Tag Archive: Ryan Gosling


Gangster Squad

Filed under: Cinema by thefriedgold — Leave a comment
January 23, 2013

Gangster Squad (2013)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

gangster-squad-poster

 

 

LA is being overrun by an ex-boxer turned mafia gang leader Mickey Cohen and making the city, the people and the authorities his own. A squad of cops are recruited to take the city back before it is lost forever by doing whatever is necessary.

 

The film isn’t entirely serious and is sort of just a massive shoot ‘em up between the good guys and the bad guys. The story isn’t that memorable and there isn’t really that much care from the audience for any of the characters. However that said the film is good fun and a bit cartoony in places. There is a lot of killing in the film with some pretty gruesome scenes, especially the opening scene taking place behind the Hollywoodland sign.

emma stone-jessica rabbit

Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen is pretty terrifying at times and definitely not someone you would want to mess with. Ryan Gosling is too cool for school in this, as he is in most things and the lovely Emma Stone is stunning as the love interest and has the hint of the Jessica Rabbit about her.

 

 

 

 

 

Recommend

Ryan Gosling will entertain the ladies and Emma Stone will thrill the guys. The film was a good start to the year and had some fun parts but ultimately wasn’t a stand out hit. A fun watch but no real need to see it at the cinema.

TheFriedGold rating – 6/10 – Less Gangster Squad more Shooting Squad

 

 

Film Fact

The film was supposed to be released last year, 2012, but was sent back to production to reshoot some scenes and to cut out a scene involving a cinema being shot up.

 

 

 

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Crazy, Stupid, Love

Filed under: DVD/Bluray by thefriedgold — Leave a comment
May 8, 2012

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

 

 

 

What should be a romantic meal out and a nice time to get out of house turns into a life changing moment as a wife asks her husband for a divorce. Steve Carell plays the husband here, who for the first time in his life is single and in an unusual position. In comes Ryan Gosling, a professional bachelor who shows him how he should be living life from his clothes to the way he speaks.

The film plays out by looking at everyone’s relationships and the issues they are having. However the film is not a straight forward lovey-dovey romantic film. It throws in bits of comedy here and there which you expect from a film starring Steve Carell. For the girls watching the film (and my man-crush I have developed – Drive ) Ryan Gosling is the eye candy and the line as said by Emma Stone’s character in the film ” fuck! Seriously? It’s like you’re Photoshopped!” describes him in just a few words. Emma Stone is there for the guys watching this film looking as lovely as ever.

Ryan Gosling plays his usual character of cool and mysterious. He might do this for most of his characters but they have all worked, he plays the guy women want and the guy men want to be.

This film probably didn’t have the amount of comedic input that I expected it to have and did focus heavily on the relationships going on in the film. But as an enjoyable take on the mixed up lives of a family I did enjoy it. I would say it’s worth a watch but don’t expect lots of laughs.

 

Film Fact

On the side of the moving truck, the brand is called “U Can Do It”. This is an apparent nod to The Waterboy and several other movies where Rob Schneider plays a townie who yells it to the hero in the movie.

 

 

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The Ides of March (2011)

Filed under: DVD/Bluray by thefriedgold — Leave a comment
April 13, 2012

The Ides of March (2011)

Directed by George Clooney

Starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling

 

  

 

A presidential candidate is in the middle of a campaign and a member of the campaign staff finds out the inner workings of politics and why everyone only really looks out for themselves.

Mr Clooney wrote, directed and starred in this film which shows the dirty side of politics. He plays the candidate looking to claim the state of Ohio in his bid to be president while Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ryan Gosling play his campaign manager and expert in communication.

Things aren’t as straight forward as them seem as the campaign manager from the rival camp, played by Paul Giamatti, employs some dirty tactics to help his candidate win the state. Things get messy leading to blackmailing from all sides leading to only one winner.

Ryan Gosling, as everything I have previously seen him in, was excellent once again. He always plays his roles very straight but with an edginess to them which makes him this somewhat hard to read character but very cool at the same time.

 

I do feel that the poster that features the magazine cover with the split face kind of gives you a hint at the main plot to the film. I didn’t think this film would be my bag and I was mainly only watching it because of the actors. However I found the film enjoyable and easy to watch. I’m not sure I would watch it again anytime soon but it was definitely worth a watch.

 

Film Fact

 

Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out of the role of Stephen Meyers, later given to Ryan Gosling, but stayed on as executive producer through his company Appian Way

 

 

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Drive (2011)

Filed under: DVD/Bluray by thefriedgold — 2 Comments
February 2, 2012

Drive (2011)

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan

A mysterious guy, played by Ryan Gosling, who drives getaway cars, racing cars and works in a garage, gets into some trouble while trying to help out a Neighbours husband.

I’m not too sure what I was expecting from this film. I already knew that I should not expect a Fast and the Furious rip off even though the trailer showed a lot of car footage. And that is exactly what I didn’t get. This film appears to tell a lovely story of a guy who is getting by in life by being a getaway driver and keeping himself to himself. Until he meet his neighbour Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, who he appears to have feelings for. The two characters hardly say anything to each other throughout the film and that is what makes it beautiful. In fact Goslings character isn’t much of a talker and only talks when necessary.

It is definitely a film of two halves. You have the nice, quiet and caring side of the Driver (Goslings name as given in the credits) and then there is a point where you see his dark side start to come out. The fact that we have had no real background on this character adds to the mystery of who he is and what he is capable of.

The cinematography and soundtrack is absolutely superb. It is a beautifully shot film with a lot of the camera angles being shot from a lower position which really draws you in to the film. The night time shooting is beautiful and really brings the LA scene to life. The whole film has a 80’s retro feel to it which is made by the music that accompanies the film and added to that are the opening and closing titles in the pink retro writing. You may want to be warned that there are some very graphic and violent scenes in this film but I think this helps with the mystery of Goslings character.

This is by far one of the best films I have seen, not just this year but that was released in 2011.Its stylish, cool, fantastic looking, has a wonderful soundtrack and I have no idea how the film has been missed off of all the main Oscar categories and only nominated for sound editing. I highly recommend this film. I loved the music so much I will be buying the soundtrack.

 

Film Fact

The Driver and Irene actually say very little to each other, primarily because Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan felt that their scenes should be more focused on the mood and refused to say many of the scripted lines. Mulligan summarized making the film as “staring longingly at Ryan Gosling for hours each day.”

 

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Blue Valentine (2010)

Filed under: DVD/Bluray by kelvbrown — 4 Comments
January 31, 2012

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) are married but their relationship is feeling the strain. Trying to reignite their spark with their daughter away for the night, Blue Valentine charts the decline of their relationship against the earlier tale of how they met and fell for each other.

How can you save a relationship that, when you are introduced to it, you know is doomed?  That is the question posed to the viewer here. Blue Valentine is a love story but not the Disney version. Even though it is downbeat in tone, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Blue Valentine was excellent, with a pair of central performances that had me fixated, desperate to know if they could work through their issues and equally how they came together in the first place. For me it works so well as it showcases the two elements we have all experienced – the dreamlike beginnings of a relationship and the strains of the collapse – in a very human and identifiable way.

If you like this then maybe try:

21 Grams (similar pacing and character drama) or Eagle vs Shark (alternative and off beat view on relationships)

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