Tuesday was Jon's last presidential interview, last night was his last DREAMBOAT interview.
Taking a break from posting all the professional pics - let's look at some of the snaps posted on Instagram during Southpaw promotion. Because anything can happen and you never know whom you'll run into in the studio or on the street. There might be some repeats and some non-instal pics. Just trying to show some fun stuff.
We'll also put the talk show videos and new interviews at the end of the post.
At the Howard Stern show and on the way to the show:
Talk shows:
Daily Show:
Howard Stern - F/Marry/Kill:
CBS This Morning:
Kelly and Michael:
Fallon Slapjack:
Fallon Fork:
Fallon Gad1:
Fallon Gad2:
Fallon at the commercial break:
Full show link.
Interviews
NPR Fresh Air:
DP/30 excerpt:
CBC:
USA Today: Interview with Jake and Oona.
Scene Creek:
Filmology:
NME:
The Guardian:
Independent - Razor Burn:
XFM Radio:
NY premiere interview:
How the boxers prepped
KTLA, the channel used in Nightcrawler:
CTV Vancouver:
Radio Times:
BET (on Brokeback anniversary and gay marriage).
61 comments:
Nice to see Southpaw at 50% on RT, even though it's really 11 positive v. 12 negative. But the SF Chronicle critic liked it:
Mick LaSalle
Every so often it happens, and usually it's unexpected: a great movie. #southpaw
Time to call it a night!
Sorry for closing out the last post as folks were chatting. Feel free to repeat here.
And Jake on Fresh Air tomorrow. NPR getting all tumblr-y.
Is there also the link from SiriusX interview please?
Just to add to Fuqua, I'd be so curious if he misses the premiere of M7 because of shooting MWMIS. Premiere should be the most important day, it's like painter wouldn't attend his own exhibition. I missed something probably, but was there at least HW? SV
Have a good night UV!
Some critics need to relax and watch Southpaw for what it is, a summer drama. It's exhausting to look at every single movie like an Oscar contender. I'm glad Jake is getting great reviews tho.
This is awesome, a lou bloom doll. I need one!!
Yeah. Hi! I'd like to know a name, Anon - if you don't mind. A fellow Dutchie! Yaaaaay! Welkom! :)
Haha no problem, I'm Kristie. Nice to meet you!
Good Luck to Jake and his movie for the coming weeks not just opening weekend.
That picture you posted of Jake greeting Anna Wintour... LOLOLOL!
Good heavens, UV! How do you keep up? Incredible.
Thanks as always x
Jake is on Howard Stern this morning.
This Howard Stern interview is pretty great. Jake is talking about Nocturnal Animals, he's keeping the beard for the movie and said he will play two characters. I have the book but I haven't read it yet. Sounds very interesting. He only named Amy Adams as his co-star so far.
I don't blame Anna, that beard with the slick hair is too much. I want Jake to talk about other new project beside Nocturnal Animals, more, more and more Jake is always a good thing. He might be tired though.
Will he play her ex-husband too?
Tony is a college professor, has a wife and a teenage daughter.
I also have not started reading the book.
Haha no problem, I'm Kristie. Nice to meet you!
Hi Kristie! Nice to meet you too! x
Jake is talking about Nocturnal Animals, he's keeping the beard for the movie and said he will play two characters.
Two characters? And one of them is a college professor? Nah, that's 'Enemy'! ;)
I've read the 'Tony & Susan' book, but I can't remember whether one of the men was a college professor. Must read it again, I guess!
Jake looks good with the beard. As long as he grooms it, that is. But I'd also like to see him clean-shaven for a change - we deserve it by now! ;)
But I'd also like to see him clean-shaven for a change - we deserve it by now!
I thought Tom Ford would do it for us.
Howard also asked him about Box Office numbers, critical response and awards. Jake answered his questions really well I thought. He said that he doesn't read reviews, except that he did read them for when he was on Broadway recently. It's a great interview, worth a listen.
"Can you spell Gyllenhaal?" :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQbzIbNxksI
Is there a link to the Howard Stern interview? I can't seem to find it.
Howard Stern's show is on satellite only. His fans usually upload the show to YouTube within hours however.
Oh, okay - thanks, Mitzi! Will keep an eye on it.
Very angry with Tom Ford right now. We have months of this look to go.
Seems like it was a good interview. Lots of twitter love.
Stern tweets:
I loved hearing Jake Gyllenhaal on the @sternshow this morning. He's adorable! I was smiling just thinking of @rqui in the same room as him.
Jake Gyllenhaal talking about his bar mitzvah on @sternshow has made my day worth living.
#Jake Gyllenhaal incredible on #Howard Stern. Very down to earth positive soul. What a bromance!
@sternshow always been a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal's movies, now I'm a fan of the guy too. Great interview as always!
Just listened to Jake Gyllenhaal on Howard Stern and I AM IN LOVE HE IS SO CUTE Jesus I need to stop listening to interviews
That was one awesome interview!! West Coast get ready, Jake Gyllenhaal brought it. Good job Howard!!!
@sternshow always been a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal's movies, now I'm a fan of the guy too. Great interview as always!
@sternshow Great interview with Gyllenhaal. One of the most consistent actors out there. #GyllenhaalonHoward @SouthpawMovie
@HowardStern the Jake Gyllenhaal interview just ended, but it seemed like he wanted to stay longer! Great interview
@sternshow Better than Inside the Actors Studio, crushed it with Jake Gyllenhaal! #SouthpawMovie #homerun
Jake Gyllenhaal is a low talker and his mic level is low, so all I hear is Howard talking and Robin laughing. @sternshow
Yet again, @sternshow has given me new respect for someone I didn't think much of before. Jake Gyllenhaal was awesome this morning.
What sequel does Jake want?
Michelle Monaghan talks about her co-stars.
I thought I'd add only talk show videos to this post and keep the interviews in the old one, but it's too confusing. Added a few fun ones, especially the XFM Radio one. It's pretty funny.
Positive review but with criticism from FilmStage.
Fresh Air must have aired:
@nprfreshair thanks for bringing Jake Gyllenhaal on air. Hes a multi-faceted gem and have always loved his films!
Jake's producing Snow Man; also he talks about the Mystery Show:
Speaking of actors' physical appearances, there was recently a strange fascination with your height. There's a whole podcast episode about it. How do you feel about that, and what made you decide to participate in "The Mystery Show"?
Well, I’m a huge fan of "This American Life," and Starlee was so sweet and funny in asking me to do the show. I think it’s a new generation of philosophical thought, in a way, and I love the idea of mysteries being different things -- as absurd as they can be, in the case of this show that she did on how tall I am -- and how a sort of seemingly meaningless question can be filled with self-reflective questions. I love that.
I think that ultimately how tall I am and me being a part of it is a bit of a prop for a much more interesting, much deeper conversation, which is what I loved. And she’s just great. Her show is great and she’s so smart, and I think anytime anyone having anything to do with “This American Life" contacts me or I hear about it, I will be involved. It’s been one of my favorite shows for so many years, and Starlee, I think, is just brilliant. But in terms of perception, I think that is what’s fascinating about the show: how we perceive ourselves, how we perceive others, how people also just need to know fact and whether it’s actually truly fact and whether it really matters how tall you are on the screen and how people perceive you in your personality in the workplace -- or in my job, if you see what I do on a big screen, how tall you think somebody is. And how tall do you want them to be? Ultimately I think it has much more to do with us than with the people we are seeing, and that’s what I think is kind of interesting about that show.
Bobbyanna, the Anna Wintour pics kill me. I wish I could se sit in motion.
This is Jake's music industry friend, the one he takes about on Kimmel once:
Bryan Ling @blablablabling 2h2 hours ago
Dream come true getting to go to @sternshow with #jakegyllenhaal #southpaw robertabooey @marabuxbaum https://instagram.com/p/5cSTERhtza/
Some other tweets:
Really enjoying the #JakeGyllenhaal interview on @sternshow @HowardStern @rqui lies though. She knows she'd fuck Jake on the 1st date.
"I can't think of a worse nightmare." ~ @HowardStern to #JakeGyllenhaal on having his bar mitzvah at a homeless shelter #H100
LOL.
BTW, the tweets are still overwhelmingly positive, with definite naysayers/critics in there. And all the youtube reviews I've seen (only a few) also were favorable.
Jake on NPR. Added that, plus lots of videos and photos to the post. Keep checking it through the day :)
Wow - this Grantland piece is cool. I can't dwell on it too long, but a lot of fun stuff there. That guy really does love Jake, lol.
Stellar interview with Jake Gyllenhaal. You always ask actors the questions I want to ask! @sternshow
such a great interview with jake gylllllnnnhllll. Such awesome fluid exchange
@sternshow @SouthpawMovie He looks like a sexy wolf. lol
@sternshow Killed it today, even more a fan of @JakeGyllenhal after this interview. Just a normal guy, loving life and doing his craft.
#SouthPaw is a story we've seen told 100 times, but I really liked how they told it. Check out our full review on next week's @FilmSchlubs
Southpaw Sessions teaser with Eminem.
Found a first version of the Howard Stern interview on youtube, it's two parts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcecBnDSDnY
It's not the best best quality but it's something! Still hoping I can find the SiriusXM interview soon! It is supposed to be really cute and fun.
Thanks, Kristie! Something is better than nothing. And welcome - apologies for not welcoming you sooner. I really hope we get the Sirius interview, too.
For all the BBM and Heath fans out there, you will really want to listen to the NPR interview. Terry Gross asks Jake about Heath and he talks about it quite movingly. Made me tear up.
IHJ has already full interview with that co-star from LAOD.
http://videos.iheartjake.com/?p=1996
SV
Oh sorry, I was mistaken it is different interview. SV
"For all the BBM and Heath fans out there..."
Well, that's me :) Listening now.
When she started playing that BBM clip on NPR I totally lost it. So hard to listen to it, and yet once again we can appreciate how well matched they were as actors, and how perfect they both were in that scene. I admit I did get annoyed at her following that with a question about the music. I mean.
UV, the very last French interview is on autoplay for me.
I quite like this review:
""Southpaw" could've been a contender ... if there were more of an original and worthwhile story to back up some great performances.
It has the over-the-top brutality of "Raging Bull," without matching Martin Scorsese's artistry. It has the heart-tugging qualities of "The Champ," only with more predictability. It has a would-be hero we can rally around, a la Rocky Balboa, except star Jake Gyllenhaal's character is not terribly likable during the movie's first half.
Still, the intense, raw acting skills of Gyllenhaal and strong performances from Forest Whitaker and young actress Oona Laurence save "Southpaw" from getting lost in its cliches. Director Antoine Fuqua gets the most from his talented cast, which is fortunate, because the violence and despair in the film's first hour or so make "Southpaw" an often unpleasant ride. But all the hardship does help bring us to the film's powerful, if predictable, ending."
http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_28522500/review-southpaw-saved-from-tko-by-oscar-worthy
SV
Vanity Fair goes behind the scenes of Southpaw.
The SF Chronicle rave.
Jake is okay with his Oscar snub.
More tweets:
When you sit in the Kroger parking lot for 15 mins cuz jake gyllenhaal is on NPR and he's brilliant
Listening to Jake Gyllenhaal on Howard Stern is the best thing I did today, possibly ever.
Why does Jake Gyllenhaal sound so different on @NPR Fresh Air then with @HowardStern on @sternshow today? #2sidesof #JakeGyllenhaal #awesome
Hearing Terry Gross tell Jake Gyllenhaal that he has a nice body is truly the best.
I think everyone, myself included, has a bit of a crush on Jake Gyllenhaal after hearing his great interview on @HowardStern today.
This review is not very flattering for movie, but for Jake it is, even if I have feeling the guy used some "The Wrap" or "Variety" words:
"Whitaker is strong as an unflinching trainer with tight control over his students and a no-BS wit. But Gyllenhaal continues to be the standout, pulling a complete 180 from his skinny shell of a person in Nightcrawler. The initial hype for Southpaw was that Gyllenhaal simply looked jacked, and the thrill of seeing him that way never lessens. But he does manage subtlety the rest of the movie doesn’t have. When he speaks, he fumbles for words and sheepishly bobs and weaves, showing how dependent he is on others. Hope is full of anger and rage, but Gyllenhaal never chews the scenery. Even if it’s not for Southpaw, someone should give this guy an Oscar. It’ll go great with his championship belt."
http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/07/film-review-southpaw/
SV
You know, all the comments by critics about how cliche'd and predictable the plot is are very annoying. There's a familiarity to all these boxing movies. Go back to John Garfield in Body & Soul, or William Holden in Golden Boy, or Wallace Beery in The Champ. Seriously. Underdog overcomes obstacles, triumphs over adversity. Oh, and some of the people connected to the sport are sleazy.
Not one single boxing movie is any different in that respect from another, and I have seen a lot of boxing movies. What makes all of them interesting to varying degrees, are the characters, the world that they inhabit, and the way they play the cards their dealt. Sometimes I think critics need to get schooled. It's as if they know nothing.
(OK. I'm done ranting)
Oops. "they're" not "their."
Boxing movies are popular, IMO, because we root for the underdog, and we identify with him and we know his backstory so we don't want him to fail.
Bobbyanna I agree at the point, that there is cliché and cliché movie. It's like boxing movie could be cliché because path is the target, it's not the same like predictable thriller, because it is disappointing. What I mind a bit is, that reviews would be completely different, if he dies at the end and otherwise don't change any other thing in the movie. Sometimes reviewers forget entertainment part of the movie. But on the other hand I cannot dismiss that critics like not just nuance acting, but also nuance plot. That's the way it is. Maybe they really shouldn't reveal that tragedy in the trailer and that surprising moment and impression would work for viewers differently. SV
And one more review from Vanity Fair:
"There’s not much nuance to Billy as a character—he’s mostly sorta happy, then sad, then mad, then sorta happy again—but Gyllenhaal creates something complex and arresting anyway. Not just because of his jacked, tattoo-covered, troubled-bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold bod, mind you. (Though, damn.) Gyllenhaal has always been good at calibrating the way his characters move through the world—here Billy is like a shelter dog, swallowed up and reserved much of the time, until he’s cornered and lashes out. Billy feels cornered a lot (he’s a boxer, after all), and sometimes the script makes him seem like nothing more than a big baby with annoying, wildly destructive anger issues. And maybe he is. But Gyllenhaal doesn’t pass judgment, he just intuitively finds Billy’s gait and bearing and lets it take him where it will. Gyllenhaal gives what could be a fairly one-note character that storied boxer’s grace, the whole butterfly/bee thing you always hear about."
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/07/southpaw-jake-gyllenhaal-review
SV
love the Josh Gad videos with Jake, Josh really was not into Jimmy. He was all about Jake, LOL> I know the feeling. Although his crack about LAOD didn't go over well, wish I secretly loved. That movie did well overall, nearly 100 mill worldwide and is liked by a lot of people.
There's a lot to like about LAOD.
I love L&OD. I would love to hear Jake's real thoughts on it. But I'm glad Jake and Josh seem to like each other.
Great to read more positive reviews. IT was at 50% again on RT.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much will listening to @HowardStern & Robin Quivers interview Jake Gyllenhaal.
another great Stern Show interview. I liked Jake Gyllenhaal before, interview confirmed it.
Amazing interview from @HowardStern with jake gylenhall this morning. #TheKing
The series of texts @kaylanwhitaker and I exchanged when she spotted Jake Gyllenhaal at brunch today truly belong in the Smithsonian.
Added a video of Jake and Jimmy Fallon at the commercial break.
Another positive review:
The fight scenes are well staged, bloody, and brutal. Jake Gyllenhaal gushes blood as his face is pounded like dough. The make-up is gruesome, maximized for effect by slow motion and close-ups. Jake Gyllenhaal is a snarling, feral creature in the ring. His astonishing physique glistening with blood and sweat. Southpaw's boxing scenes are all about intensity. There's nothing poetic or melodramatic here. If all you wanted to see in this film were good fights, you would be more than satisfied.
It would have been nice to have a more complex story. Southpaw plays to convention, but that doesn't make the journey of Billy Hope less engaging. Jake Gyllenhaal props up Southpaw on his mighty shoulders. He gives you a character that totally resonates. The film would have been a dud in a lessor actor's hands. The academy snubbed him last year for Nightcrawler. That's a better film than Southpaw, but the performance here is equally as good. Voters take notice, you're seeing greatness.
That's another review that says the movie would have benefited, perhaps, from a longer running time.
Interesting Everest note:
Amy Kaufman @AmyKinLA 45m45 minutes ago
Today I told Jake Gyllenhaal that I saw "Everest" in 3D and he replied, "Oh, so you saw Beards in 3D?" HE READ MY MIND
@AmyKinLA That movie needs about 500 percent more Gyllenhaal. Even better: A prequel w/ just his character, boozing + having adventures.
Jake will be on Morning Joe tomorrow, with Oona. He also seems to be trending on google this evening, fwiw.
I'm gonna miss Jon Stewart SO much.
They have so much fun together.
That Jon Stewart interview wasn't nearly long enough. I could watch them together for an hour, Or longer, lol
What he talks about Heath is heartbreaking. I cried.
thanks, UV.
It was very poignant.
Re: The Daily Show: The segment was too short. But I'm so glad Jake got one last appearance.
Really cute interview with Jake and Oona. Best part is that Jake's hair isn't totally slicked back.
From an interview with Kurt Sutter:
For people who have not seen "Southpaw," they are probably very familiar with the idea that Hollywood loves movies about boxers. There have been a lot of great movies about boxers. For those people who are on the fence or on the ropes so to speak, about whether or not they are going to jump in the ring and see the movie — what is your pitch to them to go check it out?
I think that you go to a boxing movie with a certain amount of expectation. There are certain stereotypes you can't avoid because it's boxing, there are fights, there are winners, and there are losers. I think I would say that this movie has such incredible performances. I think Jake — this is some of the best work I've ever seen him do. As I said, he and Antoine had run away with this story and taken this character and this film to a place I had never imagined it could go. The depth that he brings to Billy Hope is really heartbreaking and beautiful.
I would say that it's worth it really just to go see Jake's performance. For the candy of it all, the fight sequences, Antoine just shot the hell out of them. They're brutal, they're exciting, and incredibly vivid. So it has got all the candy it's supposed to have, but I think — as I'd like to think some of my stuff does — it has got the brutality, but then underneath is something that will make you think and maybe break your heart a little bit.
Jake is talking about Nocturnal Animals, he's keeping the beard for the movie and said he will play two characters.
Based on the book I assumed that Jake and Amy would have no common scenes at all. I'm glad that he'll probably play her former husband, too. I guess Tom Ford wants a stronger connection between the frame story and the story within the story.
"Oh, so you saw Beards in 3D?"
It would have been so easy to stand out just by shaving. :sigh:
Q: Your fans were disappointed you didn’t get nominated for an Oscar for Nightcrawler. How did you feel and do you care about awards?
JG: (…) What makes [my job worthwhile] are the relationships I have when I make them, (…) and the reaction from an audience when they see a movie that works. To me, that’s everything. And so are my fans, so I don’t want to disappoint them, but I kind of like it when they’re a little upset.
Well, I was so disappointed that day that I got a horrible headache. I hope you are happy, Jake… ¬¬ LOL
BlueJean, I thought exactly the same about Nocturnal Animals lol!: a beard, a teacher, two characters… that's Enemy! I guess he will also play Amy's ex-husband… interesting. As for his looks, if I remember correctly Tony has a moustache… I definitely prefer the beard.
Awardswatch review, it's from Erik, he is a fan, but he sounds honest.
Wow, I never thought that I would like an interview that involved Howard Stern but that wee really fun!
Agree that the Stewart interview was way too short, I'm going to miss Jon :(
Glad to seeing that the reviews on RT are fresh as of now, getting ready to watch Jake on CBS this morning with Charlie Rose :)
Entertainment weekly's interview from Sirius XM Town Hall will premiere this Friday at 1 p.m. ET on EW Radio Sirius XM 105, and can be heard on-demand anytime on the Sirius XM site. Fingers crossed someone will record it and post it somewhere for non-subscribed people:)
"What he talks about Heath is heartbreaking. I cried."
Me too.
That Jake & Oona interview is cute! :)
What a joy it is to see / hear / read all of this. Thanks guys! x
I must say I'm so glad I haven't watched a proper boxing movie for quite some time now. All this talk about how predictable SP is... I'll probably watch it as if it's my first boxing movie ever :)
How many of you are going to see SP on its first day (or in its first weekend)? Can't wait to hear your reviews!
Now off to listen to the Howard Stern interview.
"BlueJean, I thought exactly the same about Nocturnal Animals lol!: a beard, a teacher, two characters… that's Enemy! I guess he will also play Amy's ex-husband… interesting. As for his looks, if I remember correctly Tony has a moustache… I definitely prefer the beard."
If NA's Tony looks anything like Enemy's Anthony, it's all good. Wait. They even have the same name :))) That's even better!
I'm starting to wonder whether there will be any spiders in 'Nocturnal Animals'... ;)
kurt sutter @sutterink
I hope you dig @SouthpawMovie.
Jake gives a career changing performance. Brought layers to Billy Hope that I never imagined.
Had a hard time waking up this morning, then my mom yelled "Jake Gyllenhaal" and I made it downstairs in five seconds flat. She's a genius.
What a great time to turn on the tv. Interview with jake Gyllenhaal next.
I'm pretty sure Jake Gyllenhaal has 17 abs in his new movie. Even his face is an ab. #Southpaw
Is it just me or was Terry Gross totally flirting with Jake Gyllenhaal on @nprfreshair yesterday?
If you want to see #Southpaw remember Rocky and imagine Adrian dies in the first 20 minutes. You just saw it.
Just a snippet I liked, from a so-so review:
Gyllenhaal is terrific as Billy. He’s found an inarticulateness here that has a personality of its own. It comes from a continuation of uncontrollable rage and equally uncontrollable shame. Terrific stuff – good enough for an Oscar if the film were better.
Piruleta, I was so happy that Erik/AW liked the movie!
Hagen, the beard makes sense for Everest. I can't fault him for that. But Nocturnal Animals... sigh.
Updated with the CBS This Morning interview, Kelly and Michael and the Daily Show, which posted this on their FB page:
Tuesday was Jon's last presidential interview, last night was his last DREAMBOAT interview.
Wow, UV there's some great stuff in this post! I really love the photo of Jake with Jon Stewart backstage last night. Oona and Jake are delightful, and OMG, Gayle King was SO flirting with Jake LOL! Looking forward to watching the whole DP/30 interview, too. So much to keep up with. Thank you : )
It's really hard to listen to Jake talk abut Heath. it's so obviously painful for him. It seems hard to believe that BBM came out 10 years ago. Hard to believe a lot of us have become/stayed friends over that period, too. But that's part of the gift of that remarkable movie.
Too much stuff, I know. I should start a new post but it's easier just to keep adding to this one.
A couple of tidbits from the Independent that I hadn't read before:
Jake Gyllenhaal slept for 14 hours straight when he wrapped Southpaw. Possibly the most gruelling role of an award-winning, shape-shifting film career, he underwent a punishing regimen to transform himself into a champion boxer.
"It was 5am in New York City when we wrapped," recalls Gyllenhaal, looking tired at the very memory of it. "We'd shot way into the night and I still had my prosthetics on. Usually they are carefully removed, but this time I literally ripped them off, like Arnold Schwarzenegger tearing his face off in Total Recall. I then went home and fell asleep for 14 hours, the first time I've done that since I was 16 years old." ...
But she was far more traumatised when Gyllenhaal later took a bloody punch for real on the set of Southpaw. "I was a little squeamish and it was brutal at times, but I had to put that aside because…his wife, Maureen, [has] seen this for 20 years and she is always in the front row, never averting her eyes.
"But when Jake got clocked once, all of us in the front row, 52 people, literally gasped. I don't know if was on camera or not, but we were so all so out of character in that moment."
What exactly happened when the leading man was out for the count? "He just shook it off and carried on like it was nothing," recalls the Canadian actress, seen most recently in the acclaimed HBO TV series True Detective. "The most incredible thing is that he had no stunt double. He did it all himself."
Tweets:
Worried about Jake Gyllenhaal. How many years are these transformations taking off his life? -Jake G's mom or my brain
I'm calling this day "Jake Gyllenhaal" because it's too hot for heavy facial hair and it will be spent in my bed.
Rotten Tomatoes trending downward again, though Top Critics still higher than the total.
From a very negative Washington Post review:
When “Southpaw” switches tracks from revenge narrative to redemption tale, Gyllenhaal doesn’t skip a beat. He even makes the de rigueur makeover montage — shots of him tossing around the ol’ medicine ball and hitting a truck tire with a sledgehammer — less banal and more convincing than it deserves to be. “Southpaw” may be rote, predictable and mawkish, but none of those faults lie in its star. Even when he looks like an unholy mess, he transcends the movie he’s in.
And from RogeEbert.com:
In the ring, he plays Hope as a force of nature, screaming into the camera, blood intermingling with spit that hits the lens. Outside of the ring, Gyllenhaal recognizes that men like Hope are often insecure, even shy when they’re talking about personal, emotional things. Look at how Gyllenhaal carries himself differently with the boys in his entourage, Jordan, his wife, and, eventually, his new trainer. In scenes of potential redemption, such as when he’s talking to Tick or Leila’s case worker (Naomie Harris), he lowers his gaze, almost like a child hoping to get the answer that he so desperately needs. Again, Gyllenhaal’s physicality says more about the character than anything in the film. Just as he did in “Prisoners” and “Nightcrawler,” Gyllenhaal makes daring, confident decisions. He has quietly turned into one of our most physically confident actors. And it’s nice to see his strong work here matched by an excellent turn from Whitaker as well. Sadly, too much of the rest of the ensemble (other than Laurence) feels like a plot device, especially Harris’ case worker.
Director Antoine Fuqua is no stranger to stories of the dangers of macho male aggression, and he proves to be a good fit with Sutter. His style is aggressive, often placing us in the middle of a fight, literally getting punched by an opponent. It can be a bit too frenetic and I do think there’s a stronger version of “Southpaw” that catches its breath a bit more often to find the character beats outside of the ring. There’s a brief moment when Billy tells Tick, “My wife would have liked you,” that’s the kind of human interaction that the film could have used more of in the end. I also think Sutter cuts a few corners in the second half, particularly with a troubled inner city youth that Tick and Billy try to help who could have been named Plot Device—that’s how thinly written and cheap his subplot feels.
There are more boxing movies than any other sport. Why is that, especially in an era when the real sport is declining in popularity? It’s because of the intrinsic relatability in fighting for something—getting in the ring and trying to defeat not just an opponent but personal demons. “Southpaw” enters the long filmography of boxing flicks, and puts up a surprisingly good fight.
From the National Post:
And while he was familiar with such pugilistic touchstones as Raging Bull and “all the Rockys,” Gyllenhaal says he found inspiration further afield, including Ken Loach’s 1998 drama My Name Is Joe, about a Glaswegian recovering alcoholic.
“I don’t go into a boxing movie thinking of other boxing movies,” he says. “I’m inspired by a million different things, a million different films. So the more I can actually move away and contradict the boxing movie genre, particularly in behaviour, the more successful it will be. Movies are only interesting when there are crosscurrents happening.” ...
Asked to name some directors with whom he’d like to work, Gyllenhaal lists the Coen brothers and Guillermo del Toro – not surprisingly, since he recently spent two weeks with them as part of the Cannes film festival jury. But he also mentions Spike Jonze and Pedro Almodóvar. “I know he’s not done an English-language film, but I would learn Spanish for that man.”
And despite an Oscar nomination for 2006’s Brokeback Mountain, and a Golden Globe nom last year for his astounding turn in Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal says he still has to fight for roles. On filling in for Eminem in Southpaw, he says: “I have been, as every actor is, the replacement for the original guy, in almost every film I’ve ever done.”
He adds: “Most of the work that I want to do, I have to convince people that I’m capable of doing it, and that’s where I want to be. I was literally just on the phone with a producer saying, ‘Well, if this guy doesn’t want to do it, I’d love to.’”
EW gives it a C+ grade. Not sure if that will be positive or negative. High praise for Jake, though:
By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about Jake Gyllenhaal’s astonishing physical transformation for his latest film, Southpaw. What you’ve probably heard less of is just how formulaic the movie swirling around his ripped abs and inked torso is. Film acting is a slippery art to discuss. When it’s done well, it involves nuance and the subtle sublimation of self—most of which is imperceptible and utterly mysterious. It’s why we mistake drastic weight fluctuations and Method stunts for a great performance. Gyllenhaal’s Southpaw performance is great, but for reasons unrelated to his physique. He’s thrilling to watch and the only unpredictable thing in a two-hours-plus movie where you can count on one hand the number of moments that aren’t hand-me-downs from better boxing films like Rocky, Raging Bull, and Fat City. ...
Yes, Southpaw is a redemption story, that hoariest of feel-good subgenres. But Gyllenhaal manages to give Billy a raw inner fire that’s more impressive than anything the actor’s achieved with his personal trainer. Coming off a string of dazzling, career-redefining roles in films like last year’s Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal turns Billy’s pain into an inarticulate rage. You get the sense that the ring is a place where he finds peace through oblivion.
Well I just found out that Southpaw is opening TONIGHT with two screenings
starting @ 7 P.M. So I will be there!
I'll probably see it once more this weekend, and then buy an extra ticket... for Jake ; )
What's the link to that Independent article, UV? (2:12)
Enjoy, Bobbyanna!
The link for Indie.. is here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/jake-gyllenhaal-in-southpaw-the-actor-transformed-himself-with-2000-pressups-a-day-10408643.html
C+ is average, that COS review above, posted yesterday gave C+ too, but movie wasn't reviewed positively, A+ is the best and it goes to F, F- doesn't exist, but A, B, C and D have minus and plus as well. I'll watch it tomorrow night. SV
Thanks for posting the link, SV. Just made a new post, because the SAG convo came out and there are a bunch of Stern and Sirius videos.
I know how grades work, I just don't know what RT considers rotten or fresh.
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