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.

Jane Rules Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey has always been my least favorite Jane Austen. In it's favor last night's PBS version had a cute Katherine Moreland, a charming George Tilney, and an imposing castle. Both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey move at a quick pace and are likable, but I didn't feel like I got to know the great quirky side characters that make Jane Austen so great.

This weekend I also saw Savages with Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It's about a brother and sister who have to care for their ailing father. The previews made this move seem whimsical and charming, so I was not expecting it to be as grim as it was. I think it's going to be one of those films that needs mulling over.

Last I saw the A&E miniseries about Charles II called The Last King with Rufus Sewell as Charles. It's a bit of a boddice ripper, but those who like movies about the English monarchy will like it, I think.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

I read great reviews of The Wind that Shakes the Barley, a drama about the struggles in Ireland, directed by Ken Loach. Even though it is essentially a war movie, not usually my cup of tea, I thought I should see it and happily was completely entranced by it -- partially because of the perspective of a small community of regular folk turned terrorists by necessity -- the brutality of the British soldiers is horrifying. The other entrancing reason to watch the film is Cillian Murphy who plays Damien O'Donovon, a doctor about to go of to London when he is pulled into the conflict. This skinny blue-eyed Irishman is worth seeing the movie for, trust me on that.

On a completely lamer note, I saw The Nanny Diaries (I'll see anthing with Laura Linney) which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be with a very cute little boy whose train wreck of New York Upper East side parents are actually kinda funny and sad in how terrible of parents they are. It's a slight film overall, however.

The Squid and the Whale

I can find lots of DVDs at my local Carnegie Library where I found The Squid and the Whale, one of the best movies of last year. Was it last year? This movies has one of my favorite actresses, Laura Linney. It's about couple of New York writers who are getting a divorce and get their two boys involved. Lot's of head games are played and the two boys get seriously messed up in the process. One caveat, there is a really weird scene about one of the boys displaying some really odd behavior for a boy of 11? played by Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Well worth seeing, although some founded it depressing. I enjoyed the zingers.
If you are into mean and funny dialogue another movie you might enjoy is Notes of a Scandal where Judy Dench brings verve to the art of insulting someone.