A few more Ryan Gosling Movies

I watch a lot of movies because this or that actor is in it. Of course, I have my favorites (criteria for a favorite has to do with my belief that this actor is a very talented and he or she has some quality, some je ne sais quoi quality that makes him so captivating on screen – this list does not include my favorite comedians btw) Here are some of my favorite dramatic actors, in no particular order:

Carey Mulligan: a new favorite, great in An Education
Claire Danes: I’ve always loved her starting with My So Called Life
Colin Firth: the best Darcy ever! Need I say more
James Franco: my love for him is waning, but 127 Hours, great – I even saw him in Howl
Keira Knightly: thought she was great in Atonement
Clive Owen: he made apocalyptic cinema great in Children of Men
Mark Ruffalo: ever since You Can Count on Me, I’ve been smitten
Viggo Mortenson: kinda scary sometimes, I even suffered through A History of Violence to see him
Laura Linney: so great in so many things, but first loved her in You Can Count on Me
James McAvoy: Last King of Scotland, adorable and a great actor

However, the actor whose films I rarely miss would have to be Ryan Gosling. I haven’t seen all of his films and even I won’t go to ones that are supposed to be terrible, but I've seen most (see Ryan Gosling movies listed on the side). With that in mind I have see two of his movies recently. Both not great, but worth a look if you are a fan like me:

All Good Things All Good Things: All Good Things tells about the fascinating real life story of a wealthy New York family and a creepy murder. It is based on a real story of Robert Durst. Ryan Gosling plays the put upon son and Kristen Dunst his hapless wife. Here's a fascinating link to a New York Times article about the real-life murders.


Crazy Stupid Love – This ensemble romantic comedy was, as my friend said when we came out of the theater, pretty stupid. But I got a lot of laughs out of Ryan Goslings’ gigolo character and guess what, the actor who can do it all can also be really funny. Emma Stone I thought was pretty good in it too.

Temple Grandin and Get Low

I don’t know if others have had the experience of weeping through Temple Grandin, but this movie really got to me. Besides loving Claire Danes and thinking she is amazing in this movie, I cheered on her subject, Temple Grandin, a brilliant autistic woman who overcame her fears and achieved her goals. Because of her intuitive understanding of animals, she able to make cattle lots more compassionate for the cattle. She also has been able to explain what it is like to be autistic. This movie is definitely one that tugs at your heartstrings (which normally I hate in a movie) but the combination of Claire Danes’ great acting and Temple Grandin’s remarkable life, makes this movie well worth watching and a genuinely inspirational story.

I also saw Get Low about a grizzled hermit who emerges from the woods and declares he would like to plan his funeral and attend it. Robert Duvall is the crusty old guy; Bill Murray is the potentially shady funeral director; and Sissy Spacek is the old girlfriend. Holding the movie together and giving it some perspective is the young guy named Buddy played by Lucas Black who works for Murray’s character. For me, his reactions to the events of the movie was the most interesting part. The movie had a few genuine original moments but was mostly pretty forgettable.

Me and Orson Welles

There is a type of movie where there is a lot talking and not a lot of plot, where the pursuit of art is valued above all else, and earnest youths try to find their purpose – usually by talking it about it . . . a lot. This type of movie could be called a Richard Linklater movie. Typical Linklater movies are Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Slackers, (less typical, but another one of his is School of Rock)
Linklater’s latest version of the talky, plotless movie is Me and Orson Welles. Beautiful young lad Zac Effron’s character Richard uses his wit and tenaciousness to get him a small part in a Orson Welles’ play Caesar. We view Orson Welles and the production of the play through his eyes. The cast of the play is filled with interesting and quirky characters. The 1930s theater life is another reason to see this movie. Also, it is fascinating to learn about Orson Welles; Christian McKay who played him did a great job. This type of talky movie is not for everyone, but I enjoyed spending an afternoon with these smart, passionate people. (I love Before Sunrise and Before Sunset) When you get a hankering for one of these type of movies, check out a Richard Linklater movie.

PS. Claire Danes is in this movie too! Bonus.

Evening

I just saw Evening based on a book by Susan Minot. The movie received terrible reviews but has a stellar cast: Merril Streep (with a brief part) and her daughter, Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Natasha Richardson, Toni Collette, and the super cute Hugh Dancy just to name a few. But the big draw for me is Claire Danes. Even though the movie is pretty scholcky, soap operaesque and all over the place, it is still fun to watch her. Worth seeing? Probably not -- unless you like watching great actresses in a kinda dumb movie.

Out in Theaters

I haven't seen many movies lately due to my new Fall schedule but am still reading about movies and anticipating movies that will be coming out in theaters. Out in theaters now or soon (not where I live, but anyhoo) is Dedication with Mandy Moore, Billy Crudup and Tom Wilkinson. Sounds pretty good but is another movie from the male angst point of view. And i'm also interested in The Hottest State based on a novel by Ethan Hawke though haven't read the reviews yet. Also, Startdust, the fantasy novel that is The Princess Bridesque movie intrigues me especially since it has one of my favorite actresses Claire Danes. Unfortunately The Nanny Diaries is getting tepid reviews so that might be a renter for me. And SuperBad is getting super reviews. Yet another movie about sex-crazed adolescents boys but I'll probably see it anyway. That's all from the movie lap top.