Monday, March 14, 2011

Yet More SXSW

Update - major spoiler warning. The first five minutes of Source Code:





Jake Gyllenhaal is apparently back in Los Angeles, but his Texas presents keep coming. First up, an interview with a Welsh channel:



Then Fandango:



Next, a bit of Duncan, Michelle and Jake on the red carpet, followed by some footage of the post-premiere Q&A. Spoiler warning, I think. Also, Jake says he's working on a movie!






There's also a new non-video interview, where Jake reveals he'd been trying to get Source Code made for two years prior to Duncan's involvement. There's also a slightly different version of how that all came about. And he compares Duncan to Ang Lee:

In the last decade you’ve become a movie star, yet your choices all seem like smaller indie films that are received on a large scale. What’s the difference between the larger scale films and the smaller ones?

There are a lot of more wonderful aspects of working on a smaller film. Each film is a journey and a lesson. I take away a lot from each film, particularly working with the extraordinary directors I’ve worked with. Ang Lee, David Fincher, Sam Mendes…the thing you take away is what you very clearly know you need when you’re telling a story, which is somebody who knows why they’re telling a story. Surprisingly we lose track of that. To know that you have somebody who knows why they’re making something is important.

And then patience, which is, to me, one of the most amazing qualities I saw from all of the people I’ve worked with. I find a lot of similarities between Ang Lee and Duncan Jones. In personality, in interpretation of scenes, in the ability to let actors really encompass a world and feel empowered but at the same time have total control over the story that they’re telling. It’s almost like a magician. You feel like you’re creating the thing that’s happening, and in some ways you’re helping it be created, but ultimately there is a true wizard there. Personality-wise, Duncan is very quiet and sort of soft spoken, very introverted, very similar to Ang. When I met him, it was strange, my instinct connected to a similar thing when I met Ang.




You have a very youthful appearance, which leads to roles that are very innocent and inquisitive. You’re taking on more action roles now, but is your youth a hurdle?

... What’s interesting about growing up making movies and having the opportunity to be an adolescent and then grow up is it becomes a journey of figuring out what you want to do, what stories you’re interested in. Sometimes the footing is solid and sometimes it’s not, but you always hope you have an opportunity to keep doing it. I explore all different things. I have a pretty eclectic taste in things. I have no intention to…

To punch people?

No, I have no intention to do that, but it is very fun to do action.



Pee-wee Herman was interviewed by The Playlist, and he had some very nice things to say about Jake and Jessica Biel and the whole Nailed process:

It’s a high wire bit of material, with a hard tone to nail (pardon the pun), but to hear it from Reubens, the toplining actors hit the ball right out of the park. “I would go home every single night in awe of both leads in the movie, I just could not believe what they were doing. As an actor, what they’re doing is very, very complicated and complex. It’s really hard to pull off what they did. You have to be effortless, but it’s really hard to do,” Reubens said. “And I’ve never seen anybody be so successful with something that complicated [as Gyllenhaal was]. And Jessica Biel is literally—I hate this word, but I can’t think of another word to use—is like a revelation. She’s so incredibly good in the movie, and again, no one’s ever seen her do anything like this… This is like an ingenue. It’s almost like Dorothy in ‘The Wizard Of Oz.’”

It's a good read.




Sunday, March 13, 2011

SXSW: Jake's Big Adventure



It's late/early, my computer is wonky and I am cranky. So let's hope some of this makes sense! The reviews, photos, tweets and videos keep rolling in from SXSW. We'll try to give you some of the highlights, with some random photo favorites thrown in.

Tech Crunch interviews Jake about the movie and, of course, the SC game. In an interview at the link, Duncan says that Jake plays on twitter, but under an alias.





Asked about the bathroom incident, Jake is beyond gracious.



Here's a recap of opening night. And here, you can see Jake signing autographs before the premiere. You can also watch him as he takes his seat at the movie.



If you missed the panel coverage, this is a good recap.




And in case you missed it in the replies yesterday, an unlikely pairing: Jake Gyllenhaal and Pee-wee Herman promoting each other's projects. I completely forgot about their Nailed connection until it was mentioned in the comments. Wonder if they remember it?



(Some photos courtesy of IHJ.)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

SXSW Day 2, Level: Beginner



Jake Gyllenhaal may be a SXSW newbie, but he's an old pro at promotion. Nice video interview with Jake, Vera and Michelle from CNN:

SXSW kicked off on Friday night with Jake Gyllenhaal's new movie, "Source Code" premiering at Austin's Paramount Theatre. He made his way down the red carpet, joined by co-stars Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan, to the delight of many a local teenage girl (and a few 30-something ladies) who were screaming "Jake! Jake!" from along Congress Avenue.

Gyllenhaal tells CNN he's a big fan of Austin and SXSW and hopes to extend his stay for a few days and check out the rest of festival. So who is he listening to lately? The Civil Wars and the new album from Adele. We enjoy your playlist, Jake.





It's panel day for Jake and the Source Code crew. No photos allowed officially, but some are sneaking through. With lots of twitter accounts, as well.

Thanks to tweeter rboulding for transcribing many of the questions. (Warning: There is apparently a spoiler in there, so proceed with caution.) Some highlights:

All the questions are for Duncan. Asked about shooting in Chicago. "Chicago doesn't matter..." laughter

Gyllenhall: I think because they didn't get the Olympics we wanted to set it there... laughter




Can you actually travel through time?

Jake: yes, I do know how to travel through time. I have a time machine if you want to join me. My delorian is out back





Some nice shots of Just Jake from last night's Q&A, plus a couple more Q&A reports:




Opening night at SXSW kicked off with its usual unfettered enthusiasm. The elegant Paramount Theatre, the regular venue for high-profile premieres, had lines around and down each block as Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, writer Ben Ripley and director Duncan Jones worked their way inside to introduce Source Code.


For his part, Gyllenhaal talked about some of the philosophical implications he drew from the story, which he said finds a metaphorical way to explore “the little births and deaths we experience every day.” Some audience members certainly walked away with questions about the implications of the ending (as well as the mechanics and logic of the plot), but response was generally positive, proving that when the storytelling is novel and intriguing not all of the pieces need to make perfect sense.

SXSW Film attendees sat star-struck in the aisles, angling to get a look at Jake Gyllenhaal in the flesh — and that was before his latest vehicle, Source Code, premiered as the opening night headliner. As in the film, which focuses on Gyllenhaal in various states of confusion as an war veteran recruited to re-live the same eight minutes in time in hopes of averting a terrorist attack, Thursday night’s screening was all about Jake — and that could very bode well for Summit as they look to open strong next month.

For example: Not every SXSW premiere sees festival-goers breaking out their cameras during every waking moment before and after the lights go dim in the hopes of capturing a snap. (Blogger reports of one SXSWer’s bathroom run-in with Gyllenhaal became full-blown legend overnight; whether or not it’s true, it illustrates the point.) The first question following the screening, which played well to an enthusiastic crowd: “I’m a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal.” [Pause] “Is that the question?” teased director Duncan Jones.




At Q&A’s end, co-star Michelle Monaghan summed it up with an appropriately Gyllenhaal-centric tale of long days alone on the Source Code set. “You know, we sat across from each other on that train for 12 hours a day and I don’t know how many weeks,” teased Monahan “So we got to know each other really well. He’s fun and easy to be around and wonderful to work with, and as every chick knows, he’s really easy on the eyes.”

Friday, March 11, 2011

SC at SXSW in ATX



Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga and Duncan Jones all attended the premiere of Source Code at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday night. The film was selected as the festival's opening night showcase.











The twit reviews are streaming in, and they seem very enthusiastic. A sampling:

larry411: Source code @sxsw from @manmademoon dir duncan jones is spectacular, edge of your seat fun #sxsw another hit for summit

lmelnick: 4 stars for source code now q and a with cast, dir and writer. awesome

shivvy: SOURCE CODE was a great lil thriller. Audience did roar w/ laughter when Jake G used Bing on a cell phone. #productplacement

screenjunkies: Source Code is great. Tight thriller, smart science and a positive worldview.

cdab: SOURCE CODE was awesome!! What a great way to start #SXSW. Thank you so much for that movie, @ManMadeMoon. #DuncanJonescanmakeamovie

dooglar: Loved "Source Code" it also moved me emotionally. You get save-the-world drama, sci-fi suspense of belief & the value of relationships

georgkallert: Source Code is fantastic / great performances and an intense story / loved it !!!

crispyfuller: Source Code was AMAZING. Inception fans will love it. Actually, I think everyone will.

movingreviews: Instant Review: SOURCE CODE is fantastic. One of the best films I've seen come out of @SXSW. A must see


They are not all positive - I'll post the negative ones in the replies :)

And according to Cinematical, "Duncan Jones' sophomore effort, 'Source Code,' is not nearly as original as his first film, but it is the next best thing to unique: it's two or three familiar ideas tossed into a blender, whipped into a tasty concoction, and delivered with a great deal of style and confidence."

He calls Jake's performance "excellent."

IndieWire gives it an A-:

Drawing on time-shifting concepts reminiscent of “Groundhog Day” and “Run Lola Run,” Duncan Jones’ “Source Code” inhabits the spirit of old-school sci-fi while effectively providing a measure of pathos. As he did in his prior film, “Moon,” “Source Code” showcases Jones’ ability to provide ample entertainment value with sharply drawn characters in a minimalist setting.

And a 9/10 from Coming Soon:

More than anything, "Source Code" is a film full of emotion as Jones gets as strong a performance out of Jake Gyllenhaal as he did with Sam Rockwell, Gyllenhaal ably fitting into the type of everyman protagonist role that helped Hitchcock's thrillers work so well. You're really pulled into Stevens' dilemma as he interacts with his handler, played by Vera Farmiga, and tries to figure out how to fulfill his mission, while also using his military background to explore how real soldiers are affected by returning from war. ...

The Bottom Line:
This is an impressive and ambitious second feature from Jones, one that shows he's capable of handling a fairly complex premise with lots of moving parts. Like the best science fiction, "Source Code" is quite deep and affecting on many levels with a premise that never gets dull or predictable or feels gimmicky. It's very much the type of movie one can see over and over again and appreciate more of its intricacies each time despite knowing some of the many twists going in.


Bit of a mixed bag from the Hollywood Reporter but overall positive:

Its four main actors play sharply delineated characters, not with much depth but, hey, who has time for depth when Chicago is about to blow up? Source Code, which premiered at South by Southwest, could develop into a minor hit for Summit Entertainment, thanks to the fine casting, a sense of claustrophobia and an intriguing race against time.

Variety didn't love it:

Solid execution and some provocative ideas can't save "Source Code" from a fatal hubris, as it thinks itself far more clever than it actually is and assumes it's earned emotions at which it's only hinted. Sophomore director Duncan Jones is becoming an adept craftsman of such modestly scaled, cerebral speculative fiction, and had this been a SyFy original movie, it would have been most impressive. But as a follow-up to the startlingly inventive "Moon," "Source Code" just doesn't quite compute. SXSW opener ought to do solid but unspectacular business, with better odds in ancillary.

Gyllenhaal could likely do this sort of bedroom-eyed soldier role in his sleep, but he plays the part with great energy and conviction. Farmiga uses the opportunity to add another warmly maternal bureaucrat role to her scorecard, and Wright makes for a nicely sinister string-puller.



Earlier in the day, Jake and Michelle taped Moviefone's Unscripted at the AOL Studios.





An interview with Jake about the SC game:



Plus some late pics from the Q&A:




Jeff Wells praised the movie and also took some video of the beginning of the Q&A.



Finally, Jake in the audience for his own movie :)