Happy Birthday to
Ryan Gosling
31 today
Riding high, with two well-received dramatic turns in the last few months, Gosling's come a long way since his Mickey Mouse Club days, or since his energetic turn in Murder by Numbers - I'll never forget how he licked Sandra Bullock. Coming up next, and where this picture comes from, we'll see him reunite with Derek Cianfrance on stunt motorcyclist epic Place Beyond the Pines.
Showing posts with label Ryan Gosling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Gosling. Show all posts
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Ryan Gosling
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Ides of March
2011. Dir: George Clooney. Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood. ●●●●○
I've not seen "Farrugut North", Beau Eillimon's play that forms the basis of George Clooney and Grant Heslov's latest venture, so far as I know the play hasn't made it to the UK, however right now I don't feel that I need to. Ides of March hews so closely to a theatrical experience that seeing it live can hardly bring much more to the story. The inherent staginess of the adaptation is hard for this movie to shake off, it's structure and style of moving from room to room with powerfully dressed men with distressed ties underlines how little has been changed. That said, in spite of this limitation, it's themes of loyalty and corruption (mirroring the more successful Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) are presented so thoroughly and realistically that the quality of the screenplay and acting pushes through.
Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) may only be 30 but he's a veteran of political campaigning, something he's very keen to stress to Marisa Tomei's political hack in an early pace setting introduction, and after years of backing the wrong horse he's finally found a Presidential candidate he can believe in, a man whose proto-Liberal values are only matched by his personal integrity, ladies and gentleman I give you the next president of the United States, Senator (and co-writer/director) George Clooney.
Anyone who's ever watched a political film will know that Clooney isn't all he seems to be, and in this modern sex-crazed post Clinton world it's hardly going to his atheism that's going to be his undoing. Not that Meyers guesses it, he goes right on with his hubristically unchallenged behaviour, seducing intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) and getting played by rival strategist Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) until both storylines collide dramatically turning Meyers from wide eyed idolised to deft spin-doctor.
Much has been said about how Ides recalls Political thrillers from the 70's with it's intense paranoia, but to me it most closely resembles Gore Vidal's tight 1964 screenplay for The Best Man, that too was a fraught political fight between two prospective Presidential candidates set in one city during hustings, and like this modern antecedent the drama came from guys whispering poll figures, however where Henry Fonda was a flawed but moralistic politician trying to do the best for his party and desperated avoiding mudslinging, here Clooney is sidelined. Modern politics has taken the candidate, the celebrity, out of the picture, now we're more concerned with the spinners on the sides and everyone accepts the personal is part of the game.
This is an actor's wet dream, with everyone on top form. Evan Rachel Wood as the intern whose sexual precociousness hides an inner turmoil is superb, and watching Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman as two old school campaigners, with their personal vendettas and careful strategies, is a joy. Hoffman has the best scene in the movie, a rip roaring speech on loyalty that somehow seems out of touch with the modern world. All this would be for nothing if Gosling couldn't handle the lead role, bringing the same blank canvas he displayed in Drive the character arc seems both irresistible and inevitable, and the final scene, of Gosling looking to camera about to give the most important interview of his life, will no doubt be one of the most hotly discussed cliffhangers of 2011 cinema.
This movie is also designed to within an inch of it's life, no decoration, no lighting set-up is left to chance, we're in no doubt that this is a movie about politics (even if it's not about Politics) from the stuffed campaign office with it's inspirational posters to the functional hotel rooms and dimly lit bars there is a real sense of place in each of the scenes. Clooney also does a good job as director keeping the tension and unpredictability of the characters even when you can see the direction where the plot is heading.
Overall I would recommend this film, of course I'm the crowd it's playing to, but it's presentation of the modern political game is both damning and compelling and short of the play coming to your town this is the next best thing.
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Drive
2011. Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn. Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks. ●●●○○
I saw two films this weekend, one after another, I struggled to choose which one to review first. Would it be the one that I was anticipating the most, the one with better reviews, the one I liked best or the one I was most disappointed by (try and guess what my score tomorrow will be) but in the end I went for Drive the film I saw first. Neatly packaged and uniquely stylish Nicolas Winding Refn's ode to the 80's action flicks of Michael Mann and Walter Hill is a tight surprising affair that fully justifies the Best Director prize at Cannes, but alas all the flashy work seems to obscure this picture has nothing to say.
At the heart of the story is a touching tentative romance between part-time stunt man, part-time getaway driver Ryan Gosling (an iconic man with no name) and his seemingly single mother neighbour Carey Mulligan. Their late night joy rides (yes that is his idea of a date) are interrupted by her jailed hubby (Oscar Isaac) getting released and doing one last job to pay off a mob debt. Naturally Gosling gets pulled in and it all spirals out of control.
There are some delightful scenes, whether it's Gosling and Mulligan's first kiss, romantic, artificial but softly lit, projected in slowmotion before the punctuation of extreme grotesque violence that is excessive but not gratuitous. There's a slow conversation between limping mechanic Bryan Cranston and his old friend criminal kingpin Albert Brooks (both of whom are at the top of their game) with weary Brooks nicely contrasting Cranston's forced chirpiness. The two car chases, the first which accentuates the professionalism and chess like prowess of Gosling in out foxing the police, whilst the second showcases pure speed when faced with a bulkier and more agressive persuer.
These scenes and more are prove Winding Refn is one of the more exciting action directors working today, each beat drags the story forward, each shot adds more to the character development.
Gosling probably gives the most persuasive performance, agonising over the line deliveries, icy cool behind the wheel but visually disturbed when making a phone call, he's a man who only feels real to himself when behind the wheel, shifting through the gears. Christina Hendricks also does fine in a minor role as a gangster's moll, fully realising the panic in the back seat during a car chase.
Each shot and edit is carefully selected to create and accentuate the mood, even the neon pink title cards evoke memories of rolled up jacket sleeves, and whilst the superficial allusions to Arthurian mythology and underlying artificiality and desire to be a film character are racked up there's nothing behind this facade. The scarcity of back story (and it's not just Gosling with gaps) and plot holes - there's a particular piece of information which a character clearly knows before he is told - indicate that Winding Refn is more focussed on the style than the substance.
I suppose the problem was I just didn't care about any of the characters, their futures seemed destined by the format, decisions appear unrelated to rational decision making. At the end I didn't want to know what happened in the next 20 minutes, always a barometer about whether the film works for me. I suppose I can grudgingly recommend the film, it's pretentious arsty aesthetic has been collecting a legion of fans, but don't expect to be engaged beyond the visually arresting moment.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Looking for a real man (Out this week - 23/09/11)
There's a scent of sweat in the air this week, an odour of testosterone floating from the man-packed cinemas, and frankly if you're not into gorgeous guys flexing their muscles or parading naked in the locker room then there may not be a choice for you this week, with even the counter programming choices seeming to accentuate heroism and grit. It's a tough competition for top choice, with a very high average score on the exciteometer (best since February) but in the end I'm plumping for Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton rippling in film of the week Warrior.
Warrior
It's underperformed in the States, I expect partly because of the image of Mixed Martial arts and the marketing not really knowing where to go but everything I hear about Gavin O'Connor's sports movie sounds great and with it's two protagonists on the cusp of becoming major stars this is probably the most exciting opportunity to see them let loose.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
Drive
Ryan Gosling movie number 1 - The art-house thriller. Directed by edgy wunderkind Nicolas Winding Refn this is both an archetype and deconstruction of the 80's action pic with Gosling as a nameless driver becoming the hero in his warped story. Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks and (oddly) West Side Story's Russ Tamblyn co-star.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Ryan Gosling movie number 2 - The touching comedy. The best reviewed Steve Carell movie for years concerns parallels the marital crisis of it's lead with the equally complex love lives of his children. Carell and Gosling are joined by Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei and Emma Stone.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Mademoiselle Chambon
Gallic romance between the homeschool teacher and parent that springs out of a natural closeness and shared hopes for the child in the middle. Showing it's French side is the unshocking revelation that the father's still married. That kids gonna need serious therapy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Tucker & Dale vs Evil
Hilarious looking Sundance break-out that subverts the murderous hillbilly and innocent students cliches by simply placing the Louisiana heroes close to unspeakably unlucky accidents, each one making them appear more culpable to the partying teens.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Killer Elite
It may have the killer cast of Robert De Niro and Clive Owen but that's not enough to make this confused Jason Statham vehicle look any more bearable. Especially given the critical mauling it received at Toronto.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Soul Surfer
I'm not sure whether there's a market for overtly Christian movies here in the UK, we cinema goers tend to be a secular bunch, but if there is one then this true life story of a teenage surfer (AnnaSophia Robb) who's won't let her arm being bitten off by a shark stop her from becoming a surfing champion, thanks to her family support and faith, deserves to make the grade. Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid co-star.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Yaara O Dildaara
Bollywood picture that will, according to it's ratehr grand tagline, reinstate your faith in true love. In Punjabi.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Mausam
Also looking to pull the same crowd is this Indian-British co-production that heavily features the Royal Air Force in it's publicity and romantic subplots, everyone loves a man in uniform.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Tapes
There always seems to be one homegrown horror that sneaks into British cinemas, and this week you have the opportunity to witness through found footage (yawn) a suspected swingers party turn out to be hiding a bunch of devil worshippers. Luckily this isn't showing in Manchester.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Breaking up is so very hard to do (Out this week - 14/01/11)
We're still wading through prestige pictures here in the UK, with some awards calibre performances ready to shine through. Whilst I personally am checking out the low brow option at the multiplexes the other two top scorers both look interesting, with the clear film of the week being: 
Blue Valentine
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams (both of whom are very close to oscar nods for their work) headline this make-up/break-up relationship drama from director Derek Cianfrance. The process by which they made the film is as fascinating as the story - using different film stocks for each of the time periods covered, putting up the actors together in a house so they really know each others thoughts etc.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Conviction
Tony Goldwyn's true life-tale of a mother who enrols in law-school in order to begin a 18 year battle to free her wrongly convicted brother almost screams movie of the week, but it's empowering story and A-list cast (Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, Minnie Driver and Juliette Lewis) are enough to make it worthwhile.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
The Green Hornet
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg may seem an unlikely pair of writers to embark on a superhero movie, given their last collaboration was Pineapple Express, but then the hornet is no ordinary superhero. As the deconstruction of comic book fanboy cinema continues it'll be interesting to see where this fits in the canon.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Henry's Crime
Just when you thought it was safe to return to the cinema Keanu Reeves has returned with this low key crime caper (he's robbing the same bank, again) with Vera Farmiga and James Caan lending some credibility.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Yamla Pagla Deewana
It's the Bollywood films that will probably benefit most from the recent changes in my grading system - whether it will be enough for any of them to be film of the week remains to be seen. This one's about a prodigal son returning to the bosum of his con-artist family.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Final Sacrifice
Also known as Last Letters from Monte Rosa it's a low budget second world war movie focussing on the relationships between German and Italian soldiers during the Allied invasion of Italy. I'm not sure about relationship between this film and Ari Taub previous war movie The Fallen is, but it looks like a very similar feel.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Travellers
It seems unlikely but this is the second week running where I've issued a one blob rating, and I fully stand by it. This dreadful looking indie brit follows a group of high flying city boys as they go into the Wilderness (of Surrey!!!) and get involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse with some Irish travellers.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○
Friday, 12 November 2010
Ryan Gosling
Happy Birthday to
Ryan Gosling
30 today
Not conventionally attractive but containing sexual magnetism by the bucket load Canadian Gosling is impossible to turn away from on screen. He's getting some very nice notices for his turn in Blue Valentine, and I'm really looking forward to seeing him in George Clooney's Ides of March next year.
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