
Yes, I do feel that. I think that’s part of growing up. A lot of things happened in my life while I was making this movie, and it made me think that we never know what’s going to happen in the future. All we have is right now, so what do you have to lose but to go for it?
You spent your first day of shooting in a jail?
Yes. People are most open and most vulnerable when they feel it is safe, and it is hard to feel that way in a jail, that’s for sure. It was weird to start the first day of a movie in a jail.
That must have been tough?
It was. I went to LA County Jail and then I went to a couple of juvenile halls which was life changing. 
How so?
I think we tend to generalise and to just look at anybody who is in jail a certain way. We don’t look at the story of each person who is in there which is what I think is frustrating. It’s the same as people saying, ‘Is this movie a war story? Is this a story about war?’ I feel you tend to generalise each individual story, what the story is. If someone is a soldier and they are at war, does that mean they are just a soldier at war? Or do they have their own story? And has that story become a war story because they are a soldier? People are coloured by things and that type of prejudice because it’s not what the story about. But in this movie, as in every movie, I found myself learning a different lesson and the biggest lesson I learnt from this movie was from my experience with these boys in juvenile hall.Working in the same field as your sister (Maggie) do you feel pressure to compete with her?
No, I think we have a lot of other complications, but I don’t think that’s one of them.
Like what?
The idea of competition, particularly in a creative atmosphere, is always present and if you don’t acknowledge that then you are doing yourself and the process a disservice. What made it so much fun working with Tobey for example, is that he’s my contemporary, and what’s great is the acknowledgement of admiration, the acknowledgement of competition, the acknowledgement of the complications. As regards my sister, if you are really with someone from the beginning of your life, like I have been with Maggie, she had a couple of years on the earth before me but I’ve been with her since the beginning of my life. This would take so long to explain. Sorry, I’ve gone off on a tangent. Can you ask me the next time you interview meOK, I’ll hold you to that. In this movie Tobey again will be seen as a great actor. A lot of people just remember him as Spiderman – do you think people will be surprised? 
Yes. It’s like when I worked with Heath Ledger. When we started working together I think people were blown away by his performance in the movie (Brokeback Mountain). I don’t think people expected that from him. At least that’s what I heard that from the journalists and people who saw that movie. It is wonderful to see someone who everybody talks about. It is wonderful to hear. It is wonderful to have either fooled the people as he has done or to have been honest in the way that he has been that they go, wow!. Are you spiritual – for instance do you meditate?
Yeah, of course, I do lots of things. Yeah, I do.
What does meditation give to you? What does it give me?
Sometimes it gives me gas, sometimes it creates a sense of ... God. We’re getting really serious now. Sometimes I think that. ... one can’t separate the world from one’s self, and it kind of brings you back to, this is me and that’s what’s happening in the world, and what’s the difference? Is it me that’s doing it, or is it just what’s happening? It just gives perspective. Actors always say they love each other when they’re talking about a film they’re promoting, but the three of you actually do seem to like each other. 
I was honoured that Tobey wanted to do the movie, because I know he’s very picky. And he’s had so many opportunities to choose to do movies and he picked this one. So, from the beginning I felt kind of honoured that he wanted to do it. I don’t believe and I could be wrong, that there are filmmakers who are so extraordinary, that they can make something charismatic, or they can make something moving, when two people don’t like each other at all, or have no connection. I do think that’s possible, and there are those famous stories about all those things that people love, but in this case there was real camaraderie between us. Tobey and I would work out together, we played basketball together, I tore both ligaments in my leg and my ankle because of it ... and I don’t think either of us ever pretended like there wasn’t great admiration and great competition. And I think that made for the experience. You seem to have a natural style about the way you work – what kind of role do you think you wouldn’t be able to pull off?
Well, I definitely couldn’t play Denzel Washington’s part in Glory. That would probably not work out so well. But it would be interesting in some strange way.No, Jake, I don't think you could pull that one off!
Thanks to an anonymous poster for pointing out these
IMDb user review raves for Love and Other Drugs. A sampling:
It was much much better than I expected going it. I was expecting something good from Ed Zwick and Anne Hathaway but Jake Gyllenhal really tore it up. ...
This is absolutely, hands down the best role Jake Gyllenhal has ever played. ... he is so comfortable as the smooth talking, answer for everything, sex seeking Jamie it really shocked me. I actually have faith he will be good in Prince of Persia after seeing his range in this. He is the cocky part of Thank You For Smoking, with better and more prolific dialogue, but the heartwarming lead of 500 Days of Summer, but with even more redeeming qualities. ... 
The film, which is like 'Up in the Air' with more humour or '(500) Days of Summer' with less quirk, is fantastically acted by the leads and supporting ensemble of familiar faces. The writing is phenomenal with some of the freshest dialogue and wittiest banter I've seen since Howard Hawks's 'His Girl Friday.' The story is also very topical, especially in the days of the fight for healthcare reform. Director Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond) puts forth one of the best films of his career alongside a list of solid past work, creating some of the most heart-wrenchingly sad and gut-wrenchingly funny cinematic moments in years. The film is also full of some of the hottest and funniest sex scenes I've seen in a long time, so the movie's humour isn't all guys will want in this romantic-comedy. Overall, 'Love and Other Drugs' is a great variation to the 2010 romantic comedies thus far, giving something worthwhile outside of the typical 'The Bounty Hounter'-type rom-coms.Normally, I'd be suspicious of such glowing reviews, but all of the reviewers have at least one other review, and one has many other reviews. So let's hope this isn't studio hype but genuine enthusiasm.
(Screen caps courtesy of
IHJ.)
