ryan gosling layout now...
I just got a hankering recently for some Gosling love, and I thought I'd change my layout to him again. I used to have this really colorful bright orange Gosling layout that I loved, but it was too bright. So, I went investigating and found this really pretty layout design and made the banner Gosling, and I think it's pretty danged gorgeous.
Anyway, are you guys familiar at all with Gosling? Because you really should be. Kevin Smith calls him the "finest young actor of his generation." And he really, really is. I'm not that fond of all that many actors in my age group, the under 35 group, but this guy is just phenomenal. Plus he's gorgeous, but that's besides the point. Like yeah, okay, most people know him now from The Notebook, and while I do love that movie, that's probably his worst movie. And I mean that as the compliment it is, because here you have a pretty damn good movie, and that's my least favorite of his. LOL.
How did I get to know him? Murder by Numbers. So, okay, I take it back, that's probably his worst movie, and yet there is something about him in that movie that shines beyond the mediocre plot and script and made me sit up and take notice. There's a scene in that movie, where he plays a creepy, crazy, arrogant, murdering little teenager, that gives me chills. (For those that have seen it, it's the moment he realizes that his partner (in SO many ways, lol) has turned on him, in the interrogation room).
Let's talk more about his films, because he's one of those cats like Sam Rockwell where I have to see every single movie he's ever been in ever, even if it means buying it through ebay because it's too damn independant and unknown to get through Blockbuster or Major Video because both he and Rockwell do GOOD movies (for the most part), not blockbuster big bucks movies.
The Believer:
I don't even have the words to describe how incredibly disturbing this movie is. He's this young kid, this skinhead type kid, with so much anger and hatred, that turns his back on his Jewish roots because Jews... I don't know. I guess he felt he couldn't get anywhere if he was Jewish, so he learned to hate that which he was. His performance in this is astounding, and the journey he goes on is so... I just. It touches you in deep ways, and that's what Gosling always does. He finds these scripts that are maybe paltry at the first read through, or maybe they're not, but... He finds a way to make everything feel so utterly authentic and REAL and true, like you're taking the journey WITH him, not just watching him take it.
The Slaughter Rule:
trailer
Probably my favorite Gosling movie, and not only is it Gosling but it's David Morse who is another phenomenal actor. It's this story of this small town football coach and this kid who's kind of troubled, and the friendship they develop, and... and some shit that goes down. And David Morse will break your ever-lovin' heart in it, and so will Gosling.
The United States of Leland:
I'm afraid it's been a while since I saw this one, but it was beautiful too. How Ryan plays a disturbed, introverted, mentally handicapped man so so well I'll never know, but he does. I think what it's about is he's somewhat not all there in the head and his girlfriend/friend winds up being killed while in his company, and he is thought to have been the murderer. He's what, autistic? Something like that. It's really great, and Don Cheadle is another favorite of mine and he's wonderful as the teacher, and Kevin Spacey plays Ryan's father.
Stay:
Stay is a very confusing movie, and I kind of thought I didn't like it when I watched it, but then the more I thought about it I realized that since I couldn't get it out of my head, it must've affected me more than I thought it had. It's confusing and in bits and pieces, and I'm still not entirely clear what went on in reality versus dreamland, but... its' very intriguing and like I said... it'll stay with you.
Half Nelson:
I haven't actually seen this one yet, but he was nominated for an Oscar for it, so it must've been damned good, right? LOL. I plan on watching it pretty soon here, after I watch Fracture, which is sitting on my desktop to be watched in about 10 minutes.
The dude who isn't Ebert (I don't know who replaced Roeper, but that guy) says about him in this movie: "Yeah, you know him from The Notebook, but here you see a performance that's worthy of a young Brando."
I just love him.
Anyway, are you guys familiar at all with Gosling? Because you really should be. Kevin Smith calls him the "finest young actor of his generation." And he really, really is. I'm not that fond of all that many actors in my age group, the under 35 group, but this guy is just phenomenal. Plus he's gorgeous, but that's besides the point. Like yeah, okay, most people know him now from The Notebook, and while I do love that movie, that's probably his worst movie. And I mean that as the compliment it is, because here you have a pretty damn good movie, and that's my least favorite of his. LOL.
How did I get to know him? Murder by Numbers. So, okay, I take it back, that's probably his worst movie, and yet there is something about him in that movie that shines beyond the mediocre plot and script and made me sit up and take notice. There's a scene in that movie, where he plays a creepy, crazy, arrogant, murdering little teenager, that gives me chills. (For those that have seen it, it's the moment he realizes that his partner (in SO many ways, lol) has turned on him, in the interrogation room).
Let's talk more about his films, because he's one of those cats like Sam Rockwell where I have to see every single movie he's ever been in ever, even if it means buying it through ebay because it's too damn independant and unknown to get through Blockbuster or Major Video because both he and Rockwell do GOOD movies (for the most part), not blockbuster big bucks movies.
The Believer:
Click to viewI don't even have the words to describe how incredibly disturbing this movie is. He's this young kid, this skinhead type kid, with so much anger and hatred, that turns his back on his Jewish roots because Jews... I don't know. I guess he felt he couldn't get anywhere if he was Jewish, so he learned to hate that which he was. His performance in this is astounding, and the journey he goes on is so... I just. It touches you in deep ways, and that's what Gosling always does. He finds these scripts that are maybe paltry at the first read through, or maybe they're not, but... He finds a way to make everything feel so utterly authentic and REAL and true, like you're taking the journey WITH him, not just watching him take it.
The Slaughter Rule:
trailer
Probably my favorite Gosling movie, and not only is it Gosling but it's David Morse who is another phenomenal actor. It's this story of this small town football coach and this kid who's kind of troubled, and the friendship they develop, and... and some shit that goes down. And David Morse will break your ever-lovin' heart in it, and so will Gosling.
The United States of Leland:
I'm afraid it's been a while since I saw this one, but it was beautiful too. How Ryan plays a disturbed, introverted, mentally handicapped man so so well I'll never know, but he does. I think what it's about is he's somewhat not all there in the head and his girlfriend/friend winds up being killed while in his company, and he is thought to have been the murderer. He's what, autistic? Something like that. It's really great, and Don Cheadle is another favorite of mine and he's wonderful as the teacher, and Kevin Spacey plays Ryan's father.
Stay:
Stay is a very confusing movie, and I kind of thought I didn't like it when I watched it, but then the more I thought about it I realized that since I couldn't get it out of my head, it must've affected me more than I thought it had. It's confusing and in bits and pieces, and I'm still not entirely clear what went on in reality versus dreamland, but... its' very intriguing and like I said... it'll stay with you.
Half Nelson:
I haven't actually seen this one yet, but he was nominated for an Oscar for it, so it must've been damned good, right? LOL. I plan on watching it pretty soon here, after I watch Fracture, which is sitting on my desktop to be watched in about 10 minutes.
The dude who isn't Ebert (I don't know who replaced Roeper, but that guy) says about him in this movie: "Yeah, you know him from The Notebook, but here you see a performance that's worthy of a young Brando."
I just love him.