Jake Gyllenhaal, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, picks his movies carefully. Over 25 years (more if you count his minor roles in his dad’s movies), he has made a dozen great films, with “Brokeback Mountain’, “Prisoners” and ‘Nightcrawler” being bona fide classics, and “Lovely and Amazing,” “Jarhead,” “End of Watch,” “Zodiac,” “October Sky,” “Source Code,” “Stronger,” “Wildlife” and the just released “The Covenant,” being among the best films of the past two decades. With this list, it is astonishing that he has only garnered a single Oscar Nomination – Best Supporting Actor for “Brokeback Mountain.”
The rest of his work ranges from moderately interesting: “The Good Girl” (2002), “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), “Enemy” (2013), “Everest” (2015), “Nocturnal Animals” (2016), “Okja” (2017, and “The Sister Brothers” (2018) to bad: “Moonlight Mile” (2002), “Proof” (2005), “Rendition” (2007), “Brothers” (2009), “Love and Other Drugs” (2010), “Accidental Love” (2015), “Demolition” (2015), “Southpaw” (2015), “Life” (2017), “The Guilty” (2021), and “Ambulance” (2022) to trash: “Highway” (2002) and “Velvet Buzzsaw” (2019) to he did it for the money: “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), and “Spider-Man: No Way Out” (2021)
He is the proud owner of two cult movies, both from the same year: “Donnie Darko” (2001) and “Bubble Boy” (2001).
Of note, three of his worst movies are remakes of Danish originals (how did that happen?), so maybe he should stay away from those in the future.
In the fifty-four years since Dyan Cannon won the first won Best Supporting Actress in NY in 1969, fourteen of their choices have failed to get a nomination.
Although Charles Laughton made only one and, therefore, final film, based on this film alone, he is of the Great Directors.
Number One: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (Sidney Lumet: 2007). Number Five: Family Plot (Alfred Hitchcock: 1976).
As for Judy Davis she gives what is probably her most outstanding performance, which means it’s one of the greatest performances ever captured on film.
The 2023 Best Actress Oscar Goes To…Danielle Deadwyler in Till. And as she reaches the volta of her magnificent speech she does something extraordinary…
I had no problem sitting through the movie’s bloated 180-minute running because, through all of this nothingness, five actors manage to make lasting impressions
Hume Cronyn and John Randolph are our happy and well-adjusted gay couple. Yes, they fight and bicker all the time. However, they are clearly madly in love with each other.
In “Kind Hearts and Coronets”: Alec Guinness has fun playing all eight (or nine) of the unfortunate D’Ascoynes, including Lady Agatha D’Ascoyne. The photograph shows Dennis Price with Joan Greenwood who plays that little minx Sibella.
They were the darlings of the art house circuit. Their work in a language other than English is some of the greatest ever captured on film. But Hollywood…
Hal Mohr** is the only person to have won a competitive Academy Award without being nominated for it. Mohr was allowed to keep his Oscar and won a second.