Every Monday morning, InsidePulse Movies Czar Scott “Kubryk” Sawitz brings an irreverent and oftentimes hilarious look at pop culture, politics, sports and whatever else comes to mind. And sometimes he writes about movies.
There are only a handful of actors who are stalwarts in the indie world while doing studio films that I genuinely enjoy and the biggest amongst them is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It’s hard to believe that the kid from Third Rock from the Sun is now on the verge of being one of the more respectable actors out there. And in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s rise from being one of the few child stars to make the transition from pint-sized cuteness to adult-sized respectability, something few child actors pull off and not lose something in the process, I think there’s something we can learn when we evaluate how younger actors elevated to high levels of fame.
Levitt found sitcom glory through 3rd Rock from the Sun but I’ve always thought he was never really all that happy as an actor during that show. He wanted to be an actor, not a child star or a teen heartthrob, and one imagines if he really wanted to go that route he could’ve after Sun went off the air. His first big studio flick after becoming famous for the television show was 10 Things I Hate About You, a teeny-bopper Shakespeare adaptation with what would later become a near murderer’s row of indie actors: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and JGL.
But after a couple years removed from acting to attend college, he would return to take what’s been a remarkable path from child star to respectable actor that nearly culminates this weekend with 50/50. If we look at JGL’s career from Mysterious Skin until now, it’s really the building to the start of what could be a legendary career.
Skin was a gutsy choice to rebuild a career. Throw in Brick right after, a brilliant noir piece keying on his youthful appearance but with a brilliant script, and Levitt was getting reps on the indie level. And that’s ultimately how thinking about his career has to be: getting tons of quality reps on smaller films so his transition to similar roles in studio films is seamless. Smaller roles in films like Stop-Loss, Miracle at St, Anna, and Killshot mix well with the occasional bigger role in a studio film like The Lookout. You throw in a film in a G.I Joe film, if only to get the big blockbuster experience underneath the belt, and Gordon-Levitt has essentially balanced his career out perfectly like a backup quarterback being groomed to replace a starter. Throw in a smaller role in Inception, where he got to work on a massive blockbuster, and he had that quality rep work.
All you have to do is look at his next projects following this week’s 50/50 to see where he’s headed. Premium Rush is an action thriller with low expectations for a January release. But he’s been in this sort of spot before with The Lookout and that film was excellent; throw him in with Michael Shannon, another great actor who hasn’t quite gotten the status that he really ought to have, and you have some magic. Sounds like Matthew Goode, another good actor in a similar spot jockeying for position.
After that it’s 2012’s biggest film, The Dark Knight Rises, but this isn’t new territory for an indie actor used to working with more interesting scripts and lesser expectations. He’s been in the big budget blockbusters with the big expectations already and then got to work on one with big expectations but a tremendous script. He got in his first try at Oscar bait with (500) Days of Summer and now he has 50/50 with another sort of quirky prestige picture. Next year he gets another big budget action flick in Looper and a serious prestige piece in Lincoln to boot, so right now he’s in perhaps one of the best position to be in as a young actor: on the verge of being able to transform from being a great actor to being a great acting movie star.
Not a bad place to be in.
A Movie A Week – The Challenge
This Week’s DVD – Hesher
For all the hype behind guys I’ve never thought as all that talented, like James Franco, JGL always brings it. And he does it again with Hesher, an indie that never found an audience in a small release.
JGL is a sort of heavy metal Mary Poppins. TJ (Devin Brochu) and his father Paul (Rainn Wilson) are still struggling to accept the death of TJ’s mother in a car accident. Into their lives comes Hesher (Gordon-Levitt), a metal-head and all-around miscreant who wanders into their lives. Wandering into his grandmother’s home (Piper Laurie) and not leaving, Hesher finds his way into their lives and in an odd way helps them move past the depression and social isolation Paul and TJ have felt since her loss.
But this is the Hesher show; and we all just live in his messed up world. And that’s the beauty of Hesher; through his sheer insanity TJ and his family get some closure through it all. It’s as close as you can get to having an anti-social anarchist of Mary Poppins trying to make your life all better.
And really it’s a solid film about a family learning to deal with tragedy, and turn back to normal, but the beauty of the film is Levitt. He seems to be having the time of his life as Hesher, being able to just be that functioning id that wants to just do crazy stuff. His eulogy in the film’s funeral is one of the funniest scenes of the year.
Recommended.
What Looks Good This Weekend, and I Don’t Mean the $2 Pints of Bass Ale and community college co-eds with low standards at the Alumni Club
50/50 – JGL gets cancer. Seth Rogen says funny things.
See It – A couple years ago (500) Days of Summer was in a similar spot, as a quirky comedy with potential Oscar implications.
Courageous – A bunch of cops learn the meaning of fatherhood and whatnot.
Skip It – Unless you’re of the faith based set, this probably won’t appeal to you.
Dream House – Daniel Craig killed his family and then goes back and parties with their ghosts or something.
Skip It – When a big twist is revealed in the trailer, you know there’s going to be another that’s completely rancid in there somewhere.
What’s Your Number – Anna Farris has screwed a lot of dudes over the years. Is one of them the one that got away? That’s what she sets out to find out.
See It – Think of it as a girl’s version of High Fidelity. That film was great and I can totally see this one being entertaining at worst.
Machine Gun Preacher – Gerard Butler is a biker who finds God, then decides to go to Africa to help kids over there. When God isn’t enough, there’s always a trusty rocket-launcher. Expanding in what is currently in limited release.
See it – Gerard Butler, when he isn’t making crappy romantic comedies, gets interesting projects. This could be quite good and is another candidate for Oscar potential.
The Double – Richard Gere is a double agent. The kid from the 70’s Show not doing Demi Moore. In limited release. Correction: Per Prodigy PR, the film is actually going to be released on October 28. Blame Box Office Mojo for listing it there
Skip it – When the film’s big twist is in the trailer, you know it’s going to be bad. Not Corrected: This film will still probably suck
Scott “Kubryk” Sawitz brings his trademarked irreverence and offensive hilarity to Twitter in 140 characters or less. Follow him @MMCritic_Kubryk.
