Jake Gyllenhaal made his second official visit to SXSW, headlining a Q&A and attending the American premiere of Demolition. Both the conversation and the film seemed enthusiastically received.
Conversation first:
Then more chatting: Jake and Jean-Marc Vallee did an interview with Nerdist and Nick Kroll at local Austin restaurant Banger's Sausage House:
Then the big event: premiere and Q&A:
Famed movie maven and Gyllenhaalic Alicia Malone did get to interview Jake on the Demolition red carpet, and you can watch it here.
Some other videos from the day:
Psychologist: You play unbalanced well
Jake talks Donnie Darko
Just after Banger's convo
Red carpet video
Post-movie Q&A (terrible camera angle for Jake but it has the full Q&A)
Jake talks to local Austin TV
Jake and JMV with ET Canada
First TV spot
Jake talking musicals and theater
Jake gets rowdy
Jake takes a lick
From Jake's stylist on Instagram:
nina.clareNo smoke. No mirrors. Just good hair and good tailoring. #jakegyllenhaal #Demolition #sxsw @tomford @nina.clare #classicninaandclare @therexagency
26 comments:
So Jake Gyllenhaal is not only handsome but also humble and funny. I hate him. #SXSW2016 #sxswfilm
I shook Jean-Marc Vallée's hand and got to ask Jake Gyllenhaal a question that he expounded on for a solid 5 minutes!
I just casually walked past Jake Gyllenhaal getting into his car here at the ACC...i'm fine
Was just in a room with Jake Gyllenhaal..it was like he materialized from my dreams, pierced me with his laser eyes and then, like that, he was gone..
very excited because I was able to see one of my favorite actors, Jake gyllenhaal today! I'm very tired from the flight this morning but it made my day a whole lot better being able to see his beautiful face up close
#JakeGyllenhaal has a really big head. #SXSW2016
Omgosh so I just spotted Jake Gyllenhaal earlier while driving through dt & my phone was dead... He was still handsome in case y'all we're wondering
Wow Jake Gyllenhaal is standing 20 feet from me but I can't act weird because I already told the guy next to me how excited I am
I just protected Jake Gyllenhall from screaming fans....you're welcome! #SXSW #VolunteerLife #KeepTheLineMoving #BestiesNow
Walking past the #sxsw screening of his new movie Demolition, bunch of women screaming at Jake Gyllenhal. Screaming.
So I was like 5 feet from Jake Gyllenhaal today. #LifeAlmostComplete
#SXSW2016 #Demolition let Jake Gyllenhaal take off in such a hilarious & heartfelt manner. A lovely surprise & can't wait for wide release!
I've never been a fan of Jean-Marc Vallee's work, but DEMOLITION really won me over. So is the power of Gyllenhaal. #SXSW
DEMOLITION is an offbeat look at grief, infused with heart & dark humor. Stumbles towards the end but Gyllenhaal impresses as ever
Just saw the movie "Demolition" starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Really, really good flick. Maybe the best movie I've seen in a couple years.
JAKE GYLLENHAAL JUST SAID HI TO ME WHAT IS LIFE
Demolition was such a powerful movie! Now for the Q&A with Jake Gyllenhaal! @USMSXSW
Absolutely loved 'Demolition' to pieces. Gyllenhaal is truly one of our best. Watts too, of course. That editing, my god. #SXSW
Highly recommend Demolition with Jake Gyllenhaal when it hits theaters. It's simultaneously hilarious and haunting in dealing with loss.
I did not catch it on camera but Jake Gyllenhaal interrupted his question and said "what's up" to me in front off all these people and cameras. Cool dude...
Omgosh so I just spotted Jake Gyllenhaal earlier while driving through dt & my phone was dead... He was still handsome in case y'all we're wondering
After tonight, I refuse to sit in any movie theatre where Jake Gyllenhaal isn't sitting 3 rows behind me #SXSW
@sxsw Just saw 'Demolition' with #JakeGyllenhaal. Give him the #Oscar now. #wow #classic
#sxsw2016 #premiere #DEMOLITION with the amazing #jakegyllenhaal great role and great film #SXSW #AUSTIN
#JakeGyllenhaal delivers another voracious performance in #DemolitionMovie. A drama that lands its laughs, but not always its tears. #sxsw
Day 3 in Austin: Saw designs for a hyperloop, self-driving shopping carts, Jake Gyllenhaal stepping on a nail and how to design great sh*t.
Finished my #sxsw doublefeature w/the US premiere of #Demolition w/ #JakeGyllenhaal. great script, great perfomances. #sotired #SoWorthIt
Impressive performance by Jake Gyllenhaal in #DemolitionMovie
Jean-Marc Vallee's latest film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who is numb and unable to process the death of his wife. Wow. This one is a likely contender for my top ten list of the year. This film hit every single one of my buttons.
"Demolition" was enjoyable to watch - sad and funny, great performance by Gyllenhaal. Too bad questions from the audience were so bad.
#Demolition is absolutely stellar and so completely moving. My favorite thing I've seen by far at #SXSW!
No one does weird and charming like Jake Gyllenhaal. #Demolition
Interesting tidbit from a reporter:
Catching up with #JeanMarc and #JakeGyllenhaal #Demolition - sounds like they are working together again...secret!
She posted a photo, as well.
And one more tweet:
I LOVED 'Demolition.' Witty writing. Twists&turns. Amazed by all involved-especially you, Jake Gyllenhaal #SXSW2016
^^^^^^^^
I love reading all of these! :))) Keep 'em coming!
Jake looks amazing! Thanks for the great new post, UV!
Thank you UV for the new post and the BBM anniversary post.
"Catching up with #JeanMarc and #JakeGyllenhaal #Demolition - sounds like they are working together again...secret!"
I hope Denis V isn't too jealous.
Thanks, Anon - glad you liked them.
BJ, I'm always so happy yo appreciate all the tweets and sightings. I had a whole bunch more to post and my browser crashed. I'll try to find some of them but my heart isn't in it, lol.
Saw Jake Gyllenhaal. Goodluck heterosexuality, nice knowing you.
Best movie so far is Demolition featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts...fantastic drama / comedy about dealing with grief.
In case you're having a bad day, here's Jake Gyllenhaal looking like a caramel coated éclair. (Shows SXSW photos)
SXSW Quick Review: Demolition continues Jake Gyllenhaal's run of exceptional performances in a wonderful character study of a man coping with his own grief through destruction. Very honest & refreshing.
Jean-Marc Vallee's latest film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who is numb and unable to process the death of his wife. Wow. This one is a likely contender for my top ten list of the year. This film hit every single one of my buttons.
Added a couple more videos to the post, including the full conversation at SXSW yesterday.
Some new reviews:
Tracking Board:
2.5 of 5
Screenwriter Bryan Sipe writes a notable script that has a foundation of an interesting character that has a borderline sociopathic man. It starts off fairly strong, but along the way it loses steam and then realizes that it needs a resolution so it cobbles one together that satisfies the characters more than the audience.
Gyllenhaal gets the job done as the aforementioned borderline sociopath. There’s a noble amount of quiet insanity in his Davis and he carries the movie well. It’s the perfect bookend to his “tortured-damaged-man-dealing-with-his-emotions-in-a-reckless-manner” trilogy (Nightcrawler being the first installment, Southpaw being the second).
Pop Theology:
Demolition might be one of the better films you’ll see this year. It’s got it all where it counts, an inspired script, smart direction, and a captivating lead performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. It’s as raw and emotionally authentic examination of grief and loss as I’ve seen in some time. It’s also a stinging commentary on the spiritual vacuity of much of our culture. ...
Spinoff Online:
SXSW Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Channels Palahniuk In Dark ‘Demolition’
“Demolition” is a strange beast. Its simple premise of an affluent investment banker struggling to cope in the wake of his wife’s death suggests it might be the kind of prestige pic that guns hard for Oscar gold. It does have a generous helping of Academy Award nominees, including director Jean-Marc Vallee (“Dallas Buyers Club”), Jake Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain”), Naomi Watts (“21 Grams”) and Oscar-winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”). However, as its title suggests, our hero finds salvation not through putting his life back together, but by methodically ripping it apart. Now that could be the stuff of a quirky Nancy Meyers comedy, where the wrecked widower finds a new love and a new lease on life to the jaunting tunes of Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill.” Instead, “Demolition” plays more like a lost Chuck Palahniuk adaptation, darkly comedic, dangerous, and edged with pain.
Perhaps “Demolition”s dark allure should come as no surprise. From “Zodiac” to “End of Watch,” “Nightcrawler” to “Southpaw,” Gyllenhaal has been building a fascinating filmography, cementing a reputation as one of the greatest actors of a generation. Here he sheds his roguish grins and easy charm to step into the work boots of Davis Mitchell, whose comfortable though cold upper class life is shattered when he survives a car wreck that kills his young wife. While her parents and his weep, Davis is puzzled to discover he feels nothing. ...
From Glasgow Film Festival
HOLLYWOOD has made audiences predisposed to films about grief and loss that manipulate viewers into shedding tears by eking out every last iota of emotion.
So when a film comes along that doesn't follow such tropes and goes in a completely different direction it makes for a refreshing change. ...
Gyllenhaal mixes humour and falling apart incredibly well. We believe his reaction to the tragedy because he fully commits to it. While some may feel frustrated at his lack of external emotional reaction, it's the inner turmoil that hits the mark. His letters to Karen becoming increasingly more honest and revealing.
A special mention also must go to Judah Lewis who plays Karen's son, Chris. With attitude, sass and a lovely scene in which he confides in Davis that he's struggling with his own inner turmoil, he reminded me of a young River Phoenix. He never overdoes it in his scenes yet still manages to catch the eye.
Don't go in to Demolition expecting a heartbreaking tearjerker, this is a study of grief that's as funny as it is poignant and ultimately becomes an incredibly uplifting experience.
Birth, Movies, Death:
Demolition is honest about grief: that it's unique to each of us, that it can be selfish and ugly, that it's at least as strong for those for whom our love is mixed with some measure of antipathy. Gyllenhaal is brilliant in this portrayal: the more Davis feels, the less he shows, and he alienates everyone from his old life with his unusual search for understanding. Cooper, who is Davis' boss as well as his father-in-law, feels especially betrayed by this new Davis, one who does not seem to feel the loss of Phil's daughter in the way that Phil thinks is fit. Watts is appealing as Karen, but the character is a bit of a cipher, a spinning top whose permanent state of alienation and loss matches Davis' circumstantial one. But her son Chris, played by Judah Lewis, is the only true counterpart for Davis, two men railing at a world in which they feel entirely singular, taking apart everything that rings of false symmetry and uniform perfection, so that their surroundings match the way they feel inside.
Demolition is a beautiful film, plain-spoken even in its metaphors, and it feels fundamentally true in a way that most films cannot. It's also surprisingly hilarious for a story about loss. Davis operates in a way that is unexpected and jarring, and his interactions are threaded with a funny absurdity. That's another way that Demolition is honest, because sometimes grief is funny in its illogicality, and sometimes it's beautiful, and sometimes it's dreadful. It's messy, and so is Demolition, but it's a lovely mess that I can't wait to revisit.
The Demolition review from the psychologist who praised Jake's "crazy" acting.
I'm not a snob about it, not at all, but I'm happy to see Jake work with people like Rachel McAdams, Naomi Watts, or Amy Adams. And he & Rene Russo were brilliant together. I'm not saying that to disparage any of the other actors he's worked with, but these women get a lot of respect and they're strong casting choices.
Great feedback for Demolition! Thanks UV!
I'm so, so, SO tempted to read the script now... ;) One month to go here til the premiere!
Anne Hathaway, Bobbyanna? Although I have to say I thought Jake had the best chemistry with her during promo for LAOD (off screen), rather than onscreen.
I am curious to see what the chemistry with Amy Adams will be like. I can't picture them together, for some reason.
This is a great take on Jake at SXSW, despite the fact that the writer hated Demolition. Some great lines in here:
How Jake Gyllenhaal won SXSW with nothing but his weirdo charm
If the movie had been screened without Gyllenhaal present, I'm not sure people would have been as thrilled. But JG was far and away the biggest star who dropped in on the film festival, setting himself up for an easy win with the audience. He sidled on stage uninvited during Vallée's insanely long-winded introduction of the film. To huge applause. Gyllenhaal didn't look like a vain movie star hogging someone else's spotlight, he looked more like a roguish teen, swooping in to charm his buddy out of hot water (Vallée had just recited a Roman Polansky (sic) quote for some reason).
He jogged off with a wave as the lights dimmed. The emotional buzz in the room collapsed as we realized it could be two hours before he talked to us again. Fortunately for everyone involved, Demolition has copious amounts of JG voiceover. ...
At the end of the day it's appealing to have a weirdo as one of our best working actors, even if he occasionally picks a lame vehicle for himself —€” like Demolition.
I am not one to think it's cute when attractive men use grins and impeccable suit cuts to breeze past warranted criticism. But Jake Gyllenhaal did it and who even cares? SXSW ate it up with a spoon. After the screening I bought a bag of peanut M&Ms for dinner, like the ones his character tortured himself over in the film, just to feel close to him. It was so dumb I didn't even Snapchat it!
I kind of believe Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most fascinating people alive. Also that he's the best actor of his generation. I guess that's why we all clapped so hard.
Twitter:
@andrewlgoble @ringer @samschube Speaking of lean mass. Heard Jake Gyllenhaal was at NY SoulCycle this AM. How's that for culture, Sam?!
8/10 for Demolition from Coming Soon:
It’s not a particularly original observation that people present one front to the world and another to their private lives with our true selves lying somewhere in between. How true that is varies from individual to individual, but the real value of it where art is concerned is that feels true, whether it actually is or not. It certainly feels true to Davis Mitchell (Gylenhaal), who appears to have everything a person could want – a high paying job, a beautiful and thoughtful wife (Lind), all the physical conveniences a person could want – while slowly becoming more and more detached from all of those things. The fact that this is a starting point many, many, many storytellers have used before isn’t necessarily a drawback provided the current singer can make a real song out of it. Thankfully, Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition has a keen eye for character and comedy amid all the existential rubble it shifts, offering up an entertaining if shallow meditation on grief and realization.
From the Daily Cardinal, the newspaper for the University of Wisconsin, Madison:
Following this, I sat in on “A conversation With Jake Gyllenhaal," to promote his movie "Demolition." To hear the actor speak in person was kind of surreal. He was funny and charming—as expected—but there was complete passion in his voice as he discussed his character Davis, a man struggling with apathy following the sudden death of his wife. Gyllenhaal spoke about the various personalities he has had to take on over the years for films like "Donnie Darko," "Southpaw" and "Night Crawler." For him, the characters, as well as the narrative, can be true "spectacles" of a film.
The talk was incredibly engaging, which was helpful to keep in mind when "Demolition" premiered in Paramount later that night. Gyllenhaal gave what I considered to be an Oscar-worthy performance. As Davis, he carries the film, and through that journey, we see him cope with his apathy by literally taking a sledgehammer to the walls of his home in order to try and symbolically feel something.
Looks like Jake, Namoi Watts, Judah Lewis and Brian Sipe (Demolition writer) will be doing AOL Buildon 3/22.
Added a photo and a couple more videos to the post.
Some tweets/posts:
Bless Jake Gyllenhaal for putting up with some ridiculous questions during Q&As he is just as great as I imagined. Also DEMOLITION was great
#Demolition. Very poignant film. See it if you get the chance.
Thanks UV for all the great SXSW coverage. Loved the Q&A with Jake, probably one of my favourites after DIFF of course - nothing beats watching a live interview! Jake seemed very relaxed, comfortable, deeply impassioned and charming as usual. Looking great too! Can't wait to see Demolition but very tempted to read the script since there's no release date for Dubai yet.
- malavika
I heard complaints from other online sites of Naomi Watts being a miscast in the movie. She has no chemistry with Jake. I'm not surprised about the complaints. They look odd together. She looks like she would be a sister who is 10 years older than him,
Yes, Anne Hathaway, too, Blue Jean!
Lainey was singing Jake's praises, yesterday, too, but of course she had to leaven her comments with something negative about Demolition. And I disagreed with her whole premise, of comparing Jake to Leo. Lainey is not a Leo fan & I am. : )
Love Jake's Q & A's!
Thanks for all the new videos / pics / everything else, UV.
I'm so curious about the 'Demolition' ending - most of all to see what happens between Jake and Naomi Watts. I've read she's "underused" in the movie, which could mean there's no love affair between Davis and Naomi's character... what's her name again? You've seen 'Demolition', UV. Does it have a satisfying ending? Will Davis be happy? So far, I've managed to resist the script - don't know how much longer... ;)
Somehow, I also have doubts about Jake and Amy Adams together. The photos so far didn't look too special.
I can spoil things for folks if they want to know. Naomi Watts is underused - you wonder if the script called for her to do more but they cut it or what. But she does have some good scenes.
I liked the chemistry between Jake and Naomi, btw. Liked his chemistry with Anne in L&OD. Loved him with Rene Russo.
Malavika, nothing beats the in person Q&A :) I never found a video of the full Dubai conversation, I don't think. I can't remember watching it all the way through.
Looks like ht eDemolition promotion will come next week, which is sort of a shame. I don't think it's effective so far removed from the release day. BTW, I have zero evidence to back that up!
Jake will be on Jimmy Fallow and Kelly & Michael. Hope there will be some others. Stronger seems to be scheduled to begin filming the week the movie is released, so that could make scheduling difficult.
I don't think Jake will have a lot of scenes with Adams. According to the book, most of her scenes will be with Armie Hammer. Jake's scenes are mostly with Michael Shannon.
As for chemistry in the movies, some of you are judging too harshly on the actors. The characters need to be well written in the scripts. Rene Russo was great with Jake together because Nightcrawler was a fantastic script with an amazing director. Naomi Watts's role wasn't a good one in the script. It's not her fault if some people think she had no chemistry with Jake.
How do you even judge Adams and Jake's chemistry just by looking at the pictures? They look good together by the way.
It's silly to argue about chemistry. People get to judge it for themselves. Good chemistry can overcome bad writing and bad chemistry can undermine it.
I liked the Demolition chemistry. I like Naomi Watts. Everyone will be able to see for themselves soon.
Jake looks at rugs:
The Line cofounder Vanessa Traina flitted in on her way to a dinner uptown while Lily Kwong came by to congratulate Ashe with a hug before she made her way to dinner in Soho. Ashe’s sister Alexi, at the tail end of her pregnancy, was joined by husband Seth Meyers who rushed downtown from 30 Rockefeller Plaza after filming his show. Naomi Watts, whose Tribeca apartment Ashe and Leandro recently renovated featuring a stair runner inspired by the collection, arrived with stylist Jeanann Williams. And Jake Gyllenhaal, part of the Martha’s Vineyard mafia, where Ariel and Alexi grew up spending summers, came by to peruse the rugs. “They’re named after constellations,” explained Ashe of the various pieces, “because the Saharan people are obsessed with stargazing because the sky is so bright there.” As Gyllenhaal made his way around the room women in attendance seemed interested in a different type of stargazing.
LOL, the Martha's Vineyard Mafia.
Some Demolition b-roll.
Love reading all the Demolition reviews, thanks for posting them UV!SXSW is a great venue for promotion and to network for Jake as well.
From an interview with Michael Shannon... Interviewer: I'm particularly intrigued by Tom Ford's sophomore film, "Nocturnal Animals."
Shannon: That's an amazing script. It's going to be a trippy movie, really unique — because it goes back and forth between two completely diametrically opposed worlds. It's a real head trip, half of it set in the LA art world and the other half is this grimy crime story in Texas. I'm just in the Texas part, playing a detective trying to help Jake Gyllenhaal's character solve a crime. RH
^^^^^^^^
That sounds good! :) Trippy, unique, a head trip, back and forth between two worlds... that's 'Enemy'! ;) ;) Looking forward to it. Jake's so marvellous at "trippy"!
Working on a separate Demolition post, but the movie received an audience award at SXSW! I really hope general audiences will find and enjoy the movie, too.
Oh wow, good to hear UV. Thank you. I know I keep harping on it but Jake's hair deserves its own award.
LOL - his hair needs a publicist!
New post.
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